Mary Reid

As usual, this blog is taking a break over the summer holiday period. I have been writing it now for over four and a half years, and I've learnt that a time away from it is not only good for the soul but also sends me back with new enthusiasm.

This time I'm planning to return in a new guise, so watch out for a bright new www.maryreid.org.uk.

Now what would you do to improve Tolworth Broadway?

It's actually a rather pleasant street with wide pavements and lots of street trees. Strictly speaking it begins outside Our Lady Immaculate, but it feels as though it starts further back, by the green triangle opposite the old Red Lion. It then runs right down to the roundabout.

At that point the A3 becomes a major barrier between you and the delights on the far side. Indeed, I think some people may have spent their whole lives on the Broadway side and never ventured through the tunnels to the Toby Jug and Tolworth Station. Beyond them lie parks, open land, streams and sportsfields, but they seem very detached from the shops back on The Broadway.

Then there's Marks & Spencer and Boots, and more recently The Broadway Café, which have together brought life to the shopping centre, but it still seems to lack something distinctive.

Much thinking has been taking place, and bids were invited for proposals to spend the £2.1 million that Transport for London (brilliant!) has offered to brighten up the area. The winning ideas were unveiled this week, and they certainly are innovative.

Apparently for £2 million the pavements on both sides of the road could be completely relaid and prettified. The proposal is to do the same amount of work but over double the length of street by pedestrianising the MIDDLE of the road.

The central barriers, which we all hate, would come down and a 4 metre wide strip would be created along the full length from OLI.

This would be used by pedestrians and cyclists both as a central refuge while crossing the road, but also as a walkway - hence the 'greenway' - in its own right.

The really clever thing is what happens when the greenway meets the roundabout. Well, it simply carries on!

By moving the traffic lights a safe crossing can be created across the traffic lanes.

The walkway will then continue down a gentle slope into the centre of the roundabout, over the pedestrian bridge and up to another crossing which will take people onto the next stage of the greenway.

This means that people will be able to walk the full length of the Broadway, and on to Tolworth Station, almost in a straight line and without using the hated tunnels.

You can read much more about these proposals on the Council website, and you can also respond there to the consultation.

(Pictures nicked from the Council website)

Those, I learnt, were the top casework issues for Liberal Democrat councillors in Serbia. You can't walk on many pavements because of the cars parked on them, elevators keep breaking down (it happened to me twice in 5 days), and feral dogs are a real nuisance in some towns.

Now it may surprise you to learn that there are Liberal Democrat councillors in Serbia.

The country has only enjoyed democracy for nine years, and in that time over 400 political parties have been formed. One of those is the Liberal Democratic Party, which broke away from the ruling Democratic Party in 2005. 

Current LDP members had greatly admired the Democratic Prime Minister, Zoran Djindjic, but following his assassination in 2003, they were not happy as the party slid to the right. They claim it did little to remove the corruption endemic in politics, and had started to adopt a nationalist position in a region blighted by tribal divisions. So the new LDP was formed.

In spite of the competition, this young party has already gained 5% of the National Assembly seats, and has taken seats in local government across the country. It has one elected Mayor and is part of a controlling coalition in many other boroughs.  All elections, include the National Assembly, are currently conducted on a party list system, which unfortunately does not encourage a close relationship between an elected representative and an area that he or she represents (although they are currently looking at ways of introducing more geographical representation).

The LDP has a charismatic young leader in Cedomir Jovanovic, and he is an important element of their brand. Indeed, the party has a young membership, and most of the councillors that I met were under 35.

I was supposedly providing training for them, but I learnt so much in the process.  One of my themes in politics (and on this blog) is the importance of strong opposition; indeed, that is the defining characteristic of a democracy. I hardly needed to tell them that.

Another of my themes is equality and inclusivity; the whole history of the Balkans is one of nationalism, tribalism, power struggles and distrust, which break out violently at frequent intervals. The LDP is founded on the same fundamental principles as the UK Liberal Democrats who "exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community".

