Vote Jan Mason for SCC

THE LAST POST! Thank you

2005-05-06T13:31:00.000-07:00

After a hectic few weeks and much waiting for this mornings count, I am very pleased to be your Surrey County Council councillor for the next for years. Thank you for your support, I really appreciate it. Thanks also to the many people who supported me during the campaign; a lot of hard work went into this result and I'm extreamly grateful to you all

It is most gratifying that, such is the confidence you have expressed in me, my percentage of the pole has risen by 5.5% since I was first elected in 2001.

It is also very interesting to note that Labour made a big thing about the 79 votes that seperated their candidate from me four years ago. This time round the difference is 419 votes, so I guess they will need a diferent tactic if they bother to contest the seat next time.

The full results are at:

http://www1.surreycc.gov.uk/election2005/edchart.cfm?edNo=57&action=results&textPrefix=

Saving our Hospital with signatures

2005-04-26T22:14:00.000-07:00

The Labour candidate for the Surrey County Council seat wants you to vote for him because he is good at collecting signatures. Seriously! If you read his election literature you will find it's all he has done.

He accuses the Residents' Association council of a "lack of interest". Apparently he is unaware of the hard work put in by the Health Liason Committee on this matter, which is not surprising seeing as he has been very busy recently supporting the Labour MP for Mitcham and Morden's campaign to save St Helier Hospital. You can read about at
http://ageuk.com/docs/_proj9.pdf

Scroll down and read the small print at the bottom of this document to see who promoted it!

Smoke and Mirrors

2005-04-26T14:16:00.000-07:00

Labour are trying to confuse voters by serious statistic abuse! Their leaflet jumps from County to parliamentary issues in an attempt to confuse us into thinking that they have a hope of winning. By emphasizing the small difference in votes in the last County election (because it was a smaller turnout) they are trying to trick voters into believing that they can beat the conservatives in the parliamentary election.

Remember: It's YOUR intelligence that they are trying to insult!

A week in the life of an RA County Councillor

2005-04-21T22:08:00.000-07:00

Whilst our MP's step down from their posts to fight the General election (so who's running the country?), lesser mortals like County Councillors have to continue their duties as well as canvasing local residents.

For me, last week was fairly typical so here are a few notes of what I got up to.

Monday: A day in the local area, dealing with a number of individual cases on behalf of local residents.

Tuesday: Chaired the Langly Vale Members Working Group, looking at proposals to reduce speed in Langly Vale Road.

Wednesday: Morning meeting of the Community Planning Group that is running "Communities that Care" This is a group of various agencies including your R.A. Borough Ward Councillors looking at ways to improve the lot of the more deprived members of the community. It does this by finding the root cause of problems though in-depth research and analysis as well as down to earth awareness of the people that live in the area. Labour Councillor Sheila Carlson has yet to attend these training sessions.

In the afternoon, a meeting to discus the Hogsmill Meadows Project with the Countryside Rangers Service and the Environment Agency. Work is scheduled to start on this project at the end of June.

Thursday: County Hall in the morning for the Adults and Community Care Select Committee

Friday: Met with Borough Officers and RA Cllr John Lucas to discuss plans to improve the car park at the Cox Lane Centre. A number of issues here that straddle both Borough and County Council's which makes good use of my dual role as a Borough and County Councillor.

Mobile Library on Watersedge

2005-04-09T23:34:00.000-07:00

I was very pleased to report last December that Surrey Council had agreed to send a mobile library to Cox Lane Centre from 3pm until 3 .20pm on alternate Wednesday afternoons.

I had put forward the idea two years previously as I know that it is sometimes difficult for our residents to walk to Ewell Court Library. If it is successful, SCC have said that they will consider extending the stop at the Centre.

I am pleased we also retained the Collier Close stop, which we all fought so hard to keep several years ago.

Road surfacing

2005-04-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

After a great deal of effort I have finally managed to get the maintenance work desperately needed Fulford Road, Sunnymede Avenue and Sefton Road included in the 2005/06 major maintenance programme. It is hoped that work will take place during the summer

Working with Local Schools

2005-04-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

As chairman of the Youth Leisure Forum I am aware of the need to improve communication with our young people about youth and leisure facilities in the Borough and I recently received a letter from a young student at Epsom & Ewell High School who had experienced difficulty in accessing the appropriate information. I discussed this with ward councillors and it was suggested that the School would benefit from, and be able to make use of, a 42" plasma screen. I provided this out of my allowance and it is now in place and proving very popular with students, teachers, parents and visitors. This is the first time that something like this has been done!

