The planning application for this major residential development is now open for comments, current closing date 8 June. Some of you may have seen the plans on the CNM stall at the Alpha Road Fun Day on Saturday and you can find full details on the RBK website, planning application number 12/16273. This will be a committee decision, so I am keeping an open mind.

The gardens at 1 The Crest, 64 Pine Gardens and 68 Alexandra Drive are open to the public on 10 June from 2 to 5 pm. Entry is £5 for an adult and children go free, with the proceeds going to charity.

Our ward police are holding street briefings where you can raise informally any concerns you have about crime and anti-social behaviour. They will be outside Berrylands station between 5 and 6 pm on 6 June and in Alpha Road between 3 and 4 on 19 June.

I would like to assure you that there are no current plans to sell off Sessions House or Surbiton library. Sessions House is a listed building, both externally and internally, and the library is a building of townscape merit. Both make a valuable contribution to the look of Ewell Road. We currently use Sessions house as offices for the learning disabilities team but we could use its magnificent chamber much better if we could solve the problem of disabled access to the first floor (no money, even from the Heritage Lottery fund, unfortunately).

In order to develop new social housing in Paragon Grove, the council sold a strip of land to the developers for £15,000. When this was approved by the Policy and Resources Committee it was agreed that the money should be spent on Alpha Road Estate. Housing officers will now work with residents to identify a suitable capital project for this money.

The big item for us is the application for the garage site in South Terrace. The meeting is at 7.30 in the Dysart School, Ewell Road.

As a member of this group I have a personal stake in this exhibition which will be held in Berrylands Christian Centre, King Charles Road (opposite the eyesore garage). As well as paintings for sale, there are cakes and tea, plants and some bric-a-brac. Everyone is welcome and no admission charge.

Invitation to residents, businesses and other stakeholders to a workshop on transport issues in Ewell Road – St. Mark’s Hill to Brown’s Road. The Council has received funding from Transport for London (TfL) to review traffic arrangements throughout Ewell Road.

You are invited to attend a Working Group meeting to let us know what improvements to traffic, parking and other transport issues you would like to see in Ewell Road, between St. Mark’s Hill and Brown’s Road

This will be held on: Thursday 21st June in Dysart School, Ewell Road, Surbiton. Two identical sessions will be held, beginning at 6pm and 8pm respectively and you are invited to attend at the time which suits you best.

Each session will begin with a short presentation, followed by a discussion of the issues. The scope of the project includes:
• Improving crossing facilities for pedestrians at junctions
• Considering options to improve parking turnover at shopping parades.
• Reviewing bus stop locations.
• Lamp columns, cycle racks, seats and bins and other street furniture
• Measures to smooth traffic flow.

If you would like to attend the Workshop, please book a place by contacting Liam Judge: liam.judge@rbk.kingston.gov.uk or telephone: 020 8547 5901

We do hope you are able to come along to the workshop. If you are unable to attend and have an issue you would like to raise, or you would like to be kept informed of future meetings, please contact Liam using the details given above.

This free (selling) exhibition will be open from 2-5 on Saturday and from 10.30-6.00 on Monday to Friday, except Wednesday. The exhibition closes at 4 on Saturday.

At Annual Council last night the new mayor, Mary Heathcote, took office. She is a great champion for people with disabilities and should be an excellent mayor. One of her early official duties will be to open the Alpha Road Fun Day on 19 May.
Administration and opposition portfolio holders were also approved: I still have the portfolio for Better Homes, which promises to be very exciting this year as we start the capital programme on our housing stock, to build up to a five-year plan amounting to £65 million.