Minutes:
The Leader of the Council, Councillor Shaun Macdonald, thanked everyone who had been involved in the preparations and arrangements for Remembrance Day.
Members were informed that, following the decision at the previous Council meeting, the Leader had written to the Chair of Frimley Hospital Trust regarding the new hospital site. He had subsequently met with the Chair of the Trust and the Chief Executive of the Hospital, along with the Council’s Chief Executive. A public engagement exercise had been launched to determine the criteria that would be used to select a new site and all Members were encouraged to engage with the consultation. The MP for Surrey Heath had also confirmed that he would continue to support efforts to keep the hospital within the borough.
Following the motion agreed at the previous meeting relating to the persistent odour caused by the sewage works operated by Thames Water, the Leader had written to Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Thames Water. The company’s recent attendance at the External Partnerships Select Committee was also noted. He hoped that an offer of financial compensation would be forthcoming from Thames Water and indicated an intention to use it for a community project for children in the areas most affected by the odour.
The Council was updated on decisions taken at recent Executive meetings, including the establishment of new Youth Council, the allocation of UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and an updated Local Council Tax Support Scheme that included a new disregard of Ward Disablement Pensions and War Widows Pensions. The items scheduled for consideration at the January 2024 were noted.
The Leader congratulated all members of staff that had achieved professional qualifications and long service awards in the previous few months. He also thanked all council staff and volunteers who had contributed to the preparation of food parcels organised by the BESOM charity.