The Lib Dems are calling for rail fares to be frozen for five years and for pre-pandemic timetables to be restored ** Lib Dems call for fare freeze as cost of living crisis worsens
Our local home is one of eight to be closed across surrey Staines South Lib Dem Councillor Chris Bateson writes: In a recent Focus Newsletter article, I expressed my concerns about the future of Meadowside care Home in Staines as had a number of local residents - and this week, Surrey County Council's Cabinet agreed to close eight residential care homes, include our local one. Lib Dem Councillors in Surrey have criticised the move which leaves the future of around 150 vulnerable residents in the balance with the risk they may end up being placed in accommodation further away from their family and paying more for the services they receive. Even though the majority of responses to a public consultation favoured the option to modernise and refurbish the care homes, the County Council decided to go ahead with a programme to close the homes before the end of 2024. I question how seriously the Council has taken the public consultation on closing these care homes, as the majority held view was ignored. The Counc
Surrey County Council's hopes of getting more powers from central government as part of a County Deal lie in ruins following the publication of the government's Levelling Up white paper.
Lib Dem Councillors on the Surrey Police and Crime Panel have criticised the Conservative Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for raising Council Tax and drawing on reserves to expand their own office's budget by 17% to £3.3 million a year, while Surrey Police will have to make do with 50 fewer frontline staff than they need to address performance issues.
Spelthorne Liberal Democrats has read with deep concern the hastily contrived cuts to train services on the main line through Staines and Ashford and the even more drastic reductions on the Shepperton branch, all taking effect from Monday 17 January 2022. This coincides with significant increases in train fares introduced earlier this month. Long suffering commuters and travellers are in effect suffering a double blow of yet again paying more for a worse service.
