Welcome to the website of Spelthorne Liberal Democrats

Liberal Democrat Cllr Ian Beardsmore has attacked the previous and current Secretaries of State John Prescott and Eric Pickles for failing to protect our Green spaces over the last decade.

Speaking at a Surrey-wide conference organised by CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) he slammed both for selling out to developers and criticised the way housing demand was assessed. He went on to accuse the pair of being the Tweedledum and Tweedledee of an environmental disaster which had now reached crisis point.

The following statement was read out to Planning Committee hearing the application from Linden Homes. This application represented a complete revision of the original plan that had been refused by the Committee and on appeal.

Firstly, I would like to thank the Chairman for the opportunity to have this statement read out at tonight's Planning Meeting when the current planning application made by Linden Homes in respect of the proposed workshop and residential development at Riverside Works, Fordbridge Road, and Sunbury is being considered.

Counillor Sandra Dunn has opposed the siting of an Asbestos Waste Transfer Station at Windmill Road in Sunbury since it was first suggested. Below is the text of the speech she gave to the Surrey County Council Planning Committee against the proposed development.

Surrey County Planning Meeting:

Wednesday, 6^th February -

The Conservatives were pushed into an unprecedented fourth place in the Sunbury Common by-election yesterday, as Liberal Democrat candidate Bernie Spoor stormed to victory, gaining more than double the number of votes of his nearest rival.

Result:

Land At 111 Windmill Road, Sunbury On Thames, TW16 7EF

Surrey County Council is seeking to change the use of approximately 140 sq.m of land from light industrial to an asbestos waste transfer station allowing the importation, storage and transfer of asbestos and the provision of two sealed lockable 16-yard containers.

£100,000 has just been spent on Heathcroft avenue in an effort to stop the local flooding problems. It is not the only problem we have like this locally. BUT this was the only scheme of its kind anywhere in Spelthorne. We are told there is not enough money.

Well maybe Conservatives ought to take some cash out their £92m reserves and do something useful with it like repair our roads !

Cllrs Colin Strong and Ian Beardsmore are supporting residents worried about crime and disorder issue at the Cross. Backed by your local councillors Police are working with the council to see if a DPPO (Designated Public Place Order ) can be established in the area. This would give police discretionary powers to confiscate alcohol or containers of alcohol within the designated area. failure to comply can result in fines of up to £500.

£638,239 - that's the cost in vehicle damage claims that Tory controlled Surrey County Council has paid out. This is FOUR TIME WORSE than anywhere else in England.

Figures published by breakdown firm Britannia Rescue show that in the 2 year period 2010/11 - 2011/12 Surrey paid out £638,239 in claims for damage caused by bad roads, four times the amount paid out by the next nearest county council (Nottinghamshire: £158,578). Our Conservative run County - rated in the lowest possible category in the country with just one star - is clearly not improving. While vast amounts of money are being hoarded, Surrey Highways, like so much else in the county, is being neglected and we the taxpayers are paying the price of this. "It is an utter disgrace" said an angry Cllr Ian Beardsmore.

Taxed for Nothing

Lib Dem candidate for Sunbury Common, Bernis Spoor, is furious as the Tories hoard money after the latest tax hike.

NOTHING - That's what Surrey Conservatives have spent your tax hike on! Offered a 2.5% increase in funding from central government, in return for no tax increase last year, the Tories turned that down in favour of 3% extra paid by YOU. Every last penny of that has gone into reserves, which currently stand at a whopping £112m. Surrey only needs a reserve of around £15m!

Local resident Bernie Spoor is the Liberal Democrat candidate for the Sunbury Common by-election. Bernie has been married 50 years, and has lived in Sunbury for more than 40 of them.

Bernie started off his working life as an engineer with London Underground. He later moved into computing, becoming a director in a company supporting computer networks in trading houses. Bernie went on to run his own company specialising in computer support. Bernie is now retired and gives voluntary computer help and advice to to charities and similar organisations. When relaxing, Bernie takes to the water and he has his own boat.