Green County Councillor Jonathan Essex has today criticised Conservative-run Surrey County Council for planning to reduce youth services, including youth workers and youth clubs, in Reigate & Banstead and across the county.

At a recent County Council meeting, the Conservative Cabinet admitted via a written answer that the number of hours of youth service provision each week in Boroughs and Districts across Surrey are planned to be reduced.

The biggest reduction iis proposed in Reigate & Banstead, with 50 hours of youth work lost each week.

The cuts follow the admission that the Conservative-run County Council is looking to make savings of nearly £200 million by the end of 2019/20.

Green County Councillor for Redhill East, Cllr Jonathan Essex said:

“Investing in our young people in Surrey is absolutely crucial to help keep them safe and to give them the opportunities and life experiences to grow up into well-rounded adults. The Conservative County Council cannot continue to keep slicing away at funding for vital services like these and then express surprise when costly interventions occur further down the line. I am particularly horrified that Reigate & Banstead is suffering the brunt of the cuts when what is needed is more local provision and resource, not less.”

Hal Brown, who is the Green Party candidate for Earlswood and Whitebushes, in this month’s local election,  said:

“Alongside youth centres, the County Council is planning to axe millions from its Early Help budget which could see Children’s Centres close across the county. These centres help parents and their children access services and provide support to those who may be struggling. By cutting such crucial intervention at all stages of a child’s life, I am really worried about the effects on young people in Surrey and am calling on the Conservative Cabinet to re-consider this highly damaging cuts.”

Cllr Essex’s Cabinet question and the answer received can be found here: https://mycouncil.surreycc.gov.uk/documents/s45534/Item%2004a%20-%20Member%20Questions.pdf

Last week, Surrey County Council passed a motion which I had tabled to tackle the scourge of single-use-plastics.

The motion follows campaigns across the country to reduce the use of single-use plastics after programmes such as the BBC “Blue Planet II” series highlighted the damage they cause to oceans and marine life.

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Green County Councillor Jonathan Essex is calling on Surrey County Council to become a ‘single use-plastic-free’ authority by the end of 2018.

The call follows campaigns across the country to reduce the use of single-use plastics after programmes such as the BBC Blue Planet II series highlighted the damage they cause to oceans and marine life.

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East Surrey Green Party submitted a response to Reigate & Banstead Borough Council’s Development Management Plan (DMP) Regulation 19 consolation.

We do not believe that the DMP in its current form is sound.

The DMP doesn’t set any density targets. If it required higher density at development sites (with different targets depending on the type of area), and by completing its Brownfield Site Register, including other sites known to be developable in the urban areas, the Council could meet its housing targets without needing to build on Green Belt land.

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We have produced a briefing for those who wish to respond to the Council’s consultation on its Development Management Plan.

It contains information and suggestions for points to raise about four aspects of the DMP:

• Proposed ‘urban extensions’ into the Green Belt
• Affordable homes for local people
• Identifying sites where homes can be built
• Redhill town centre.

The deadline for responses is 5pm on Friday 23 February 2018.

Read our briefing here

As Councillors meet this week to decide on Surrey County Council’s budget, the Greens have come up with an alternative way of doing business.

Instead of accepting Government cuts, Surrey Greens are calling on the Tory majority on Surrey County Council to fight back.

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More than 100 local residents packed Redhill Football club yesterday evening (1 February 2018) to hear about plans which might bring thousands of homes to green spaces in the area. They were particularly concerned about the scale of development planned for Redhill aerodrome, where some 8,000 houses could be built.

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Stand up to defend the Green Belt from development threats AND secure the affordable homes we need. 

Come to an open meeting to find out about our local Council’s Development Plans and how you can put your views across. 

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Surrey County Council’s financial problems are set to continue as a Council Tax rise of 6% was announced, as well as £66 million of spending reductions required in the next financial year.

The proposals will be approved by the County Council’s Conservative Cabinet next week before all Councillors vote on the proposals at the Budget setting meeting on Tuesday 6th February 2018.

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Surrey Greens have reviewed the County’s draft Waste Plan to 2033, which highlights a massive planned increase in incineration at the cost of recycling.

The Plan, which is open for consultation until February 7th, proposes up to six new incinerators on Green Belt land, even though Surrey is joint top for recycling in England.

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