Latest news with #Spelthorne
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Councils are for emptying bins – ban them from playing monopoly with our money
Poor, late and incomplete reporting. A culture of denial, a bias of optimism and a limited understanding of finance. These are the damning descriptions of council officials in charge of investing the hard-earned money of thousands of taxpayers in Spelthorne. A review commissioned by the Government uncovered a 'prevailing sense of insularity' in the Surrey borough, where the mountain of debt stands at more than £10,000 per resident. To put it simply, the council is a gargantuan failure. Its shambles – which have now sparked government intervention – are symbolic of problems across the UK. Too often, egotistical council officials believing they are the next Elon Musk attempt to flex their feeble muscles in the property market only to fall flat on their faces. With no risk to their personal finances, officials can blow holes in public funds with no accountability while residents are punished with increased tax bills and reduced services. It begs the question as to whether local authorities should possess the 'general competence' powers bestowed upon them in 2012. They give councils the remit to do anything an individual can do, paving the way for a scourge of risky investments. Many local leaders will say they've had little space to come up with creative money-making ventures due to continual funding cuts from central government. Yet the gung-ho decision-making is incredibly damaging. The prime example is Thurrock, where the council ignored what Essex County Council called 'multiple red flags' and poured £665m of taxpayers' money into alleged sham solar farm investments. A Serious Fraud Office investigation into the deals is ongoing. Thurrock was left with debts of £1.5bn at the time of its bankruptcy, and saddled residents with a 23pc tax rate increase in the past three years. This is what happens when councils – which people simply want to empty bins, repair roads and clean the streets – are given free reign to act like big shot financiers. It very rarely works. In 2020, the Commons Public Accounts Committee found risky council investments in commercial property had ballooned 14-fold in just three years. In total, 91pc of the £6.6bn spend was financed through borrowing. The Tory government was accused of being blind to the shenanigans occurring on its 'sleepy watch'. Councils took on large debts to invest in new sources of income, such as offices and shopping centres. The latter was a mind-boggling trend considering the death of the high street and rise of internet shopping. The pandemic hit, interest rates soared, commercial property values slumped and councils were left scrambling to pick up the pieces. Spelthorne borrowed £1.1bn against annual core spending power of £11m. That's like a mortgage-holder somehow managing to borrow 100 times their income. An inspection report released in March said 'inherent risks are beginning to materialise and could accelerate rapidly'. Such recklessness wouldn't happen in the real world, yet councils can play monopoly with public money. And it's not just risky investments in existing property. Councils also believe they can become developers. Blowing millions on building a leisure complex which then fails to attract commercial tenants or visitors due to expensive parking is all too common. The usual spiel of 'we'll regenerate this area into a thriving community hub' generally results in a very costly white elephant. Look at Brighton's i360, Woking's cluster of skyscrapers (a failed Singapore) and Crewe's £11m car park used by 80 cars a day. The list is endless. Last week, we analysed West Norfolk Council's embarrassing failure to sell a single flat at its new seafront complex in Hunstanton. As well as reportedly going £2m over its £7m budget, the council enforced a ban on selling any of its 32 flats to second home owners in an effort to prioritise locals. But 19 months after hitting the market, the council reversed the second homes restriction after facing the impending threat of its own empty homes premium triggering a self-inflicted £100,000 tax bill. You couldn't make it up. Local government has well and truly become the byword for incompetence.
BBC News
24-06-2025
- BBC News
Spelthorne restricts hoverboards, catapults and balaclavas
Anyone caught with a catapult, wearing a balaclava or riding a hoverboard "antisocially" in a part of Surrey will now face fines or is hoped that the new public space protection order in the borough of Spelthorne, which came into force on Monday, will help to reduce antisocial follows a consultation last year where 98% of residents voted in favour of the Sexton, leader of Spelthorne Borough Council, said: "While it's not a silver bullet, it adds another tool in our fight to keep Spelthorne safe." What is banned? Antisocial use of bicycles, e-bikes, skateboards, e-scooters, hoverboards, and similar devicesUse of face coverings such as masks, balaclavas, and scarves in ways that cause concernPossession of catapults, slingshots, or similar items without a legitimate reason Police said that anyone who breaks the order after being warned by an officer could face a fixed penalty notice or even there are exemptions, for example face coverings worn for medical, cultural or religious reasons, or the use of a bait catapult for public consultation last November found 98% backed the proposals on bikes and similar personal transport, 98% agreed with controls on catapults and slingshots and 99% support restrictions on face Matthew Walton, Spelthorne's borough commander, said: "The order will enhance our ability to deal with key issues that the public tell us concern them the most around antisocial behaviour."We will work with the community safety team in the borough council to help enforce this."
