Surrey News
Finance
VIDEO: Leader calls on MPs to help avert “damaging cuts”
Schemes to cut congestion at one of Surrey’s busiest roundabouts and expand a secondary school have been delayed after leader David Hodge urged MPs to help the county council “avoid damaging cuts”. The Cabinet put decisions about investing in improvements at Runnymede Roundabout and 250 extra places at Salesian School in Chertsey on hold until … Continue reading
VIDEO: Surrey leader on successes, challenges and opportunities
David Hodge used today’s Full Council meeting to talk about the successes of his five years as Surrey County Council’s leader, the challenges the authority faces and the opportunities for health and social care services.
VIDEO: Surrey faces overspending as demand and cost pressures grow
Deputy leader Peter Martin has warned that increasing demand and cost pressures for key services like adult social care mean Surrey County Council is set to overspend by £6 million this year despite making savings of as much as £76m.
Telegraph features letter from Mel Few about rising adult social care demand
A letter from Cabinet Member Mel Few explaining how rising demand for adult social care services is putting enormous pressure on Surrey County Council’s finances has been published by the Daily Telegraph (sixth in the list). It comes after analysis of Office for National Statistics data revealed that more than £1 million extra a week could be spent … Continue reading
Community groups secure share of nearly £300,000 for building projects
A holiday camp for girl guides, village halls and a church community centre are among the projects across Surrey to benefit from a share of almost £300,000. They were on a list of nine projects to receive £140,000 from the county council, which boroughs and districts matched, to improve buildings. Girlguiding Surrey East secured £50,000 towards … Continue reading
VIDEO: Budget pressures are ‘number one challenge’ – Surrey leader
Surrey County Council leader David Hodge told today’s meeting of Full Council that addressing budget pressures will be his “number one challenge” over the coming years as demand for services like adult social care and school places continues to spiral.
Surrey signs off plans to save £50,000 on leasing vehicles
Surrey County Council has signed off plans to hire vehicles to help provide essential services for vulnerable people and save almost £50,000. Approval has been given by the council’s Cabinet for one-year contracts to be signed by three leasing companies ‐ Europcar, Scot Group and Sixt Hire ‐ that represent a £48,000 saving on the … Continue reading
VIDEO: Bus review to save £723,000 while maintaining ‘key’ services
Surrey County Council has signed off plans for the second of a three-year review into local bus services in the county at today’s meeting of Cabinet. The latest changes will save the county council more than £720,000 annually while ensuring people can make virtually all the journeys they did previously. Watch Surrey County Council’s Cabinet Member … Continue reading
VIDEO: Members give more than £800,000 to local communities
Projects to help young people preparing for the world of work were among scores to benefit from more than £800,000 of grants awarded to community groups by Surrey County Council’s local Members last year. Each of Surrey County Council’s 81 councillors is given an allocation every year to donate to projects in their local area … Continue reading
VIDEO: Surrey leader on extra government funding and budget
Highlights from David Hodge’s speech at today’s Full Council meeting: Ministers have listened to the case made by Surrey for local government as a whole about pressures faced Surrey secured more than £24 million of the extra £300m funding announced by the government for councils nationally over the next two years Grant of £11.9m this year … Continue reading
VIDEO: Surrey leader on funding and partnerships
With the county council’s budgets under growing pressure from rising demand for services like adult social care, Surrey leader David Hodge used a meeting of today’s Cabinet to underline the need for the government to listen to funding worries and to stress the importance of partnerships.
VIDEO: Prime Minister praises council for making savings
David Cameron has praised the county council for making savings by working with other public services in a letter to David Hodge. The Surrey leader revealed the Prime Minister’s message at a meeting of today’s Full Council after reiterating the enormous financial impact of rising demand for services like elderly care and school places. A copy … Continue reading
Groups receive cash for projects of lasting benefit to communities
A garden play area, a minibus and a community cafe are among the latest projects to win cash from a fund to help people improve their local area. They were among 23 projects to be awarded money from Surrey County Council’s Community Improvements Fund. Leader David Hodge launched the initiative three years ago to give … Continue reading
Striking better deals saves more than £8 million in six months
Striking better deals has seen the county council save Surrey taxpayers more than £8 million in just six months. The money saved, which has come through negotiation work done by the council’s procurement team and staff in other services, means more than £33 million has now been saved in the last 18 months, sending the … Continue reading
Surrey leader welcomes business rates announcement
The government’s announcement that all business rates will go to councils was welcomed by Surrey leader David Hodge at Full Council this week.
