Category: Waverley Borough Council

Haslemere Hospital to become an ‘URGENT TREATMENT CENTRE’

 

Haslemere’s Walk-in centres and other minor injury units in Surrey will be transformed into a new service called urgent treatment centres.

This is a welcome boost for the town and nearby residents, but traffic is expected to increase.

Users of the existing walk-in centres ask, “Will there be more doctors?”

Urgent treatment centres will be able to treat patients of all ages for minor ailments and injuries that are not life-threatening.  They will be open seven days a week for a minimum of 12 hours daily. Urgent treatment centres are GP-led but are not an alternative to a GP practice, which should usually be contacted first.

Patients of all ages can be seen, whether they have booked an appointment or not, and if they have a minor injury or minor ailment.  Scheduled appointments can be made by ringing NHS 111.

Minor injury units and walk-in centres have developed locally over time, sometimes with different service offers.

“Often, this system is complicated for patients who don’t understand where they should be going, with what complaints, and to see the right clinician or nurse,” an NHS official recently told Surrey County Councillors at an Adult and Health Select Committee meeting.

Increasing demand for emergency departments and minor injuries units means local NHS services are seeing more patients than ever.

 Over a thousand people seek urgent help from local emergency departments across Surrey Heartlands daily.

Surrey Heartlands bosses explained that the change will lead patients away from acute Emergency Departments into more local services, easing pressure on acute services and improving patient experience.

There is expected to be a   25 per cent increase in patients going to urgent treatment centres across Surrey.

The new urgent treatment centres would also direct patients to the most appropriate services and doctors or nurses to see them for treatment.

Surrey Heartland bosses said, “There is an eye on the clock” when examining urgent treatment centres and emergency department wait times. Most importantly, they told patients they should only be processed once so they do not have to repeatedly relay their medical information to another service.

The Haslemere Walk-in Centre, Woking’s Community Hospital Minor Injuries Unit, Caterham Dene Minor Injuries Unit, and Ashford Hospital Walk-in Centre are being transformed into UTCs. The transition is expected to be fully completed by April.

Councillors were concerned about how easily accessible the urgent care unit would be for those who relied on public transport or had mobility issues. The ICS board said it recognises the difficulties and will speak to local transport links, but it is not something they can provide at the moment.

Waverley takes a step closer towards Devolution.

 

Just hours after Surrey County Council’s Cabinet agreed on its preferred options for reorganising local government, An Extraordinary Meeting of ‘Your Waverley’ made a momentous decision.

A decision that could map its future for generations – but only if the Labour Government agrees?

 

It was a hard, long, and arduous day for Waverley’s two-hatted councillors, who endured over 12/13, often acrimonious hours of debate in Surrey and later in Waverley’s chambers. 

Opening the meeting, Mayor John Ward asked councillors to reflect during a moment of silence on the seriousness of their decision-making. He urged them not to say anything their Granny wouldn’t like. It was a vain hope that wasn’t to be fulfilled.

An 11th-hour amendment from Jeremy Hunt’s Lady In Waiting Cllr and Opposition Tory leader Jane Austin put paid to that. Her group’s amendment to seek Surrey County Council’s two Unitary Options would produce more savings with more councils collaborating. This is from a councillor who has constantly criticised and lambasted Waverley’s collaboration with Guildford BC since her arrival at the Towers! You couldn’t make it up. Not all her Tory colleagues supported the amendment but abstained when the amendment was lost.

Later, Cllr Liz Townsend said she had listened to Cllr Austin with incredulity and made a swingeing attack on her stand, which she claimed was not serving Waverley residents’ “localism” interests.

Others cast doubt on the “skewing” of SCC’s figures – a view shared by most borough and district councils across Surrey that have voted for three Unitary Authorities.

The question of the big D then surfaced.

Councillors agreed that none of the options could succeed until there was transparency and a view by the Central Government on how Woking, Spelthorne, and other councils’ debt, including Surrey CC debt, would be managed. Woking alone had debts of £2.2b.