Chessington Road

2005-04-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

The dualled section of the Chessington Road was opened in October. This has had a mixed response, with many residents pleased that the noise of traffic has been reduced in the residential area, while others are concerned about speeding. Following several meetings with the Police and County Highway engineers I invited ward councillors and a concerned resident to meet with Simon Hall, the principal engineer. On 1st March we visited the Old Chessington Road area to visualise how the planned modifications would alleviate the dangers caused by speeding. If you would like details of the planned changes then do please contact me.

I am very concerned about the "diversion" tactics used by some motorists at this junction. They have been seen to use the garage forecourt and slip road opposite to by-pass the lights and to avoid the junction altogether by using side roads. I am working with County officers to address these problems.

Community Football Coach in Longmead.

2005-04-09T15:39:00.000-07:00

I have contributed £3000 from my member's allowance to a bid for a part-time 3-year post of Community football coach, to work mostly in the Longmead area. This project is in conjunction with Epsom & Ewell Borough Council Leisure Development Team, and local youth concerns.

Epsom Hospital

2005-04-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

County members on Surrey's Local Committee in Epsom and Ewell have formally recommended that any critical care hospital planned for the restructured Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust should be sited centrally in the area - in the borough of Epsom and Ewell. As Local Committee chairman, I pointed out that the Trust area went out into Surrey as far as Fetcham, and that a critical care hospital in the geographical centre would be the most accessible for all those it served. Your Councillors have been attending meetings and have debated and considered the Borough's response, and your RA Committee strongly defends the retention of A&E and full maternity services within the borough.

Cox Lane Surgery

2005-04-09T15:36:00.000-07:00

The new surgery is now complete and will make a tremendous difference to the delivery of health care to the residents of Ruxley. I am now working with officers of the Borough Council and Primary Care Trust to discuss how to spend the £5000 I have contributed from my members' allowance towards landscaping the car park, which will hopefully cover the cost of a new lamp column.

Education

2005-04-08T15:19:00.000-07:00

I have supported the work of the Lighthouse project which provides education for children not in mainstream education and I have been a governor at two local schools. Whilst my own children were attending schools in the Borough I was actively involved in supporting them through my involvement in PTA’s. I have provided resources for these schools from my County Budget. I will maintain a keen interest in education, ensuring that schools and students have the resources they need to encourage and promote learning”

The Community

2005-04-08T15:16:00.000-07:00

I have providing funding for PA equipment for local youth groups and resources for gym clubs and the Scouts as well as the provision of a Full time Football Coach in partnership with Fulham FC
I have promoted improvements in the mobile library service with more stops in local communities and I have campaigned for the provision and maintenance of a GP centre and Community Centre at Cox Lane
My links with many community organisations enable me to attend meetings and events to see for myself what is happening in the community
I regularly meet with Surrey Police Officers to raise concerns, and develop and establish good working relationships with them to the benefit of the community

I will make the most of every opportunity to meet, talk and listen to all residents and to identify and act on their needs.

The Environment

2005-04-08T15:15:00.000-07:00

I have taken an active part in the clearing of Hogsmill River and have participated in the Hogsmill Meadows Project providing funding from my county allowance towards improving this local amenity

I will strongly oppose any development on our local green belt land and continue supporting local environmental projects to preserve and enhance our open spaces and improve our quality of life

Highways

2005-04-08T15:12:00.000-07:00

I have been working with local ward Councillors and residents to provide the best solution to the problems following the dualling of Chessington Road. I have been constantly bringing to the attention of the Highways department the need to re-surface our roads and pavements and provide adequate lighting in our streets

I have promoted the Safer Routes to Schools resulting in the provision of crossings at both Danetree Middle and Epsom & Ewell High Schools

I will work actively to provide the facilities that all residents need and deserve including seeking improvements to the footpath and bridge at Ewell West Station and providing traffic calming measures in Cox Lane