BBC News
15-06-2025
- BBC News
Police dispersal order in place in Spelthorne
A disposal order has been put in place in Spelthorne to tackle anti-social behaviour, police have order gives officers the power to order groups of people to leave an area if they are suspected of committing, or being likely to commit, a criminal offence or anti-social behaviour. Surrey Police said officers would be patrolling the area while the order was in place until 23:59 BST on Sunday. "Anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated across our county," The force wrote on Facebook. "We will deal with offences robustly." The force urged anyone who witnesses anti-social behaviour or crime in the area to get in contact.
The Sun
09-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Kempton Park still at risk of closure as developers have option to build houses on famous track until 2030
KEMPTON PARK is still at risk of being closed and knocked down for housing. The Jockey Club announced in January 2017 they were selling off the racecourse to developers in a bid to raise £100 million. 2 2 But the track was given a reprieve when those plans hit the buffers in the face of opposition from Spelthorne Council and a number of high-profile racing industry figures. So the Jockey Club sold an 'option to purchase' to builders Redrow in September 2018, Sunracing can reveal, meaning they can buy the land for development during a set timeframe whenever they want for a pre-agreed price. The expiry date on the agreement is in 2028, though it can be extended a further two years if Redrow express interest in going ahead with the purchase of the 230-acre site, either in its entirety or part of it. The Jockey Club has not hidden its desire to sell off land at Kempton for housing to raise much needed funds, and in February 2020 they announced revised plans to develop on part of the site which would not involve demolishing the home of the King George. But those plans were also scuppered by the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Jockey Club remains in a deep financial hole, with the last set of accounts published last summer showing they have around £54 million of debt. Spelthorne Council said eight years ago the site was unlikely to be considered for housing eight as it was deemed 'strongly performing' green belt land. But the new Labour government has relaxed planning laws to encourage house building, with the aim to build 1.5 million new homes before the next election. The Jockey Club dismissed recent speculation on social media that the racecourse was to be closed at the end of next year, but there is a desperate need for housing in Surrey and Redrow is still interested in developing the site, for all they have yet to trigger their option to buy the land. A Redrow spokesperson said: 'We have an agreement with the Jockey Club to promote Kempton Park for development, lasting until 2030. 'Since this agreement was made, we have been reviewing whether the site, or parts of it, could assist with the delivery of much needed new housing in Surrey.' The Jockey Club said: "Since 2018, Redrow have had the exclusive right to promote Kempton Park as a potential site for residential development, lasting until 2028. "Since the agreement came into effect it has been entirely normal procedure for there to be ongoing discussions to see if the site, or parts of it, could play a part in addressing the need for houses in the local area. "Given the recent changes in wider planning policy, it is no surprise that those discussions are continuing, but in real terms there has been no change in Kempton Park's status.' . Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who:
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
South Western Railway delays harm Surrey school attendance
Pupils are being recorded as late to school due to consistent railway delays in Surrey, according to an Jopp told the House of Commons that schoolchildren in his Spelthorne constituency who used South Western Railway to get to school are recorded as late on attendance registers that "follow them throughout life".The 07:58 BST service from Sunbury to Shepperton – used by "a lot" of pupils – was recently cancelled four times in six days, the Conservative MP Western Railway apologised for any disruption experienced. Jopp asked Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander if the government would "commit to improving the reliability and punctuality of that section of the line" when it nationalises South Western Railway on 25 cabinet minister responded that the government was "determined to turn this situation around" when it takes over from current operators First Group and said: "We have inherited an abject mess from the train operating company, who over six years have failed to get the new fleet of Arterio 701 trains into service." South Western Railway began operating the first of its new Class 701 trains in rail operator – which runs services between London Waterloo and Hampshire, Surrey, Wiltshire, Dorset, Berkshire and Devon – said its rollout of the Arterio fleet in April was taking "longer than expected".It ordered 90 trains costing £1bn in 2017, which were originally due in service from 2019."Many of the 98 stations the Arterio will serve were built more than 150 years ago, and we have a challenge interfacing the train to some of our older platforms, given their design," a spokesperson said."While the further delay has been frustrating, we now have a way forward that will see increasing numbers of customers enjoying increased capacity and comfort of the Arterio through the rest of 2025 and beyond."