It is well worth watching the Executive Webcast here and listening to Waverley’s Finance Portfolio Holder, Cllr Mark Merryweather, explain in minute detail how Surrey’s accounts have been interpreted to shine a favourable light on the state of its finances.  Others raised concerns, including the borough and district councils, of the robustness and evidence base for some of SCC’s financial information.

Surrey has recently thrown another £4.4m into the never-ending bottomless pit of the Brightwells Yard development in Farnham due to the vague asset sales and unaffordable debt concerning its infrastructure.

There has been huge overspending on children’s education and welfare and older people’s services. Some councillors claimed SCC had been failing the county’s residents for years – and it had forgotten and ignored part of the Waverley borough, including its pot-holed roads and unkempt verges.

Waverley criticised “the breakneck speed” of life-changing decisions that should have taken more than three months. Surrey made a decision that would be the first to be tackled by the Government. 

The huge reduction proposed for new councillors would lead to “career politicians”  covering vast swathes of Surrey. This was not an issue for Opposition leader Austin, who claimed it would be easy for her, who could manage the workload with four children. This from a councillor who, within weeks of arriving at Waverley, sought a parliamentary seat—wanted to resign—and stood for Liverpool South!

Farnham Residents’ Cllr Jerry Hyman said he had significant concerns about the ‘proposed Strategic Mayor’ for the county, and residents wanted much more information on the role and its implications. That individual would sit above whatever Unitary option was chosen and ‘strategically direct’ the county’s future. He recognised that Consultation with the public would follow, but he believed that consultation should occur sooner rather than later.

Surrey is on a uniquely fast track towards the new system of unitary local government, with SCC required to submit an Interim Plan by the 21st of March and its final proposal by the 9th of May. This leaves only a couple of days for residents to be consulted on the interim plan. Will SCC consider the views of those they purport to represent and who will be most affected by the outcomes?

The council’s recommendation to seek THREE Unitary Authorities for Surrey, which would Include Waverley BC, was agreed to by 33 votes to eight, with four abstentions, in a recorded vote. It was later confirmed unanimously by the Executive.

This is what the Three Unitary Option could look like.

This is one of several similar  SCC options. This proposes Waverley & Guildford joining two bankrupt councils, Woking, with a debt of £2.2b!
Surrey County Council proposed in their submission a two-unitary model, with their lead option as the entirety of West Surrey (a council stretching from Staines to Haslemere) and then the whole of East Surrey.
This is the link to the SCC ‘Part B’:

The Districts and Boroughs (including Waverley and Guildford) have proposed a three-unitary model to maintain at least some level of local connection and understanding for the new council.
The link to the D&B ‘Part B’ starts on page 21)

 

Executive `meeting worth a watch.

The sun is setting on ‘Our Waverley.’

Yesterday, Tuesday 18th March, Surrey County Council proposed the way forward for Local Government Reorganisation.

However, the Labour Government will make the final decision that will affect future generations of Surrey residents.

Soon, the sun could set on the local government arrangements we have known for 50  years.

The first rays of the sun are beginning to set on the ‘Waverley’ we know.
There were some decidedly nasty moments at the Surrey meeting, which we will not cover in this post. Suffice it to say it was the worst kind of politics that played out with a capital P!  

