WE WILL

Cut Councillors' allowances
Over three years the current administration's leaders have put up their own allowances by a staggering 40% or more. We voted against and if you give us a majority we will cut them back.

Keep Council Tax down
The current rulers of the Council 'promised' to keep increases to zero, but put it up by more than twice the rate of inflation last year – when there were no borough elections...

Defend our Green Belt and heritage
In the past eighteen months the current Council rulers have voted en bloc for two hotels to be built on Green Belt land in Esher; overdevelopment of the Walton swimming pool site; the destruction of an historic old building in Esher; and, overriding the views of local people and their ward councillors, for an overscale development opposite Hampton Court Palace – a site of national importance.

Maintain and improve services to the elderly
...including those that enable them to continue to lead independent lives. The ruling party has cut such services and raised charges well beyond the rate of inflation. We will back volunteers, who provide invaluable support.

Make proper use of community assets
...such as community halls, public toilets and car parks – not keep them empty to sell them off.

Cut the amount the Council spends on outside consultancies
...and on telling residents how wonderful it is.

Preserve democracy
Maintain levels of local representation, local accountability, and local consultation, contrary to the present Council leaders' wishes.

Call for Elmbridge to be made a Unitary Authority
...with responsibility for road maintenance and school planning, areas where the oversized, remote and inefficient Surrey County Council has failed.

Specific pledges:

1. Restore Community Transport Service for the elderly- cancel the cuts and restore driver numbers following loss of 4 drivers between January and end March 2010.
2. Reduce Council Car park charges , including Commuter Car Park daily rate to £4 per day, Town Centre Car Parks to £4 per day and Village Centre Car Parks to £2 per day to increase usage and income.
3. Re-instate the Council’s Arts Officer post.
4. Ensure there is proper, fully transparent, public consultation before any agreement to transfer the CCTV service to Runnymede Borough Council.
5. Re-instate SHOUT ! Holiday Activity Schemes, starting, if possible, with this summer’s schedule.
6. Withdraw threat of closure now hanging over Public Halls and Public Toilets.
7. Reduce Special Responsibility Allowances for the Leader, Cabinet Portfolio Holders and Chairman, Overview and Scrutiny Committee making a saving of £12,000 pa.

Council Tax - the true story

Elmbridge Council takes just 14% of your total Council Tax. The bulk of our taxes (86%) goes to Surrey County Council and the Police.

Financial Management – During the 14 years under Residents leadership Elmbridge's share of your Council Tax increased by less than inflation – 21% – compared with Conservative Surrey County Council's increase of a staggering 195%, vastly more than inflation. The Residents Administration left the current Conservative leadership a council with healthy reserves. When in 1992 we took over from the Conservatives, Elmbridge Council was a byword for inefficiency, and the auditors refused to pass the accounts.

The incoming Conservative administration said they would keep Council Tax increases to zero. But your council tax has gone up every year - it is the same group that runs Surrey, the main offenders, and many of their Elmbridge councillors are also Surrey councillors and cynically voted en bloc there for the increases.

Two years ago we predicted here that in 2009, when there were no Borough Council Elections to temper their policy, the Elmbridge Conservative Administration would also put up Council Tax by more than inflation. And they did - by 4.9% - over twice the rate of inflation!.

Over the past few years, councillors of the member associations in the Elmbridge Resdients' Group have supported the current council leadership's aims to keep Council Tax down and have voted accordingly in a time of economic recession. Where our policies differ is that:

• It is an unsound electoral ploy to adopt any specific target figure for CT without knowing how severe cuts in public sector funding will be over the next few years, whoever forms the next national Government. Last year EBC's ruling faction breached their own commitment - no borough elections then
• Services we regard as worthwhile - especially to the elderly and vulnerable - should and can be maintained in Elmbridge while keeping CT down (see the group leader's detailed speech on this to Council here).
• The residents of Elmbridge, who pay the bill, should be consulted on specific proposed cuts and if they were, in many cases they would approve the comparatively small per capita sums needed to maintain such services through the recession
• Elmbridge represents quite good value still, and small cuts in the budget have a disproportionate effect on services
• The place to look for CT savings is inefficient Surrey County Council