Providing essentials for the homeless with supermarket loyalty points
Rebecca Curley
Local Democracy Reporter
The homeless in Surrey are being given essentials paid for with supermarket loyalty points.
Housing officers at
Runnymede Borough Council had accumulated nearly £1,000 worth of Nectar points buying paint to decorate homes of
social housing tenants.
As a way of trying to
support charities, the council has transferred the Nectar points to the loyalty
cards of two organisations –
the Runnymede Foodbank and Just a Helping Hand.
The points are being used to buy kit to go in rucksacks they hand out to homeless people in the borough.
The bags contain items
such as toiletries, pens, socks and wordsearch books.
Runnymede Borough CouncilCopyright: Runnymede Borough Council
No government-funded trees planted in Runnymede in eight years
No government-funded trees have been planted in Runnymede between 2010 and 2018, Forestry Commission data shows.
Runnymede was among about a third of English districts that did not get any government-funded trees. Almost all of these were urban areas and the government has promised to spend £10m planting trees in towns and cities.
Between 2010 and 2018 the government funded about 15 million trees in England. Figures for trees planted with private funds or by local councils are not included and the data only covers new trees, not replacements for any that were cut down.
Overall tree planting rates across the UK would need to more than double to combat rising temperatures and climate change, according to official figures.
Last year 13,400 hectares of new trees were planted across the UK, most of them in Scotland, but the Committee on Climate Change says this should rise to at least 30,000 hectares a year.
Campaign group The Woodland Trust said more trees were needed to provide summer shade, reduce air pollution, improve water quality and manage flooding.
The government said it had made it "much easier" to apply for planting grants.
The Conservatives have lost eight seats in Runnymede in local election polls, but still retained control of the council. Three seats went to the Lib Dems and three went to independents while one went to Labour and one was taken by the Greens.
Meanwhile, in Surrey Heath, the Conservatives lost 14 seats - nine to the Lib Dems, two to the Greens and three to independents. The Tories there ended up with 18 seats, the minimum needed for a majority.
The residents association have kept control of Epsom and Ewell.
Surrey flood response teams report progress
Rebecca Curley
Local Democracy Reporter
Emergency response teams in Surrey say they have improved how they deal with flooding disasters.
Councillors were assured lessons had been learnt from the devastating floods of 2014.
A progress report on the partnership response to flooding along the Thames was presented to members of Surrey County Council (SCC) and Runnymede Borough Council Joint Committee on Monday.
The report laid out the work of the Surrey Flood Risk Partnership Board and the role of the Surrey Local Resilience Forum identifying the need for “improved cross border working” and “clarity” of roles played by residents, emergency services and volunteer groups.
Criticism of the action taken during the 2014 floods included residents being confused by the different roles of all the organisations and agencies, vulnerable people lists not being shared effectively and valuable local knowledge not being harnessed.
About 1,000 homes were flooded near the Thames in Surrey and almost 600 properties had to be evacuated in 2014.
Ian Good, county emergency planning officer, said lists of vulnerable residents were now digitised to “help with evacuation” and lines of communication had been set up to give people warnings of flooding.
Temporary flood defence schemes have been identified for Chertsey and Egham Hythe.
Yvonna Lay, councillor for Egham, said: “I’m thrilled to see what we have done with the vulnerable. Our area was particularly badly flooded and the biggest problem we had was identifying those in need and the vulnerable. We didn’t know where to send them.”
But Mark Nuti, who represents Chertsey, said: “I’m still concerned locally that there will still be some confusion when it all kicks off.”
Park revamp will be 'Magna Carta gateway'
Rebecca Curley
Local Democracy Reporter
BBCCopyright: BBC
A multi-million pound refurbishment of
Runnymede Pleasure Grounds has been welcomed by councillors who said it would
act as a “gateway to the Magna Carta”.
Plans have been drawn up for the £4.8m scheme for a new cafe, play area, water splash park and holiday lodges for
the site on the bank of the Thames between Egham and Old Windsor.
Councillors also backed calls from
residents for a safer crossing of the A30 so people could walk from Egham town
centre to the grounds.
The major works will also include a
landing strip for extra boat trips by French Brothers and a walkway that will
lead to the National Trust’s board walk that will line the river.
Designs are being put forward for planning
permission in May with a view to work beginning in 2020.
The proposals were presented to
councillors at Surrey County Council and Runnymede Borough Council joint committee on Monday.
Sussex Express: Works continue on Polegate level crossing
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Hastings Observer: People enjoy a taste of Hastings at packed Seafood and Wine Festival
Parking parents 'getting off lightly'
Rebecca Curley
Local Democracy Reporter
Parents who abuse parking restrictions while on the school run should be fined, a councillor says.
Councillor Gill Warners said parents are "getting off lightly" and has called for
more enforcement around the Grange and New Haw schools in New Haw and
potentially all schools in Runnymede.
She said a review of current parking
restriction timings would provide more parking outside schools hours for local
residents and "alleviate the impression that residents are given more
tickets than school users who are seen by the residents to be causing a bigger
impact and getting off lightly".
In a written question to Runnymede Borough Council and Surrey County
Council joint committee meeting on Wednesday, Ms Warner asked for a review of enforcement staffing and
operations around schools areas, a review of current parking restrictions
around the Grange and New Haw schools and possibly all schools in the borough, and a review of pick-up and drop-off ability on school diagonals.
An officer responded to her calls saying the problems highlighted were "experienced at pretty much
every school in the borough" and that civil enforcement officers could not be tasked exclusively to school enforcement.
Ukip now has no councillors in Surrey after losing their single remaining seats on Mole Valley, and Reigate and Banstead councils.
Correction 13 July 2018: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that UKIP fielded no candidates in either Tandridge, Runnymede, Woking or Elmbridge.
Runnymede local election results
In Runnymede, the Conservatives lost three seats, without causing much of a dent to their large majority which still stands at 20 seats.
Labour gained one place on the council, with the Independents adding two more members.
