Start the voting habit early

The House of Commons supported a motion put by Liberal Democrat MP Stephen Williams this week to give the vote to 16 and 17 year olds.  Despite being passed with a large majority this proposal is not likely to become law because it was not a bill but a backbench motion.  Thanks to Conservative opposition to those under 18 voting young people are unlikely to be able to vote from age 16 in the near future.

I thought back through my own voting history and realised that, despite my interest in politics I didn't vote for an MP until I was 26.

There was a General Election the year before I turned 18.  I was living at home and studying for 'A' Levels.  If I had been able to vote in that election I would have done so.  A year later, around the time of taking my 'A' Levels, there were elections to the European Parliament.  I had passed my 18th birthday and voted in those elections.

At the time of the next General Election I was at University.  I had spent six months in a rented property and then returned to live with my parents for six months whilst undertaking a work placement.  In election week I went to stay with a friend in another part of the country.  I was registered to vote at my parent's address but as plans to visit a friend were made late in the day I didn't have time to apply for a postal vote.  I didn't vote.  I suspect that many young people are in a similar situation, moving around and making last minute plans in their late teens and early twenties.

It was then five years until the next General Election so I didn't vote on the national stage until I was 26 years old.  By that time I had stood as a local election candidate and voted in a further European election.

With General Elections now on a five year cycle and usually happening on the first Thursday in May a young person with an 18th birthday on the first Friday of May 2015 would not be likely to vote in a General Election until they were 23 years old.  Miss that one for some reason and they would be 28 years old.

A young person not eligible to vote until early 2016 would miss the 2015 General Election and wait until they were 22 to cast a vote in a national election.  

Surely the time to catch young people and engage them is at school or sixth form college.  Most will be voting in an area they have lived in for a time rather than voting in a town they may only spend a few years in whilst at university.

Why not give young people who are likely to be at home, with some stake in their local society a vote from age 16.  Not all will use their democratic right, not all will feel ready to vote but why not give young people the choice?

Sixteen is the time to get into the democratic habit.

Localising Council Tax - Government Shifts the Burden

Woking Council tonight approved its scheme to "localise" Council Tax.  Essentially this means the Council agreed which groups in the population who either have not previously paid Council Tax or have not paid full Council Tax will have to make at least a contribution to their Council Tax in future.

The Past
Until this year various groups in the population such as the unemployed, carers, those on low incomes and pensioners were entitled to council tax benefits.  These benefits were funded by the government who gave the money to local councils to run local services.

The Future
The Coalition government, in its wisdom, decreed that everyone of working age should pay something towards their Council Tax.  Pensioners were excluded from this latest wheeze and their Council Tax benefits remain unchanged.

Each Council has had to come up with a "Local Council Tax Support Scheme". The government offered a sample scheme and in Surrey the county worked with the boroughs to come up with a framework scheme.

Woking rejected the government scheme, even though if offered money to ease the scheme in for the first year, because of the wide ranging impact it would have had on those who would struggle to pay.

Woking has gone for its own variation of the Surrey framework.  The scheme has the following changes which will come into force from April 2013.

The second adult rebate scheme is removed
Currently if another adult lives with somebody who receives Pension Credit, Income Support, Income-based Job Seekers allowance or Income-related employment and support allowance or has a low income they can claim Council Tax benefit.  This is removed.  This affects 25 people living in Woking.

Benefit is limited to level of Band D Council Tax
Council Tax benefit will only be paid for the amount due on a Band D property.  So if a resident lives in a Band E property they would need to pay the difference between the two bands.  This affects 160 Woking residents.  The difference between Band D and Band E Council Tax was £346.20 in 2012/13.  I made the point at the Council meeting that this may impact those who happen to live in a more expensive area who would need to find several hundred pounds more per year when food, gas and electric prices are already rising.

Minimum weekly benefit payment of £5
if the Council Tax benefit due is less than £5 a week it will not be paid.  Doesn't sound too bad but as I said at tonight's meeting this could be £200 a year for someone on a low income who is already struggling.  This affects 275 Woking residents.