The Conservatives did themselves no favours in the eyes of the public with their personal abuse and accusations—attacks supported by MP Jeremy Hunt and his lady-in-waiting! How disappointing to see the focus of an overheard remark rather than the substantive issues. It’s not the number of new authorities but the nature with whom our council will cohabit in the future that’s important. The full council's three-hour debate was 'advisory' only, and the crucial decision was made later in the afternoon by the Executive Cabinet. 
SCC Officers, led by their Head Honcho, are clear about what they want: ONE UNITARY AUTHORITY & POWER with a Capital P.
However, this cannot be as Surrey only has one upper-tier authority, and neighbouring areas made it clear that their current devolution ambitions did not include Surrey.
Surrey is Billy No Mates for the counties of Sussex, Hampshire or anyone else!
Local Government Reorganisation is essential to unlock devolution, and rules prevent Surrey from becoming a “devolution island.”
So what does Surrey County Council want?: Really, really, Want?
Deep down in its soul, SCC wants ONE  Single Behemoth Unitary Authority—always has, always will. However, it is backing TWO but putting forward the 12 boroughs and district council’s option for  THREE to ensure localism, accountability, and a desire to remain close to the people they serve. All while making efficiencies through economy of scale.
Members of the Cabinet claimed  Surrey residents didn’t care who provided their services or from where as long as they were delivered as cheaply as possible. 
Councillors from the borough and districts disagreed. Big was not beautiful.
Later in the afternoon, the CABINET, led by Leader Cllr Tim Oliver, agreed to forward both option documents to the Government Minister by the deadline of March 21.
Saying
” Then it will be up to the Government to choose one or other options—or perhaps none.”
Unanimously agreed
The Recommendations below will be submitted to the government by March 21. Leader Tim Oliver and the leader of the Borough & District Councils will sign the letter
The Government’s White Paper explains that new unitary councils must be the right size to achieve efficiencies, improve capacity and withstand financial shocks.
Two councils, Spelthorne and Woking, have gone bust, and others are in financial trouble. Waverley is one of the most financially robust councils in Surrey.
 For most areas, this would mean creating councils with a population of 500,000 or more. Still, the Government recognises that there might be exceptions to ensure that new structures make sense for an area, recognising the importance of local identities and coherent local economies, including for devolution, and decisions will be on a case-by-case basis.
Waverley Council’s decision made later in the evening on Tuesday will be in another post. To include that debate would require a cup of tea and a lie-down.

There could be trouble ahead reorganising Surrey Councils.

 

Surrey’s 11 district and borough councils’ local government reorganisation proposes a model dividing the county into three unitary authorities.

However, Surrey County Council may have other ideas!

The county council has a very different view. It will consider the proposals it will put forward at a meeting to be held today (Tuesday)

JIM MCMAHON OBE, MP Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, said

We know that councils of all political stripes are in crisis after a decade of decline and instability. Indeed, many councils asked the government for support this year to help them set their budgets.

As time runs out for ‘Your Waverley and – the Waverley Web, Surrey is in the  Government’s first wave of local government reform, which ministers say is necessary to unlock the benefits of devolution.

D-Day for lodging options for the government is at the end of this week. March 21.

However, the 12 boroughs and districts—including Waverley, which has already been cosied up to Guildford—may find themselves in a fight.

 Government restructuring of Surrey’s councils and others across the country could generate significant financial savings by reducing the number of elections, councillors, and senior managers and eliminating service duplication.
However, recollections may vary about how much money can be saved!

Some analysts suggest that while two unitary councils could save around £35 million annually, the three-unitary model—covering northwest, southwest, and east Surrey—would offer greater local accountability and align more closely with the county’s existing economic and geographic identities, despite achieving slightly lower savings of £20 million per year.

Here are the county council’s predicted savings, which may reveal what Surrey’s Leader, Tim Oliver, wants.

Benefits and costs are estimated over the period 2025/26 through to 2031/32, five years after the new authorities are expected to be established.

SCC modelling has been carried out on base (more prudent) and stretch (more ambitious) scenarios for each option of one, two or three unitaries. The table above summarises the initial modelled ongoing annual net benefits or costs five years after the creation of the new authorities, when a new steady state should be reached, for the mid-point between the base and stretch scenarios for each option.

