Long Ditton Newsletter
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Autumn 2018 USEFUL NUMBERS: The Elmbridge Council’s out of hours emergency number is 01372 466114. Surrey County Council Social Care out of hours emergency Long Ditton News number is 01483 517898. Community news and views from your local Long Ditton Conservatives | www.esherwalton.com Conservatives to defend green belt n Claudia to stand for Council again in Long Ditton with pledge to protect our open spaces HE Conservatives have tial sites identified. regained control of Elm- Lib Dems accused the Con- Tbridge Borough Council servatives of fabricating lies - even and are promising to defend our though the Cabinet minutes of 16 Long Ditton green belt. November 2016 clearly show that Claudia Riley-Hards (pictured) they approved consulting on the was our Council candidate in May. option of using three areas of green HELLO AND She campaigned on the issue of belt to meet future housing needs. opposing the release of our local In May, the Conservatives won 10 WELCOME green belt for housing. She came of the 16 council seats being con- As Chairman of the Dittons & within a whisker of unseating the tested and ended the election with Molesey Conservatives I am Liberal Democrat incumbent, fall- 24 seats. This is the same number delighted to welcome you to ing short by a mere eight votes. of seats that the Lib Dems and RAs the Long Ditton News. This We are pleased to confirm that hold between them, but we were is your community newsletter Claudia has decided to stand again able to form the Administration by written, produced and delivered next May and will be spending the virtue of being the largest party. by our team of volunteers, to coming months meeting residents Cllr Oliver (pictured below) keep you up-to-date on matters and listening to your priorities. told The Long Ditton News: “We of local interest and important developments at Elmbridge and Claudia has lived in Long Ditton Standing for Council: inherited a consultation from the for 20 years. She advises local previous administration around Surrey County Councils. authorities on economic develop- Claudia Riley-Hards the release of three large pieces I am pleased that we are able ment for a living. Speaking about of greenbelt. We’ve stopped the to bring you an update from Dominic Raab in this edition, the election, she said: “I was housing by focusing on our exist- The LibDem/RA run council held council officers from doing that on his work as our local MP overwhelmed by the strong support ing town centres and on brownfield a public consultation from Decem- and asked them to come up with and his role in tackling the I received from the voters of Long sites.” ber 2016 to February 2017 and alternatives. issue of unauthorised traveller Ditton and was naturally disap- The government has asked Elm- received close-to 50,000 comments “The focus of our Local Plan will incursions (see also our main pointed I didn’t manage the few bridge Council to draw up a ‘Local from 3,760 respondents - almost be how we can deliver housing article overleaf for what extra votes I needed to win. Plan’ stating where thousands of overwhelmingly opposed to the without impacting on the greenbelt. Elmbridge Council is doing). “Nevertheless, I am delighted new homes would be built in the idea. It will go out for public consulta- that we now have a Conservative borough over the next decade. The Lib Dems were furious tion next summer.” Elections administration in charge of our bor- The Liberal Democrats and Resi- when we reminded voters at Conservatives share the view As this is our first newsletter ough and I have personally spoken dent Association councillors, who this year’s local elections, of many residents that our open since the local elections in to the new Council Leader, Tim ran Elmbridge Council in coalition that their administration had spaces are vital for our quality May, it would be prudent Oliver, about the importance of our for the last two years, decided to consulted on building thou- of life here in Elmbridge. Our to mention that Elmbridge green belt in Long Ditton. consult on the option of meeting sands of homes in the green approach will be to provide Borough Council has a new “He assured me that his adminis- those housing targets by releasing belt. Long Ditton’s homes for the community Conservative administration. tration intends to protect our green three tranches of green belt in Long precious green belt was without sacrificing our We have already delivered belt and to meet the need for new Ditton, Cobham and Oxshott. one of the three poten- local environment. very positive results for our residents in issues such as waste collection improvements Litter pick initiative cleans up Long Ditton Bin contractor and achieving an injunction to LONG Ditton residents prevent the continual problems have joined forces to told to improve with