I and my fellow trainer, Cllr Laura Willoughby, were able to share with them some of the techniques for communicating with the electorate that are so familiar to us here - leaflets, emails, casework etc.  The party over there is still developing its organisational structures and refining its key policies, but needs to concentrate on grassroots activities as it matures.

Just to prove I really was there, this is a view of the River Sava as it joins the Danube in Belgrade.

Earlier in the year I was encouraging people to come along and contribute to a Community Plan meeting on 1st April. I'm pleased to say that about 40 local residents turned up, and they spent the evening scoping out a Community Plan for the South of the Borough Neighbourhood.

This was a new approach to developing Neighbourhood policy. In the past the councillors have agreed a policy statement at the beginning of the municipal year in May, and then have reviewed it after a year to see what has been achieved.

The problem with that process is that the wider community does not have much say over which policies are adopted - although any sensible councillor will be trying to identify live issues in their wards.

Liberal Democrats have been deeply committed to empowering communities - indeed it was that concept that brought me into the party in the 1970s. In Kingston we have achieved an unusual level of localisation through Neighbourhoods, but some of us were keen to push the boundaries further. So the South of the Borough councillors decided to pioneer a new way of giving power back to their community, and the other Neighbourhoods are watching this with some interest.

That first meeting in April produced some key priorities around traffic, finding a home of the Chessington police teams, protecting gardens and other green spaces, and youth facilities.

Everyone who attended was asked to be a member of the South of the Borough Community Panel. This is in the process of being set up, but it will largely function through an email discussion group, with occasional face-to-face meetings. The Panel will be asked to think about, and contribute to, the Community Plan and to develop new aspects in future years.

We also asked for volunteers who would be willing to take a more active role by serving on the Community Steering Group. So far about 16 people have put themselves forward and the group has now met twice, most recently on Monday. Between its two meetings, members split into three task groups to consider the formal terms of reference of the Steering Group, to discuss the management of the Community Panel, and most importantly, to start drafting the South of the Borough Community Plan.

In the meantime, the student councils of all the schools in the Neighbourhood held a conference a couple of weeks ago.  The Neighbourhood Manager took the opportunity to consult them about their priorities for the local area, which will be fed into the Community Plan as well.

So what happens next? Well, the Community Plan will be drawn up, and an Action Plan will list the things that need to happen. These documents will be sent out to everyone on the Community Panel for their responses. They in turn will be asked to circulate it through their networks, again to get feedback. We hope to have a written version which can also be circulated at meetings and through public spaces like the Library and doctor's surgeries.

The final draft of the Community Plan will be presented to the South of the Borough Neighbourhood Committee in November. Once that has been agreed it will then become policy, which means that Council officers will be tasked with implementing it. Some of the objectives in the Plan will actually have to be referred to other service providers - police, NHS Kingston, Transport for London - but we do know that they also need to show that they are working closely with the local community around their priorities.

The Steering Group will then monitor the Community Plan, by getting regular reports on progress.

We are still putting the system in place, so it is rather experimental at the moment. For example, we realised that we should have started the process somewhat earlier. Next time round we would hope to have the next version of the Community Plan drafted soon after the beginning of the municipal year.

We also know that we need to have a more formal method for recruiting people on to the Steering Group. At the moment it consists of some wonderful people who care about the community and want to be actively involved. In future, we will probably need some kind of election. The first year will be a transition period as things are put in place.

If you would like to be on the Community Panel, and you live, study or have a business in the Neighbourhood, then please email me through the Contact Me link. The Steering Group is also looking for more members from the Tolworth and Hook Rise ward, as they are under-represented at present.

In the early hours of 20th July 1969 I was watching a very fuzzy TV in my flat. It was very difficult to make out the figure climbing slowly down a ladder, but we did hear THE WORDS, if rather indistinctly.

I was in my first year of teaching, but I got to work on time, even though I had had little sleep. The 14 year olds I was teaching cast a world-weary look at me when I asked them enthusiastically how many of them had stayed up for the event. None had, and they weren't bothered.