Debt is a key consideration in Surrey, and whilst there are known positions concerning Woking Borough Council (Debts of circa £2b), other areas concerning unaudited accounts need to be clarified. These will need to be discussed with the government in the run-up to a final submission to fund a sustainable solution for future unitaries.
The cost of establishing the new authorities and delivering the changes required to achieve the transformation benefits has also been estimated. This includes the cost of redundancies and early retirement, programme and delivery team, IT consolidation and change, branding and communications, costs for the new authorities in their shadow year, and costs associated with closing down the old authorities and creating new ones.
Given the level of uncertainty, Surrey CC has included contingency for all costs except redundancies, which are directly linked to the workforce savings estimated in each scenario.   This summarises the initial mid-point estimated implementation costs for each unitary option here.

Watch this space. There could be trouble ahead!

Is Aunty Angie planning to sort out Dunsfold?

 

Anger is mounting among the towns and villages of Waverley against Trinity College Cambridge’s decision to “mothball” the borough’s largest brownfield site.

A site earmarked for 1,800 new homes and more in the Local Plan!

In a borough falling far short of its 5-year housing land supply with only

1.28 years! Some believe even that miserable figure is an overestimate.

Waverley’s housing land supply is going down…and down.

However, Deputy PM and Housing Minister Angela Rayner may have the power to unlock the magic antidote to Trinity College Cambridge’s lethargy. Under new planning powers, she could signal the go-ahead for the compulsory purchase of the controversial airfield. 

Watch our Waverley I m ready to embrace you.
Watch out, Waverley. I may be coming for you soon with open arms. 

Angie and her High Viz Warriors want to get the builders into The largest brownfield site in Waverley!

While  Waverley residents watch their treasured green fields and some valuable and productive farmland disappear under concrete, new planning powers about to be introduced by the government could save the day. The “hope value” of the former Dunsfold airfield site could be reduced, leaving its owners nursing a nasty cold.

Anger is growing in the borough’s towns and villages as 600-odd acres of the airfield’s previously developed land, mainly tarmac roads and runways, are left to filmmakers using static 747s and military aircraft featured on Netflix, etc.  Very little flies there now. Other than the odd pheasant.

Despite TCC sitting on a six-year-old planning consent for 1,800 homes—and many more in the Local Plan bag—not a home has been built, not a family housed, and none of the accompanying long-promised infrastructure benefits—schools, health facilities—just a very smart road to nowhere!

In the meantime, developers are working overtime on plans to build on Waverley’s numerous green fields—particularly those in Farnham, Haslemere, around Cranleigh, and the eastern villages, including Alfold! Waverley’s residents would be, in the words of Pretty Woman, “Pirates of Penzance” if they could see Waverley’s Call for Sites Dossier! Kerching!

Dunsfold, THE VIP who was NTBS. No show for Trinity College Cambridge Bursar at the opening of Canada Avenue. He was too busy counting his mothballs.

Here’s a part of the COMPULSORY PURCHASE rules coming to a council near you.

No 19. The notes say that a more streamlined and efficient process for compulsory purchase orders would be introduced to enable more effective land assembly through public sector-led schemes. This would include simplifying the information required to be included in newspaper notices and delegating more decisions.

20 An existing power to remove ‘hope value’ (value attributed to the prospect of planning permissions) would be extended to town/parish and community councils where they are using CPO powers to deliver affordable or social housing provision. 

The devolution of local authorities that are moving ahead also includes these measures.

Homes England Compulsory Purchase Powers – The devolution of the Homes England Compulsory Purchase Powers will enable Surrey County Council and Homes England to work collaboratively to reduce the barriers to affordable housing delivery, regeneration and broader housing growth. Surrey County Council has met the government’s readiness criteria, and the power is expected to be devolved in 2025, subject to Parliament approving the required secondary legislation conferring the appropriate functions.

So watch out, Richard Turncoat, a new unitary authority, could be coming for you. You cannot hold Waverley as a hostage for much longer.

To be continued… watch this space. Because Gatwick, too, may have a cunning plan!!!