Saving limit of £10,000
The amount of savings residents can have and still qualify for Council Tax benefit is reduced to £10,000.  This affects 43 Woking residents.

There is a hardship fund to help those who cannot pay what is due under the new scheme.  I made the point at the Council meeting this evening that this smacks of deserving and undeserving poor with those unable to pay having to plead with the Council for help with their bill.

I'm not happy with this scheme but it is sadly something that had to be done.  I am satisfied it is the best of a bad job.  Council officers in Woking really did work hard to find a scheme that had least impact.  The logic of charging more to those who have least is totally beyond me.

Woking Council has partially been able to reduce the impact for those on benefits or low incomes by making "technical changes" to Council Tax.  I will cover those changes in another blog post.

Beware Free Offers - they often come at a price

I had a phone call from my husband today letting me know a company called Landmark Security had telephoned and were offering us a "free" alarm system.  This call immediately rang alarm bells as I had received a similar call from a company called Direct Response last year.  They had also offered a "free" alarm system but a little investigation showed that this offer usually came with hefty charges.  I wrote about the experience to warn residents back in October and reported the company to local police, Trading Standards and the Telephone Preference Service.

I did a little searching on this latest company, who had told my husband that they were in the area and offering a limited number of "free" alarm systems.  It didn't take long to discover that the BBC programme Rogue Traders had investigated Landmark Security.  The Rogue Trader coverage came about after an elderly lady in Surrey had been charged over £7,000 for servicing and monitoring of a "free" alarm system.  The programme set up two scenarios using actors to illustrate tactics employed by the company.  These included spending up to three hours with prospective customers, insisting prospective customers sign up there and then to get a "free" system and accusing those who did not want to sign of wasting their time.

I am now reporting this company to Trading Standards and the Telephone Preference Service.  It is all too easy for us to ignore these calls but as we have TPS we should not receive the calls in the first place.  Older residents and those who live alone may see this as a good offer and could be persuaded to spend a lot of money.  An expert on the Rogue Trader programme says a burglar alarm system of the type offered costs on average under £600 in the South of England.

Before and After Bedser Bridge

A representative of the Basingtoke Canal Society kindly let me know at the end of last week that the new Bedser Bridge was to be lifted into place on Monday.  She had received notification that the canal was to be closed for the day to enable to bridge to be laid across the canal.

Walking to catch the train to work this morning I realised it was probably the last time I would see the canal without a bridge across it so I quickly snapped this shot of the clear canal.

I then saw during the day that the new bridge had been successfully lifted in to place.  I tried to photograph the bridge in place but it was a little too dark by the time I was coming home from work.  Hope Woking Council don't mind me using this picture of the new bridge in place.  I'll try and get one of the same shot later today.

The new bridge may be in place but it is far from open.  There still seems to be a fair bit of work to do on the Horsell side.  We were told the new bridge would be open in "early 2013" but my investigations late last year revealed it could be as late as April (a year after it closed) that we get the bridge back.

UPDATE
Managed to get the same picture as on Monday.  As I reviewed the shot I thought how well the new bridge fits into its environment.  Such a relief that people power won out and we didn't get the concrete monstrosity that was originally planned to go over the canal.

The Arrogance of Surrey's Conservative County Councillors

Does the arrogance of Surrey's Conservative County councillors know no bounds?

Farnham Caste - location for Surrey Conservative away days

1. At a time of contracting budgets, belt tightening and major challenges facing local government Surrey's ruling Conservatives took 26 Conservative councillors and county council staff for two days to Farnham Castle in November.  This working break received extensive press coverage both locally in the Surrey Advertiser and in the national media.  Press stories pointed out that Conservative Local Government Minister Eric Pickles recommends councils "cancel away days at posh hotels".  Mr Pickles recommends using a room in a council owned property or swapping a room with a neighbouring authority.  All very sensible cost saving measures.
2. Ignoring Mr Pickles's advice and seemly unphased by criticism Surrey's Conservatives are planning to do it all over again.  Same venue, another two days away with an overnight stay.  The Surrey Advertiser has the story.
3. The Surrey Advertiser explains that the event is in Leader David Hodge's diary.  It also gives the dates 6 to 7 June 2013.  In addition to the arrogance of spending taxpayers money on away days Conservative councillors are pre-empting the results of elections to the county council due to be held in May 2013.

