Minutes:
The Leader welcomed the new Strategic Director of Finance & Customer Services, Bob Watson, to the Council and thanked Amanda Fahey for her work when covering the role on an interim basis. He also paid tribute to the police Borough Commander, Alick James, who would be moving to a new role in Guildford, and advised that Acting Inspector Samantha White would be covering the role until Inspector Gemma Taylor took up the role in the New Year.
The Council was informed that the refurbishment works to the exterior of the Camberley Theatre had been completed on schedule.
It was reported that, since the launch of the Household Assistance Grants at the end of November, approximately 900 applications had been received and £15,000 had been granted to date. The building and refurbishment work for the new emergency homeless night stop accommodation had been completed and the facility was due to be handed over to the Hope Hub on schedule; the Hope Hub was recruiting and training staff in preparation for opening in the New Year.
The Leader informed the Council that the Garden Waste service was still suspended due to shortages of HGV drivers. However, a second interim collection had been arranged for the week commencing 10 January 2022.
Members were informed that the anticipated White Paper on levelling up and local government reform had been delayed until the New Year.The Leader also advised that, in view of the ongoing pandemic, the Council continued to lobby for Councils to hold meetings virtually and had written to the MP for Surrey Heath and the Leader of the House of Commons on the matter.