Woking Borough Council
Interview in Public Affairs News
I was recently interviewed by Public Affairs News, the main publication for those working in the UK and EU lobbying industry. The feature was part of a series where the director of the Public Relations Consultants’ Association invites a senior communications professional to share their insights into politics and current affairs.
During my interview I argue that the election of Jeremy Corbyn as Leader of the Opposition will make it extremely difficult for Labour to regain power in 2020; that the Liberal Democrats will continue to struggle for relevance; that the recent UKIP campaign was poorly executed and a wasted opportunity; and that Britain will vote to stay in the European Union in 2017.
You can read the interview here and, as always, I would be grateful for any comments or feedback.
Theft of Oriental Road bollards
As readers of this blog will know, I have been pressing Surrey County Council to take better care of the grass verges along Oriental Road. Residents have been complaining for some time about the state of the grass, which was dug up during roadworks back in 2013. While the grass was re-planted once the work was complete, it has not been able to grow back due to a small minority of motorists parking illegally and inconsiderately across the verges.
In response to these complaints, Surrey County Council planted trees at the top end of Oriental Road at the beginning of the year and also recently agreed to place two bollards on one particularly troublesome patch of grass to prevent it from being used to park vehicles.
I have now been told that both bollards were dug up and stolen over the weekend, less than a day after being installed. While I appreciate that some drivers will have become used to leaving their vehicles on the grass and paid little attention to reminders that this is public land which should not be used to park cars, I find it astonishing that someone would go to the trouble of digging up and removing council owned bollards. This shows a serious disregard for other people and public property. It is also a financial loss to the taxpayer as the bollards will need to be replaced and further work carried out to secure them and ensure they can’t be removed.
I am liaising with Surrey Highways to see what can be done and in the meantime I would encourage anyone who has information about the removal of the bollards to contact Surrey County Council directly.
Remembrance Sunday
Today I was honoured to take part in my sixth Remembrance Sunday civic ceremony since being elected as a councillor in 2010. During the First World War, over 760 people who lived in what is now the borough of Woking lost their lives in combat action, while around 800 Second World War deaths are recorded in the book of remembrance held at Woking library. Woking has strong links with the armed forces through the nearby Army Training Centre at Pirbright and the Brookwood Military Cemetery, which is the largest Commonwealth war cemetery in the country and contains 1,601 burials from the First World War and 3,476 from the Second World War.
I thought the service was particularly poingant at a time when we recently marked the centenary of the outbreak of hostilities last year and when there has been renewed interest in the causes of the war and experiences of those who answered the call to serve their country. I was pleased to see so many members of the public attend to pay their respects, and was impressed by the discipline and good behaviour shown by the younger members of local organisations such as the Woking Sea Cadets, the Scouts, Guides and Boys’ Brigade, and the St Johns Ambulance Cadets.
With threats and instability in places as far away as Ukraine, Syria and Iraq, it is right that we remember those who have fallen in past conflicts and their contribution to creating a safer world for us all, while also ensuring that we treat the prospect of renewed war or military intervention with the seriousness it deserves.
Tackling Underage Drinking
Last night I chaired a meeting of Woking Borough Council’s Licensing Committee. The main item on the agenda was a review of the council’s licensing policy framework, which regulates how the local authority handles applications for alcohol, hot food and premises licenses as well as requests for new nightclubs, adult entertainment venues and live music events. The review of the council’s policy in this area is a statutory requirement, and the rules agreed by the committee will stay in force for the next five years before being reviewed agan in 2021.
One issue the Licensing Committee was keen to address was that of underage drinking. Surrey Police carried out a number of test purchases earlier in the summer and found that several venues were selling alcohol to those under the legal age limit, including the Tesco Express on Guildford Road, Sanway Store in Byfleet, and Harry’s in Walton Road. Over the course of two test purchase operations, the first involving five premises and the second involving six, all but two of the shops inspected failed to follow the correct procedure.
The policy agreed yesterday commits the council to supporting the National Proof of Age Standards Scheme, which is endorsed by the British Retail Consortium and the Trading Standards Institute. It includes a requirement for councils to encourage the use of reliable proof of age measures such as holographic ID cards. Additionally, the Licensing Committee has agreed to write to Surrey Police to request that they increase the number and frequency of unannounced inspections and test purchases, to discourage those shops that continue to flout the rules and sell to underage customers.