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UNITED SPELTHORNE GROUP
UNITED SPELTHORNE
NEWS
Putting residents first, protecting services and looking after our borough.
Here you will find our latest news.
PRES RELEASE
Tory Facebook & Twitter posts
Following Facebook postings from Spelthorne Tories, retweeted, USG state the following: Tory Cllrs John Boughtflower and Sinead Mooney tabled a Vote of No Confidence motion in the current leadership of Cllrs Nichols and Sexton on Tuesday 5th Oct without having the numbers to win it. There are 18 Tory Members but they needed 20 votes to be sure of success. We know Sinead Mooney (who is also a Surrey County Cllr cabinet member) approached the LibDems 3 days before launching their power grab; offering them a deal, which was rejected. The fact is that USG effectively hold the balance of power as the article in SurreyLive on 8th October alluded to. USG are in the middle - of course we discussed supporting the Conservatives as we did the PA. USG made demands to both sides. To be clear, it is their deal to USG which was not agreed by us and that is why they had to withdraw their motion to save the humiliation of defeat.
POLICY
Outlining our policies
1. Continued provision of multi-tired housing; from private rented all the way through to homeless hostels.
2. Staines regeneration - both residential and commercial/retail. We desperately need to get business functioning again in the town centre, and get footfall there to support businesses.
3. Regeneration masterplan for Sunbury and Ashford.
4. Rail links - Light Rail to Heathrow, Spelthorne in the Zone.
5. Cherishing the Thames riverside and make the most of the River, including riverside businesses.
6. Protecting the vast majority of our Green Belt.
7.More youth provision throughout the borough, further education college, travel funded, centre of excellence for SEN, big initiatives to get youths off the streets and start hobbies. Anti knife and Anti drug campaigns. Youth clubs in all towns.
MAYOR OF SPELTHORNE
Cllr Harvey elected Mayor of Spelthorne for 2021-2022
On 27th May 2021, Cllr Ian Harvey was elected Mayor of Spelthorne. Cllr Helen Harvey will join him as his consort and together they want to raise funds for youths in the borough. In a historic vote for Spelthorne, it saw the Conservatives loose the roles of Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Leader and Deputy Leader.
FORMAL REBUTTAL STATEMENT
Re Conservative Association Press Release 24th April 2021
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VOTE OF NO CONFIDENCE
An ECM took place on 4th March to hear the Motion of No Confidence in the Leader, Cllr Boughtflower
Cllr I Harvey, H Harvey and Rybinski's speeches are on the link below. They were each read out during the meeting and detail the failings of the Conservative Leader
CLLR HARVEY RESPONDS TO THE TIMES ARTICLE
17th February 2021
Please click on the button to read the press release responding to The Times article published 17th February 2021.
RESERVES POLICY
Previous administration's policies - Best unallocated reserves in the UK
The report to Overview & Scrutiny on 19th January following a national benchmarking exercise highlighted that the borough has the highest ratio of unallocated revenue reserves to net revenue budget as of March 2020 which positively reflects the policy to invest and mitigate risk by collecting reserves. The administration at the time consisted 4 of our councillors and was lead by Cllr Ian Harvey. It was this policy which has helped the borough stay afloat during these difficult times, whereas many boroughs are facing shortages and even going bust.
BOUGHTFLOWER'S ADMINISTRATION SET TO COST THE COUNCIL £9K A WEEK IN PROPERTY DELAYS
The report states: The risks of not agreeing development schemes are very significant, and cannot be under-estimated. If the developments do not proceed it will fundamentally affect the future of the Council through: (a) Increased budgetary and financial pressures (b) Lower levels of affordable housing (c) Reduction and delay in development activity (d) An increased risk the Local Plan cannot deliver the required housing numbers and is found ‘unsound’
Cllr Boughtflower's administration are delaying property projects which are costs the Council £9k a week.
The implications of this administration's procrastination and weakness to make decisions Is very serious for our emerging local plan which according to the council’s report will impact on the Local Plan and Green Belt.
1.13 It is clear that if Council development schemes are not agreed by this ECM to go into the capital programme, the early years of the plan will under-deliver on housing numbers. Put simply this means that more sites will have to be identified over and above the number actually required to meet the current annual number of 606 units pa in order for the plan to be found sound.