But this was history! I could remember when Everest was conquered, the exact moment when we heard that Kennedy had been killed, and now I could add the single most exciting moment in human exploration. So what was it with them? A few days later one of them told me that she acted as lookout for a shoplifting gang, so I suppose they got their kicks elsewhere.

The title of this blog was the surprisingly poetic comment from Robin Day, referring to the astronauts lifting off from the moon some hours later. (You can watch the programme here).

Yes, we know it was about international politics, but it was thrilling, and magical, and technologically stunning, all at the same time.

Yesterday evening the Neighbourhood Committee turned down the application to convert the Old Coach House in Elm Road into a doctor's surgery.

We also discussed the planning application from Lidl. We accepted that the design was much better than the first one they had submitted, but we raised a number of concerns around the impact of traffic on neighbours, loss of gardens, the effect of the building on residents in Sussex Gardens, drainage, and the change to the character of the area. We also questioned whether they had ruled out alternative sites in the Hook Parade.

We could not agree on whether to recommend that it should be approved, leaving that decision to the Development Control Committee. Our comments will now be passed on to them when they meet in the Guildhall on 10th September.

On Wednesday evening the South of the Borough Neighbourhood Committee will be discussing the planning application from Lidl. They want to build a store and 12 flats on 62-74 Leatherhead Road. This is the site previously occupied by Fleetwood Fengate, plus four houses next to it. You can recognise the site because it is currently fenced off.

This is the second application we have had from Lidl, and I know that there are strong views both for and against it. The new plans are completely different from the first and can be seen here.

The final decision on this will be taken by the Development Control Committee, so tomorrow evening the strict rules about participation in planning items will not apply, and members of the public will be encouraged to express their views. As councillors, we cannot state our opinion until we have heard all the arguments tomorrow.

The meeting will be at 7.30pm at Southborough School.

The mystery has been solved, sort of.

NHS Kingston has just announced that it is awarding the contract for a GP led Health Centre in the Chessington and Hook area to Malling Health.  This will provide a normal GP practice with the add-on of a walk-in health centre that can be used by anyone, whether or not they are registered with the GP. The walk-in service would be open from 8am to 8pm, seven days a week, so would offer a service for minor injuries and illnesses.

They have not yet announced where this new health centre will be located.

However, I have been told that Malling Health are not behind the planning application for the Old Coach House in Elm Road. That, too, is seeking permission to run a walk-in clinic for 12 hours a day.

The South of the Borough Neighbourhood Committee will be considering the Old Coach House application this Wednesday at 7.30pm in Southborough School. The application was submitted by an agent, so we don't know who the applicant is, but it clearly is from an organisation that has not won the contract.

The annual Family Fun Day at King Edward's recreation ground will be happening next Saturday, from 11am to 4pm.

Once again, thanks to Surbiton Rotary for organising this event. They are promising a birds of prey flying exhibition, circus skills workshop, train rides, bouncy castle, junior football competition, live animals, as well as a number of other rides - and a market!  Radio Jackie will be there to provide the music and commentary.

Let's hope the weather is kind.

Parents in North Kingston have long been campaigning for a new secondary school.

Five years ago, when I was the Executive member for Children and Young People's Services, I had to take some stick from the parents, because at that time the number of children did not warrant a new school.   Funding is only allocated from central government if the overall provision in the borough is inadequate, and five years ago there were enough spaces across the ten secondary schools. The fact that they were not very conveniently sited did not count for much, I'm afraid.

I did remind parents that in 1984 the Conservatives closed down Tudor School, a mixed secondary school on the site where Tiffin Girls now stands - that was a terrible mistake and I campaigned against the closure at the time.

Interestingly, the Surrey Comet recalls that story today in its "Memory Lane" feature.

Since then the Greenwich Judgement has changed the face of the two Tiffin Schools. Because the schools are not allowed to disciminate in favour of Kingston children they have both become regional schools, and only admit about 25% of their pupils from the borough. It is very galling for the North Kingston parents to have to send their children on long journeys across the borough when the only schools in their area are forced to admit children from far and wide.

Last year, the Department for Children, Schools and Families acknowledged that the growing child population justifies a new secondary school in the borough. The Liberal Democrats committed to placing this in North Kingston as soon as it became possible.