UPDATE
Surrey County Council Conservatives have now cancelled the away day planned for June 2013.  Lib Dem Leader at the County Council Hazel Watson is still seeking answers on previous away days at the castle.  The County Council are listed on the castle's website as regular users.  It is thought there may have been trips to the castle since 2009.

Two opportunities to Cycle Woking in 2013

Two Woking Bike Events for 2013
Great news this week that the Woking Bikeathon is returning and that Pedal4Charity will take place again this year.

Woking Bikeathon
The Surrey Advertiser brought news of the return of the Bikeathon this week.  The popular cycle event was run by Leukemia Research until 2011.  After their decision to no longer run the event in Woking the Rotary Club has decided to take over the event.  It will take place on Sunday 12 May, setting off from Bishop David Brown School in Sheerwater.  The event will raise funds for local charities including Woking Hospice, the White Lodge Centre, Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, The Children’s Society and Woking Community First Responders.

I took part in a very wet but enjoyable Bikeathon a few years ago and will celebrate the return of the popular event by taking part this year.

I understand there will be more details of the 2013 Bikeathon on the Rotary website in the future.

Pedal4Charity
Pedal4Charity today confirmed that their cycle event, run from The Cricketers in Horsell and raising money for Woking Hospice will be back for its 6th year on Sunday 15 September.

Last year this event and associated fundraising by The Cricketers during the year raised £45,000 for our local hospice facilities.

I didn't cycle in 2012, but I did go along and support the event.  I did the course in 2011, when I was lulled into a false sense of security by the relatively easy first half of the ride.  After the stop at the Rose and Crown in Thorpe there was rather harder ride across some very muddy ground.  I had aching thighs for some time afterwards. Despite this I have decided 2013 is the year for the double and aim to take part in Pedal4Charity as well.

Looking back at 2012 - the last quarter

The rain did not abate as one of the wettest years ever recorded entered its final quarter.  We had a very mild Chrismas period to end a hectic last three months of the year.

Woking trains were confirmed as some of the busiest.  The 7.32  from Woking to Waterloo is the second most overcrowded train in the country with a typical load 164% of capacity.

One side of the new bridge arrived at
Brewery Road in December

It was confirmed in December that the new bridge over the canal from Brewery Road to Woking town centre will not be open in December or January and could be as late as April (the date I learned is stipulated in Wilmott Dixon's contract).  However the new bridge has arrived and is on site ready to be put together.

A water main burst in Knaphill on Christmas Day  leaving residents in parts of Knaphill and Horsell without water or with lower than usual water pressure.

Another water supply pipe burst on the A320 on 31 December. Luckily no cars fell into the road and as it was during a holiday period traffic congestion was limited. It still meant residents of Horsell and Woking woke up to no water or low water pressure.  Fast work by Affinity Water meant water supplies were restored within a few hours but this latest pipe burst once again brought calls for action on the local water supply system.

Woking was plagued by arson in the latter part of 2012 with fires in an outbuilding of an Old Woking church, Toad Hall children's nursery and Mayford Village Hall.  It was particularly upsetting that each of the facilities affected provided services for young children.

Parts of Woking suffered from postal theft with local councillors and even our local MP getting involved to demand action from Royal Mail.

Bad news for Woking's retail revival when the Conservative Council announced increased town centre car parking charges against Lib Dem opposition.

The final great Horsell events to round off a fantastic year for the village were the 2nd Horsell Christmas Tree Festival and a revival of the Horsell Christmas Fair.

A small proportion of Woking residents took part in the election of Independent candidate Kevin Hurley as Surrey's first Police and Crime Commissioner. Just 1 in 10 of non-postal voters made it to a local polling station on 21 November.

Town Square in Woking was officially re-opened and re-named as Jubilee Square.

