A 2009 MESSAGE FROM COUNCILLOR Mrs. JOAN SPIERS
This year is going to be difficult for us all, including the Council. Just as you have to economise, we at the Council will have to do more for less.
We are having to look carefully at all of our plans. This year we shall finish many things which we have started within our budget, just as we did last year. We completed the Priory Park mainly paid for by a lottery grant and kind donations from Cannon, Legal & General, Watson Wyatt Worldwide, and other smaller donations, for which we are most grateful. The new Redhill bus station was paid for by New Growth Point money from the Government, and we have just succeeded in obtaining another £5.3 million to improve our Borough.
This year we are going to begin to fulfil another pledge, this time to Horley residents. They had the pain of 2600 extra dwellings foisted upon them, and I promised that there must be gain as well as pain. To that end we are working in partnership with Surrey County Council to secure the purchase of land in Horley that will allow us to build the Leisure Centre and Pool, and other benefits that were promised to those residents.
The horrendous fire at the Banstead branch of Waitrose just before Christmas was a blow to traders and shoppers alike. My officers are working very closely with Waitrose and a planning application is almost ready for councillors to consider. We shall do all we can to get Waitrose up and trading as soon as we can, and in the meantime they have moved into the old Woolworths store. Special thanks are due to Fire, Police and Reigate and Banstead officers who did so much on that fateful night and after to get the High Street up and running again.
The Council is not exempt from financial hardship, it costs over £55million to provide our services, and we receive just £6.8 million in Government grant. We rely on fees and charges and investment income to make up the shortfall, and like all of us the Council has seen its investment income plummet to the lowest ever since banking records began. Reigate and Banstead keeps just 13p from every pound of Council Tax you pay. The rest goes to Surrey County Council and the Police. Both of these bodies have suffered severe cuts and under-provision from Government for some nine years.
My Executive and Senior Officers are working hard to find other ways to deliver services and to save your money. My pledge to you is that we shall continue to provide quality services to keep this Borough ‘Clean, Green and Safe’. ‘Clean and Green’ we can do alone, and ‘Safe’ in close partnership with the Police, a relationship which I value and nurture. I further promise that every penny of your money will be spent wisely and carefully. We are well versed in that, having just shaved £1.9million off our budget.
Things will improve, life will get easier. Let us be grateful that we live in such a wonderful place, and do all we can to keep it that way.
Cllr Mrs Joan Spiers is our member for Kingswood with Burgh Heath and executive member for Planning. She can be contacted by e-mail at cllr.spiers@reigate-
This year is going to be difficult for us all, including the Council. Just as you have to economise, we at the Council will have to do more for less.
We are having to look carefully at all of our plans. This year we shall finish many things which we have started within our budget, just as we did last year. We completed the Priory Park mainly paid for by a lottery grant and kind donations from Cannon, Legal & General, Watson Wyatt Worldwide, and other smaller donations, for which we are most grateful. The new Redhill bus station was paid for by New Growth Point money from the Government, and we have just succeeded in obtaining another £5.3 million to improve our Borough.
This year we are going to begin to fulfil another pledge, this time to Horley residents. They had the pain of 2600 extra dwellings foisted upon them, and I promised that there must be gain as well as pain. To that end we are working in partnership with Surrey County Council to secure the purchase of land in Horley that will allow us to build the Leisure Centre and Pool, and other benefits that were promised to those residents.
The horrendous fire at the Banstead branch of Waitrose just before Christmas was a blow to traders and shoppers alike. My officers are working very closely with Waitrose and a planning application is almost ready for councillors to consider. We shall do all we can to get Waitrose up and trading as soon as we can, and in the meantime they have moved into the old Woolworths store. Special thanks are due to Fire, Police and Reigate and Banstead officers who did so much on that fateful night and after to get the High Street up and running again.
The Council is not exempt from financial hardship, it costs over £55million to provide our services, and we receive just £6.8 million in Government grant. We rely on fees and charges and investment income to make up the shortfall, and like all of us the Council has seen its investment income plummet to the lowest ever since banking records began. Reigate and Banstead keeps just 13p from every pound of Council Tax you pay. The rest goes to Surrey County Council and the Police. Both of these bodies have suffered severe cuts and under-
My Executive and Senior Officers are working hard to find other ways to deliver services and to save your money. My pledge to you is that we shall continue to provide quality services to keep this Borough ‘Clean, Green and Safe’. ‘Clean and Green’ we can do alone, and ‘Safe’ in close partnership with the Police, a relationship which I value and nurture. I further promise that every penny of your money will be spent wisely and carefully. We are well versed in that, having just shaved £1.9million off our budget.
Things will improve, life will get easier. Let us be grateful that we live in such a wonderful place, and do all we can to keep it that way.
Cllr Mrs Joan Spiers is our member for Kingswood with Burgh Heath and executive member for Planning. She can be contacted by e-