All of which is a preamble to the decision taken at Executive this week, to consult on a proposed site for the new school.

It would seem an impossibility to find a site in the north of the borough without taking away precious green spaces, but a solution has been found that should work.

After Tudor School closed, Tiffin Girls moved out of what is now the North Kingston Centre and into the vacated school buildings. Their old building was definitely far too small and unsatisfactory for a school of that size. Since then part of the North Kingston Centre site has been taken up by the new Fern Hill Primary school.

So you may be surprised to learn that the proposal is to place a new 8 form entry mixed secondary school on the North Kingston Centre site. It would, of course, require a complete rebuild, up to five storeys in height, but it would house years 7 to 11 only. The sixth form would be located in a replacement building at the Hawker Centre, which would continue to offer sports and leisure facilities to the community.

The full proposals can be downloaded from the Council website.  You can respond to the consultation there too, although everyone who lives in Kingston Town Neighbourhood will get a printed version, as well as all parents of children in primary schools across the whole borough.

There will also be a public meeting to discuss this proposal on 22nd July, at 7pm in the Hawker Centre.

I will follow this with great interest.

Note: If you have trouble posting a comment please use the Email me link to send it directly and I will post it for you.  The problem only seems to happen for certain visitors and I haven't managed to work out whether it is the browser or the op sys that causes the problem.

Prince Edward has agreed to be patron of the International Youth Arts Festival. Yesterday he came to the Rose to see a terrific performance of Pendragon.

Prince Edward chats with Frank Whately (writer and director) and Deputy Mayor, Cllr Shiraz Mirza.

Joined by Robin Hutchinson, Chair of the Festival.

Some offenders are given Community Orders instead of fines or imprisonment. This means they can continue to work, but much of their spare time is taken up working for the local community, under the PayBack scheme. They have to do a minimum of 6 hours a week, supervised by the Probation Service.

In South of the Borough we have booked the team for two days each week, and it has proved invaluable. They have cleared rubbish and overgrown vegetation from a number of lanes and access roads. Many of these lanes are jointly owned by the residents, and in some cases don't seem to be owned by anyone, so they don't come under the Council's schedule. A few years ago, the teams painted the railings at King Edwards' Recreation ground.

They are available to do work for voluntary organisations and I know that some of the local churches have used them. I've never heard a word of complaint about their behaviour or quality of work.

The Neighbourhood has granted the local team £500 from its Neighbourhood Improvement budget to meet the costs of materials, which is what the PayBack scheme does request.

The Neighbourhood Manager, Barry Allen, would be pleased to hear of any suggestions for work they can do in the future.  Use the Contact Me link on the right to get in touch and I'll forward your email to Barry.

... in Kingston with a terrific program of performances, shows and workshops.

It kicks of with 'Youth TakeOver' in the main theatre at the Rose. Other acts can be seen at the Rose, Arthur Cotterell Theatre at Kingston College, the Performing Arts Centre at Kingston Grammar School, plus other venues including the Market Place. 

Photo of Ubu Roi, 5pm Monday 6th July in the Rose Studio

You can see the full program on the IYAF website.

Some of the events are designed specifically for young people to attend, but they would welcome your support at any of the main performances. 

'Pendragon' is a local production from the same team that gave us the highly successful production of 'The Ragged Child'.  The show features many local children and young people, and I'm really looking forward to it. And the gala night on Wednesday will be attended by Prince Edward, patron of the Festival.

I'm also hoping to see some of the dance acts, especially Thule Siswe, with the Young Zulu Warriors.  The other thing that caught my eye was the Muybridge open air events in the Ancient Market, which are spread across the second weekend.

So get along to support the young performers, and encourage any young people to join in.

Last Friday I wrote a lengthy piece about maternity services at Kingston Hospital.

David Lindsell of the Comet has since been in touch and says:

For anybody interested, we published the full letter online (minus the names of two consultants) and also a report of the meeting Mary referred to.

David Lindsell
Surrey Comet 0208 330 9547 dlindsell@london.newsquest.co.uk