I visited Pares Woodland Garden, an amazing community project to return an overgrown piece of land behind Horsell village to public use.  The area will soon become a real community asset for all.

Woking Council was finally able to launch its Core Plan providing a basis for future planning and development decisions.

Lib Dem intervention was confirmed as successful at keeping Byfleet in the Woking parliamentary constituency. Woking Conservatives had been happy to lose Byfleet to a neighbouring constituency.

Surrey County Council confirmed they would make safety improvements at the Arthur’s Bridge / Lockfield Drive early in 2013.  These are accident prevention measures I first raised in 2010.

Horsell Co-op ended months of speculation by announcing it was moving premises across the High Street.

Our local water provider for Woking was renamed as Affinity.

Looking back at 2012 - third Quarter

Quarter three was a busy but soggy summer that flew by with so much happening.

July to September

Getting dug in at Woking Palace

I had my second ever day of archaeological digging at Woking’s very own ancient monument Woking Palace in Old Woking.

Lewis Hamilton announced he was leaving McLaren to drive for Mercedes in 2013.  Hamilton’s departure brought to an end his 14 year association with the Woking team.

Eleven months after it last happened a car fell into a hole in the road on the A320 caused by a burst water main.  This was September 2012 and a similar incident had occurred on a different part of the same road in October 2011.

There is a lot written everywhere about the Olympics and Paralympics so I won’t say much other than it was an incredible time, great to see the cycle races going through the three villages of Byfleet, West Byfleet and Pyrford and to watch amazing successes on television including Mo’s racing successes, David Weir, Ellie Simmonds in the pool, the track cyclists, the rowers and the sailors and Andy Murray and Laura Robson on the tennis court.  I managed to get tickets to Wimbledon Centre Court where the whole family had a fabulous day watching Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Lleyton Hewitt and Serena Williams wipe her opponent off the court.

Early in July Veolia Water (now Affinity) finally dropped their hosepipe ban as we slipped into an increasingly wet summer.

Woking had its first Party in the Park to launch the Olympics.  A great event with lots of local groups participating and great music from local bands.

Looking back at 2012 - Quarter Two

The second quarter of 2012 was very much dominated by the build up to and the event of Jubilee celebrations.  I was pleased to play a small part in Horsell's massive street party

April to June 2012

Horsell was in shock at the loss of its bridge over the canal for 9 months (little did we know it could be a year!) and I worked hard to ensure the diversion route was clearly signposted and concerns of residents along the route were alleviated.

I nominated Nathan Novelli from Horsell and was delighted that he won Woking Outstanding Achievement Award for setting up his own drama school.

My suggestion to have a Powerpoint display to help any members of the public attending council meetings was rejected by Conservative councillors.  I did achieve one small success in getting planning application numbers displayed on visuals during planning meetings.

Kanye West opens Horsell's new allotments

A new Horsell allotment site was opened by Cleve West and I was delighted to be an invited guest.  I had requested more allotment provision back in 2008.  It was great to see the aim for extra allotment space achieved four years later.

Stamp prices rose to 60p for First Class and 50p for second class.

I was elected as Deputy Leader of the Lib Dem Group on Woking Council.

The wooden canal bridge leaves Horsell

The bridge over the Basingstoke canal was removed in May having been cut off since April as part of works on the new WWF building.

The Queen celebrated her Diamond Jubilee and Horsell celebrated with a street party attended by thousands despite the ever present rain.  This great event spawned the Horsell Second Thursday Club which has went on to launch other community events in the second half of 2012.

Looking back at 2012 - first quarter

2012 seemed to fly by rather quickly.  I couldn't believe that Easter arrived when it did or that it was already summer amid all that rain.  Autumn followed fast behind, then it was Christmas and now we are entering 2013.  I decided to take a look back at the Olympic Jubilee year that was 2012 and was amazed at just how much had happened in the last twelve months.

January to March 2012
Plans were submitted for a new Horsell Scout Hut and an extension to Horsell Village Hall.  The scouts and guides are desperately in need of a new home and I know the extra space will be well used at the Village Hall.

