Surrey County Council will now explore alternatives to closing four Community Recycling Centres and reducing the opening hours of the others, thanks to a motion tabled by Green County Councillor Jonathan Essex at the Council meeting on 11 July.

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Surrey County Council is consulting on proposed changes to Surrey’s community recycling centres. The Conservative-run Council says that its proposed option is to close the recycling centres in Dorking, Warlingham, Bagshot and Cranleigh, and to end the daily allowance of waste that can be disposed of for free.

The proposals include reducing opening hours at the recycling centre in Earlswood from 7 days a week to 5 days a week.

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The redevelopment of the Liquid & Envy site (or the former Odeon cinema) in Redhill for apartments was approved on 17 May, despite opposition from several councillors. Most agreed the need for action on what has been a derelict site but many expressed concern and disappointment at the design and the limited amount of affordable housing proposed, falling far short of the 30% threshold.

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We’re delighted to announce that we’ve kept our Redhill East seat on Surrey County Council. Jonathan Essex beat the Conservative candidate by almost 1,000 votes (1849 to 879), getting 53.41% of the vote.

But we didn’t manage the breakthrough we had worked for in Redhill West & Meadvale. Rob Jarrett came second with 22.25% of the vote – an increase on last time. Commiserations to Rob.

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This Thursday, you have a chance to vote for a councillor to represent you on Surrey County Council for the next four years.

Our Redhill candidates have been campaigning hard – to hold our seat in Redhill East, and to win in Redhill West and Meadvale, where we came second last time. Please vote for them!

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Greens called for Surrey County Council and Surrey Wildlife Trust to release the budget plan and vision for Surrey today.

This followed meetings at County Hall where concerned residents sought reassurances over the future of the Trust, its resources and the implications of Surrey County Council withdrawing its funding.

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Green county councillor Jonathan Essex has repeated his call for Surrey County Council to scrap its unpopular charges for disposal of waste at Community Recycling Centres.

This follows a meeting at County Hall where a petition signed by more than 7,000 people calling for the charges to be scrapped was discussed with the Cabinet Member for Environment and Highways.

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David Hodge, leader of Surrey County Council, told Conservative colleagues that he had reached a “gentleman’s agreement” with senior cabinet ministers that persuaded him to cancel a threatened 15% council tax rise.

According to media reports, in a secret recording of a Conservative group meeting on 7 February, Hodge revealed there had been a “series of conversations” with the communities secretary, Sajid Javid, and a meeting with the chancellor, Philip Hammond.

He apparently said he had struck a deal with the government before scrapping the proposed 15% council tax hike.

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On 9 February, Councillor Steve McKenna moved a Motion calling on Reigate & Banstead Borough Council to agree that publicly-owned sites should deliver higher levels of affordable housing than is required for the Borough as a whole.

The Motion also asked the Council’s new Property Company to invest in affordable housing.

See the Motion on the Council Agenda

As is the Council’s usual way, the Motion was referred to the Executive with no debate.

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