MY PLAN

'My plan for Lower Sunbury and Halliford'

My priorities, as County Councillor for Lower Sunbury & Halliford, would be:

1

Road Safety

To build on the ongoing work to extend the 20mph zone in Lower Sunbury where appropriate. To continue to encourage and enable more local cycling and walking routes. To ensure that local roads and footpaths are safe for all users.

2

Green Environment

Whilst we all understand the need to build homes, but our local Green Belt is a critical ‘lung’ in all our lives. I will continue to support and protect the Green Belt.

3

Flooding:

Recent flooding has again shown how vulnerable our riverside properties are in extreme conditions. I support the Lower Thames Relief Scheme and will press for further protection for Sunbury.

4

Make Spelthorne Zone 6 Campaign

Sunbury and Halliford are home to three stations: Kempton Park, Sunbury and Upper Halliford station. Not one of these train stations is currently in Zone 6. It is long overdue, so I will continue to lobby relevant authorities and South Western Railway to extend Zone 6 as far as Shepperton.

My policies in line with Surrey’s Vision

For Children, Families and the Youth:

I was a school governor and I understand the pressure that many schools are under to ensure our children get a better education, to make schools safer, and to ensure that children reach their full potential. I would like all 7 schools in Sunbury to achieve either a good or an outstanding status. I have a keen interest in supporting SEND provision. I support Surrey’s commitment on Children Services and want to ensure that the children and young people in Sunbury and Halliford will have better access to services offered by Surrey Country Council.

Surrey County has a track record of delivering an excellent service for children, families, and youth.

  • 94% of Surrey schools are rated either good or outstanding
  • 72% of Surrey care leavers are in education, training, or employment (compared to a 53% average nationally)
  • Investing £170m in accommodation for Looked After Children, Extra Care, and independent living, to ensure those most in need can live safely and independently
  • Investing £100m in Surrey schools and £80m in Special Educational Needs
  • Building 3 new children’s homes for our looked after children
  • Creating up to 1,600 new specialist places and investing £79m for young people with Special Educational Needs and Disability to learn closer to home
  • £ 100m investment on SEND

Community and Art

Sunbury is home to a fantastic Art Centre. Surrey County Council successfully secured external funding of over £1 million for Surrey Arts since 2018. I aim to work with the Trustees /Leadership team of Riverside Art Centre in Lower Sunbury to ensure that the Centre receives benefits from funding provisions available at the county council level. I am also supporting the proposal of residents to build a footbridge from Lower Sunbury to Walton under Yourfund Surrey.

Social Services

Under Surrey’s learning disability provision, 2529 people live independently. Surrey CC has also launched a virtual wellbeing hub to support people’s mental health, with more than 8300 visits from May-Oct 2020. During the pandemic, I have also delivered three virtual coaching sessions to support Young People in Sunbury, Halliford and across Surrey. It’s vital that Surrey County council continues to improve its services on mental health provision and, if elected as your councillor, I ensure that Sunbury residents’ views are best represented at the Council and ensure services aren’t cut.

Environment

I have a very particular interest in the environment and have attended various events and seminars on climate change. It’s worth noting that Surrey Council declared a Climate emergency in 2020 and is investing £ 253m in Flood alleviation to protect thousands of homes and business. -£ 237m River Thames scheme – new habitat, improve biodiversity and plant more trees. As a local resident, I witnessed the floods in 2021 in Sunbury Court Island. I am working closely with the current County Councillor and Cabinet member for Environment to find sustainable solutions for flooding in Sunbury Riverside. I have already launched the ‘Greener Sunbury and Halliford - More Trees in our Street’ campaign to support Surrey’s 1.2m Tree Planting project. I ensure that Surrey plants the right trees at the right places in Sunbury.

Economic Development /Local business

I have been working for over 20 years in the private sector and have run small businesses myself. Small businesses are the heart of the economy. Before I moved to Halliford, I founded Heathfield Chamber of Commerce to support local business in Heathfield in Twickenham. Surrey County Council is Investing £116m in infrastructure to boost economic growth across Surrey. It’s setting up the new Business Leadership forum and the One Surrey Growth Board to boost Surrey's economy, backing our High Streets through enhanced partnerships and supporting the delivery of business support grants. Since my election to the Surrey County Council I have been working with local businesses in The Avenue, Upper Halliford Village and Nursey Road as well as across the county division to lobby relevant authorities and Spelthorne Business Forum to find solutions for issues faced by the local business community.

Highways, Roads and Transport

Since moving to Spelthorne, I have closely worked with local county councillor Tim Evans on road and road safety issues. Surrey County Council is Investing £264m in our highways to boost active travel and improve journeys around the county. I support Surrey’s Highway Strategy

-On Street charging stations
- Low emission transports
- Bicycle training for school children

I support the 20mph speed-limit in some of our roads, subject to residents’ consent, and promoting more cycling. One of my key Campaigns is to ‘’Make Shepperton Line Zone 6’’. Sunbury and Halliford are home to three stations: Kempton Park, Sunbury and Upper Halliford station. Not one of these train stations is currently in Zone 6 so I will lobby Southwest Rail and relevant authorities to get Shepperton Line under Zone 6.

Safety of Residents

Surrey County Council has invested £1m in improving and refurbishing our fire stations including Sunbury Fire Station and £2.2m in 7 new fire engines, 5 fire investigation vans & 2 boat towing vans. As your councillor, I ensure that residents’ concerns are reflected when the Council is making their strategic decisions. I work closely with the Police and Crime Commissioner for Surrey and Local Neighbourhood Teams to ensure Sunbury and Halliford are safer communities to live in.

  • 13 Station Approach, Ashford TW15 2QN
  • Tel.: +44 7536 647037
  • Mail : buddhi@buddhi.org.uk

Imprint: Promoted by Suzi Coul  on behalf of Spelthorne Conservative Association, both at 13 Station Approach, ASHFORD, TW15 2QN

Copyright © 2021 Buddhi Weerasinghe campaigner . All rights reserved.

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