Even my daughter was driven crazy by
the long wait for the new crossing

The crossing from the Lightbox to the Council offices and theatre was finally completed after several false starts – just in time for it to be rendered sadly underused as the bridge over the canal closed.

A report revealed that Surrey was the only police force to increase its number of officers in the previous year.  There was a 5.2% increase in officers in the county.

Brewery Road car park as it had existed for many years closed in February.  We should get a surface level car park back albeit with the WWF offices above it by the end of 2013.

PC Parish who had been Neighbourhood Officer since 2006 left Horsell following a promotion.  We have seen less of his replacement officer but the latest PCSO for our area Derek Slee has done sterling work throughout the year.

Brewery Road car park to building site

Work started to build the new WWF (World Wildlife Fund) headquarters on the site of Brewery Road car park.

Woking Commuter Trains are Crowded - news?

No surprise to learn that a Woking commuter train is at number 2 in the list of most overcrowded trains in England and Wales.  The weekday train that leaves Woking for London Waterloo at 7.32 has a load of 164% says a Department of Transport report covered by BBC News.

Also, at number 9 in the list is a service from Alton to London.  This is the train that leaves Woking at 7.52 for London Waterloo.  It is one of a number of trains that are overloaded by the time they arrive at Woking.  The load on this train is at 152%.

With more flats going up around the station and a key selling point being the fast commute to the capital isn't it time Woking had the long promised new carriages or even a train that starts at Woking.

Patrick Moore in Horsell

Sir Patrick Moore acted
with HADS

As I heard of the death of national institution Sir Patrick Moore last week I remembered that he had a Horsell connection.  I vaguely recalled that he had trod the boards with a local drama group.

My memory alone was not reliable so I did an online search to remind myself of the details.  Horsell Amateur Dramatic Society (HADS) website confirmed my memory.

Patrick Moore taught at St Andrew's School for a short time.  The school is still in Horsell and situated at the end of Wilson Way.  Whilst teaching at the school the man who found fame presenting The Sky at Night acted in five HADS productions.  HADS' website notes that the future Sir Patrick "had an amazing photographic memory".  Apparently he only had to read a play once to know his part.  

The Bedser Bridge Arrives in Pieces

One side of the new Bedser Bridge

I looked out of the window early on Sunday morning to discover there was traffic control on Brewery Road. I had one vain hope it might be Surrey County Council contractors come to find out why the road flooded last week.  But I was soon to find out this was not the case.  

A little later in the morning I went out to take my daughter to a party and learnt the arrival of the new Bedser bridge across the canal was imminent.  I was a little concerned about the pedestrian arrangements during this activity as we were told to wait for the "banksman" and be escorted along the road.   How would the workmen cope with the pedestrian traffic heading into town after 11 on a Sunday morning I wondered.  I needn't have worried.  An hour later after I had dropped off at the party, wandered through the French market, checked out the new Maplin shop on Commercial Way and done a little Christmas shopping; the road was fully open. The bridge, or pieces of the bridge,  two sides as far as I could see, had been safely delivered to the site.

The main structure of the bridge will be wooden.  It looks so much better than the concrete monstrosity which was proposed initially.

Now we just have to wait for the pieces to be put into place and the rest of the structure around the bridge to be completed.  We were promised a new bridge early in 2013 but my recent questioning suggests it could be Easter before we can cross the canal from Brewery Road again.  If it as late as this that will have been a year we have all had to make the long walk around via Chobham Road and the five point crossing to get into Woking.

Supporting Woking's Voluntary Sector

In my role as Shadow Portfolio holder for Grants I attended and spoke at the annual Woking Council Grants meeting last week.

Woking has a clear process for grants whereby local groups are invited to apply for funding by the end of August each year.  Applications are made through the Window on Woking website.  Applications are considered by the Council and representatives from voluntary groups and recommendations are made to the Executive.

My view doesn't hold much sway with the Conservative Executive but I am allowed to put the Lib Dem view on a number of applications.

Several applications stood out for me on Thursday.

