The Conservative administration at County Hall has announced that they will be hiring Consultants to carry out a financial review - less than one year after the Council completed the last review. The Liberal Democrat councillors on Surrey County Council are pressing the Conservative Administration to make savings in administrative costs, to make the County Council more efficient and to cut wasted spending.
At the meeting of Surrey County Council today, the Liberal Democrats put forward proposals to give Surrey's Local Committees control of youth services in their areas. This would have committed the Council to act on the recommendation from the Local Committees that there should be joint working with Boroughs and Districts on youth provision.
Liberal Democrat County Councillors tried at today's council meeting to ensure that priorities important to Surrey residents are included in the Council's formal list of priorities for the next four years. Hazel Watson, Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on the County Council, said: "The Conservative administration's plans need to be clearer and more specific. Important priorities are missing from the Conservatives' plans."
Surrey County Council's poor performance in the delivery of some of its key services, compared to other councils, was highlighted today by the Liberal Democrats. Of particular concern is its poor performance in improving the condition of the roads. According to recent Government figures nearly 40% of Surrey's main roads were in need of repair last year.
The new Lib Dem team at County Hall dived straight in today, putting forward proposals to give Surrey residents the right to present petitions to the Full Council. For the first time this would allow residents direct access to its most important decision-making body. The intention was to make the County Council more democratic by bringing it into line with the many other councils across the country that already give their residents this right. The motion was proposed by Eddie Owen (Guildford East) and seconded by John Doran (Horsell). However the proposals were voted down by an alliance of Conservative and Labour councillors, so Surrey residents will continue to be denied the rights available to residents in many other parts of the country.
Following the County Council elections on 5th May, the Liberal Democrats on Surrey County Council re-elected Hazel Watson as Group Leader, with Ian Beardsmore as her deputy. Colin Taylor chairs the group and John Doran is treasurer.