travellers. tackle the scourge of THE Council was forced to lay In Long Ditton we came local litter. down the law with its waste agonisingly close to winning Sian Headley and Vicki contractor over the summer a council seat, falling short by Sharp formed the ‘KT6 after hundreds of complaints just eight votes, after a number litter pickers’ which from residents about missed of recounts, but achieving a meets on the second collections. considerable swing from the Sunday every month Following the change of admin- Liberal Democrat majority at 9.30am outside The istration, the new Conservative – in spite of disgraceful Tarte in the Park cafe, cabinet member for Environment misinformation about our at Victoria Recreation and Transport, Glenn Dearlove greenbelt commitment, but Ground. (pictured below), moved swiftly to more on this later. have filled each time. Within just The group picks for an tackle the crisis - holding “ro- Our candidate, Claudia Riley- an hour, and a radius of around lections can be closed down in real hour and has been well-supported bust” meetings with Amey and its Hards met many of you during 0.5km, we collected a huge time. In addition an extra garden so far with 30 people taking part directors, in which he insisted the the campaign. As a 20-years hoard.” waste vehicle has been introduced.” in one event. The youngest was company improves or face fines. plus Long Ditton resident, she Anyone can join in and new He added that “significant im- aged just three. The waste collector cited staffing is committed to championing volunteers are always welcome provements” have been made and Sian said: “One of most eye- issues, IT problems and delays at the issues that the community - just turn up! Find the group on complaints are down to single fig- opening objects we found was Surrey waste depots for the deterio- cares about - safety, prosperity Facebook by searching for ‘KT6 ures as a result. “We will continue a whole hoover! We have been ration in their service, and promised and a clean environment, Litter Pickers’. to monitor performance to ensure amazed at how many bags we to make improvements. where our greenbelt is that residents of Elmbridge receive protected from development. Cllr Dearlove told the Full Coun- the quality of service they expect,” cil in July: “Amey is undertaking Her commitment to these Cllr Dearlove said. aims persuaded many of you a number of operational and IT Last summer, “teething trouble” improvements, including the way it to support her in May this with the contractor was blamed year, and we are delighted that manages staff leave. It has trained for thousands of complaints. Long more existing staff to be drivers and Claudia has agreed to stand for Ditton’s Lib Dem councillor, Barry Council in Long Ditton again is rolling out improvements to the Fairbank, was the Environment in-cab devices, so that missed col- in May 2019. Cabinet Member at the time and If you are willing to help our The finest Lebanese refused accountability, narrowly RESIDENTS can get an update campaign, by delivering The surviving a vote of no confidence at Long Ditton News or other cuisine in the area on council priorities and question the time. the council leader and officers at literature to a few streets, n Don’t forget, you can helping with canvassing or Have you tried us yet? Your Shout events around the report a missed bin online borough. The nearest locally putting up a poster, we’d love and it will usually be to hear from you. I hope you are the Walton Centre for the picked up by the next Community on 31 October at enjoy the newsletter and I day. Go to www. welcome your feedback. 7pm and at Claygate Centre elmbridge.gov.uk/ for the Community on 1 - Terence Alexander waste-and-recycling/ [email protected] November, also at 7pm. missed-bins/ Become a member Elmbridge seeks ‘traveller ban’ extension WHY join the Conservatives? LMBRIDGE Council large-scale fly-tipping and the cost Membership comes with a will seek to extend a High of clearing it, damage to gates and number of benefits, including: Court injunction which barriers, lost parking income and l A chance to choose the E national party leader bans unauthorised encampments the significant impact to communi- and fly-tipping in the borough. ties living close to the camps, as l An invitation to all of our The Conservative administration well the loss of community facili- events, from regular small secured a three-month injunction ties during the summer. informal gatherings to large in mid-August covering more than Our injunction prevents any in- dinners with high profile guest 150 local parks, open spaces and dividual from occupying land and/ speakers car parks, which has proven to be or depositing waste and prevents l The opportunity to stand for highly effective at preventing and anyone from entering, or occupy- the party in local elections moving on traveller incursions.