Update from your Tandridge District Councillor – August 2024
After three months in role, I wanted to update the village on Tandridge District Council (“TDC”) activities. Firstly, the District Council priorities are:
1 Finances. TDC continues to improve the its financial position. While finances are now on a solid footing, it has taken hard work and prudence to achieve this. The next budget will continue to challenge us as the District Council will need to find additional savings and revenue sources. As part of this focus, TDC is seeking to reduce costs and improve efficiencies by sharing services, where possible, with other authorities;
2. Local Plan. You may recall that the Local Plan proposed by a previous administration had been found unsound. It is now imperative that TDC successfully draft and implement a new plan, especially in light of the many challenges to build that may threaten Green Belt beauty with inappropriate development if the District cannot demonstrate it has a plan for housing supply. TDC are working on this with urgency. The need is exacerbated by the new housing targets announced – 773 homes per year for Tandridge compared to the roughly 250 the District has been able to build, given it is 94% Green Belt. And although National Planning Policy Framework changes are under consultation (comments must be submitted by September 24th 11.45pm at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-reforms-to-the-national-planning-policy-framework-and-other-changes-to-the-planning-system), it is clear we must find ways to deliver more housing, while balancing the need to protect the beauty and character of our villages;
3. Council Housing Stock. TDC has a stock of 2580 homes. It recently announced that by the end of the year it will have provided 157 new homes in the District. TDC is working to ensure more affordable homes are delivered;
4. Investing in open spaces and public toilets. TDC is investing in the district’s parks, open spaces and children’s play areas. When many councils have closed public toilets to save money, TDC has allocated £859,000 to refurbish them; and
5. Recycling performance: As the Council with the second-best record in Surrey and the 11th in England, TDC continues to focus on improving recycling.
Secondly, I wanted to update you as to what consumes my time:
As District Councillor, I am on the Planning Committee as well as the Strategy and Resources Committee (which is responsible for overall strategy and budgets for the District).
As the Councillor for Woldingham Ward, I have also been representing Ward needs to TDC. We have had a number of planning control infractions and I have been working with the Council officers to ensure appropriate enforcement occurs. Patience and persistence are required, as well as very speedy and detailed reporting. If you are raising an enforcement issue to TDC, please be sure to let me know at cllr.deborah.sherry@tandridge.gov.uk.
I am also working with the Tandridge team to get bunds installed on The Green, replacing the unsightly concrete blocks, and to get cuttings removed from The Green. There are also less critical issues rumbling along in the background.
If there is any help you need with District matters, please reach out.
Deborah Sherry
Tandridge District Councillor for Woldingham Ward
cllr.deborah.sherry@tandridge.gov.uk