I expressed my surprise that having refused to fund the Neighbourhood Advice Centre (which primarily served Maybury and Sheerwater) last year, giving the reason that CAB were doing work in the area, the Executive has now refused CAB funding for this work.  I spoke in favour of CAB getting extra funding to cover the need in this area.

I was pleased that Outline Surrey received funding this year. Outline provides a telephone helpline and information and organises events for those who are Lesbian, gay, bi-sexual or transgender. I have supported the charity's applications for the last three years.  In 2010 no funding was given, in 2011 a small amount was allocated.  This year Outline got their full application.

I spoke in favour of giving CORAM, a group offering life education to school children in the borough, funding for alcohol awareness work.  The work of the group has already been much appreciated in local schools and I spoke based on the experience of my Lib Dem colleagues who are teachers.  Listening to the statistics of the young people affected by alcohol I supported prevention rather than picking up the pieces.  The portfolio holder did not seem keen to fund this part of the programme.  Her view was that the drinks industry should pick up the bill.  I agreed that if the Council agrees to adopt a late night levy this money could be used in future to fund such programmes but money was needed this year.

Why would anyone do this to young children?

St Peter's Church Centre - the blaze which thankfully
burnt out started in an outbuilding at the centre

I was totally horrified, and somewhat incredulous to read today of yet another act of arson affecting a community facility in Woking.  I wrote just over a week ago about the blazes that caused serious damage at Toad Hall nursery in Goldsworth Park and the village hall in Mayford.  I also mentioned the fire at Sayers Croft in Cranleigh, an educational facility used by Woking school children.

Thankfully the latest blaze,  at St Peter's Church Centre in Old Woking, did not do any serious damage.  However the intention of those who started the blaze would appear to have been destructive.  As the Surrey Advertiser reported this episode also involved a burglary, not a factor (as far as I am aware) in any of the other arson incidents.

In the last two cases, St Peter's Church Centre and Toad Hall, it must have been very evident that the premises catered for young children.  I just can't understand why anybody would want to deliberately damage facilities that provide care for young children.

The police did arrest two young men after the Toad Hall blaze.  They have been bailed until January.  I hope there is further progress on these cases and that all our local community facilities remain vigilant until this situation is resolved.

Starstruck Woking

It's been a starstruck few days for Woking.  On Saturday the annual panto kicked off at the New Victoria Theatre starring Stephen Mulhern and Pudsey the dog (winner of Britain's got Talent).  In the audience for Dick Whittington  was comedian, author and extreme charity fundraiser David Walliams.

David was very complimentary about our local panto.

"It's brilliant. Stephen is really funny and Ashleigh & Pudsey 

are so entertaining. Tonight Stephen even got me 

up on the stage. So much fun..!"

David doesn't seem to be alone in his praise for Dick Whittington.  I've seen lots of good reports on the show in its first few days.

But the excitement doesn't end there.  Today the Law and Order UK team were back recording in Woking and Bradley Walsh was spotted in the town centre.  Bradley or should I say DS Ronnie Brooks was on a seat in the vicinity of the Woking Martian.

A Bridge Too Far ... Away

The old canal bridge leaves the site

Earlier this year residents of Horsell and beyond were horrified to learn that the bridge over the Basingstoke Canal was to close for 9 months.  The old bridge has been removed and a new bridge is being built as part of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) building on the Brewery Road car park site.

I know residents will be even more upset to now learn it could be a whole year before the new bridge is in place.

I heard rumours just over a week ago about how far behind the project is running.  Quite understandable, given the heavy and persistent rain that delayed work over the summer and beyond.  A previous conversation with the site manager had told me there had been delays but they would be caught up over time.  The bridge wasn't mentioned.

I had to put a formal question to the last meeting of the full Council to get the facts.  The public information supplied tells us the bridge will be open "early in 2013".  i had taken this as January.  In fact at one point I had heard we may get a bridge back in December.  At the council meeting I was told that the bridge will be completed "early" in 2013 and that the contractor will finish within the contract period.  Further questioning then confirmed that the period defined in the contract is April 2013.  Hardly "early" in the year.  

