Surrey County Council is planning authority for minerals and waste, and it is disposal authority for waste too. Quite confusing! In the old days Surrey would have plans for these topics. The final stage in plan preparation was the deposit draft, which would be examined in public by an Inspector. The Inspector's recommendations would be considered by the Council, who would adopt the final plan to come into force.
The Conservative administration has recently decided that potholes with a depth of less than 4 centimetres will not be treated as a high priority to be repaired within 24 hours. This latest decision is an admission that the Conservative administration cannot cope with the necessary road repairs.
At a recent County Council meeting, the Conservative majority on the County opposed the proposal by the Liberal Democrats that Surrey County Council youth centres should be more fully used to provide safe places for young people to meet.
Bus services in Surrey are so poor under the current Tory administration at Surrey County Council, that last year 2 out of every 3 residents were unhappy with the their record, according to a recent survey.
Attempts by Surrey Tories to undermine the defence of the Green Belt have been blocked, in part by some of their own party who voted with Lib Dems and Environmentalists to strengthen opposition to Green Belt development in the South East Region.
Liberal Democrat Councillors on Surrey County Council have criticised the Conservative administration for seeking to put all the blame for a potentially high Council Tax for next year on the government, without recognising that it has had opportunities over many years to review how the budget is spent.
Ed Davey's Leader's Speech to Spring Conference 2026
After years of neglect, our local councils are in financial survival mode. The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to move past emergency bailouts and deliver a sustainable future for local government.
The international stage has been shaken by a series of reckless and illegal actions from Donald Trump’s White House. Liberal Democrat members have passed a new motion to bolster our national defence and strengthen our alliances with reliable partners.
For too long, tech giants have treated children as data to be mined, using addictive algorithms and harmful content to keep them scrolling. While some are calling for blanket bans, we know these are impractical and risk isolating vulnerable groups.
If the answer to “Is our nuclear deterrent working?” depends on what Donald Trump had for breakfast, then the answer is no, it’s not. And our deterrent is not truly independent.
The UK is facing a mental health emergency. Liberal Democrats have a proud record of pushing Britain’s mental health services forward. Now we are offering the bold solutions we need to fight the crisis unfolding in our communities.