1.14 Council owned sites are expected to deliver a significant proportion of the identified housing need over the Local Plan period. The six sites under consideration this evening will contribute 444 units to the 5-year land supply and a further 264 units are projected to be delivered in years 6-15. Overall, they account for 19% of the total SLAA sites and therefore our supply as a whole
1.15 Failing to agree to move forward on these six schemes could affect the Green Belt. If there are not sufficient sites to otherwise meet the housing supply in the developed area then this will undoubtedly lead to a greater pressure through the Examination process to release additional Green Belt land to compensate (with all the additional environmental implications which will also fall out as a result).Green Belt. If there are not sufficient sites to otherwise meet the housing supply in the developed area then this will undoubtedly lead to a greater pressure through the Examination process to release additional Green Belt land to compensate (with all the additional environmental implications which will also fall out as a result).
CLLR RYBINSKI'S MEETING WITH SWR
Spelthorne in the Zone
Cllr Rybinski continues to have meetings with SWR and promoting the initiative to include Spelthorne in a zone and Oyster card to our stations. Another meeting is set for 1st Feb.
INDEPENDENT RESPONSE
27th November
Responding to today’s Spending Review announcement, Cllr Marianne Overton MBE, Leader of the LGA Independent Group says:
REPORTING GREEN BOXES
Virgin Media boxes
For the last few months Cllr Rybinski and Sexton have been investigating and urging the Council to support a clean up of the green boxes which have fallen into disrepair around the borough. The link below is an easy way of reporting these boxes.
IS THE GREEN BELT SAFE WITH THE CONSERVATIVES?
11th November
At a recent Planning meeting the Conservatives on the Planning committee voted en bloc to GRANT an application for the building of a housing estate on Green Belt land. This was unprecedented and was contrary to the NPPF (National Planning Policy Framework) and the council Local Plan. ALL opposition councillors, led by Cllr Richard Smith-Ainsley and Cllr Helen Harvey voted down this proposal and moved REFUSAL of the proposal. Despite Conservative opposition this motion was approved. Conservatives were vociferous in their despair, trying without success to use procedural matters to prevent the proposal being refused. The Green Belt is NOT safe with the Conservatives.
REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY
Lest we Forget
Cllrs Ian and Helen Harvey remember at Sunbury memorial
NITROUS OXIDE GAS CANISTERS
Motion passed
Majority Conservatives fail to support gas canister motion.
URGENT – THREAT TO LOCAL DEMOCRACY REMAINS
Support for RASSU
You may have heard that the Government have scuppered Surrey County Council’s bid for a “Single Unitary Surrey”. However, Surrey CC Leader Tim Oliver has made it clear that they will continue to work towards this. Let’s be clear this would mean dissolving all Boroughs and Districts (including Spelthorne) and combining them into ONE Surrey Council, of 1.2m residents likely run from Reigate. Hardly local to us!
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT!
United Spelthorne Group
We were all elected to represent and serve you, the residents of Spelthorne to the best of our ability and we pledge to continue to do so. Unfortunately, it was not possible to do that whilst remaining in the Conservative Party.
KPMG
Spelthorne Borough Council
The Council has taken all necessary steps to ensure that it abides by the law in all its transactions and it is refuted that the Council has acted unlawfully. This is still an on-going matter between the Council and KPMG and no conclusions have been reached by either side. If you require further information the Council has a statement on its website. See below link.
RESIDENTS AGAINST SURREY SINGLE UNITARY
Read more about this campaign and
sign the petition at https://rassu.org.uk/
This is a once in a lifetime battle to keep local decisions in the hands of local people. A small group of powerful insiders are conspiring to create the largest local authority in Europe. Controlled by them.
SPELTHORNE COUNCILLORS VOTE TO IMPLEMENT A COMMITTEE MODEL OF GOVERNANCE
Cross party working
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CLLR HELEN HARVEY'S SPEECH
30th July 2020
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LEAVING THE CONSERVATIVES
Departure of Councillors has ended 45 years of Conservative Majority Rule in Spelthorne
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COVID-19
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