This all makes rather a mockery of the statement posted on Woking Council's website when they listened to "people power" and changed the original bridge plans back in late 2011.

"Once development commences in early 2012, we will work closely with WWF-UK and its contractors to minimise disruption to local residents caused by the construction of the Bedser Bridge."

Affinity want your views

Affinity Water (the new name for Veolia Water as I reported back in October) is consulting its customers on future investment in 'our community'.

There is an online survey for customers to complete which asks about    abstraction, reducing consumption, reducing leakage, installing meters, temporary use bans (such as happened earlier this year), customer expectations, ownership of connecting pipework, social tariffs and securing water supplies for future generations.

It is not very clear on the Affinity website but you really need to read the background to the consultation before completing the survey.

The key message of the consultation seems to be 'would you like this improvement?', if yes it will cost you the customer.  Surely if leakage is reduced there should be lower costs and it is the responsibility of the company to invest to make this happen.

I raised the issue of future supply with our local water supplier (still called Veolia at that time) at a Council meeting back in June.  This is Surrey reported on my concern that just 5% of water was being saved by the hosepipe ban then in place but 21% was being lost through leaks.

There was an opportunity to meet Affinity and discuss the consultation in person.  I would have liked to have gone along but I was rather surprised and disappointed to discover that the consultation event in Woking was held on Thursday 6 December.  The first time I saw it advertised was in a newspaper which was published on Friday 7 December and I didn't buy until Sunday 9 December.  There are other events but I don't fancy a trip to Great Missenden or St Albans!

Customers can also contribute to an online discussion board. This seems to cover a range of areas but there is a specific discussion topic on the consultation.  There wasn't a lot debate on there when I took a look.

The consultation closes on 21 December so if you would like to contribute make sure you do it before the deadline.

Tories Reject Freeze on Town Centre Parking Prices

Woking Tories tonight rejected a Liberal Democrat bid to freeeze Woking town centre parking prices at the currrent level.

Introducing an amendment to Tory proposals for increased parking charges Lib Dem Leader Denzil Coulson pointed out that increased parking charges put at risk all the work that has gone into the town centre.  There is no point having a beautiful new town square and new shops if shoppers choose to go elsewhere.  Other Surrey towns are cheaper and even some London shopping centres charge less for parking.

Cllr. Louise Morales noted the high number of people who park for two hours in Woking.  She suggested a cheaper third hour rate to encourage shoppers to linger a little longer, maybe to patronise a cafe or restaurant or do a little more shopping.

I raised concerns on how rising parking charges lead to an increase in commuters, town centre workers and shoppers parking on residential roads in Horsell.  As parking charges rise the level of parking on local streets moves further out into Horsell.  Parking has already gone so far out that I have seen somebody park in Horsell, take a folding bike from their boot and cycle into the town centre.

Parking on residential streets ends up costing money as residents ask for 
parking restrictions.  Councillors and officers consult on parking restrictions.  
Restrictions are implemented and there are then extra roads for enforcement officers to patrol.  Residents already tell me that existing parking restrictions are not sufficiently policed.

Other Lib Dem councillors raised similar concerns but it all fell on deaf ears.  Only the Leader of the Council, his Deputy and another Executive member spoke to defend the increase in parking charges before the Conservatives voted en bloc against a freeze in charges.

Busy week ahead

I have a busy week ahead of me with some key issues affecting Horsell residents on the agenda.

Monday - A briefing on the market ahead of paper at Council on Thursday.

Tuesday - Putting up the Christmas Tree at home.

Wednesday - Local  committee - the joint meeting of Woking borough and Surrey county councillors. A petition is being presented on Chobham Road crossing?  Also on the agenda is the council officer response to a petition on traffic measures around Woking High School. The response is rather disappointing.  It amounts to yellow lines on dangerous corners which it could take a year or so to put in place.

Thursday - Meeting  of full Council. Matters under consideration include increasing town centre parking charges and the future of Woking market.

Friday is a 'night off' and I am out at The Cricketers In Horsell for my first Christmas meal of the season.