Latest news with #TimOliver
BBC News
09-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Surrey residents' view on unitary authorities has been published
A quarter of 558 residents who responded to an online panel said they backed creating two new councils in Surrey, while a third preferred having either three - or a single research was carried out by Surrey County Council (SCC) which has submitted plans to the government, along with Elmbridge Borough Council and Mole Valley District Council, for two new unitary opposition Residents' Association and Independents Group said the findings, published in an answer to a question from a councillor on 4 June, should have been shared with the public a letter to the local government minister, SCC's Conservative leader Tim Oliver said the data "lacked consensus". The government announced in December that the two-tier council system would be abolished, with areas also having elected borough and district councils in Surrey are backing a proposal for three unitary councils, while Crawley and Reigate & Banstead have also developed a plan which would see those two areas being per cent of the residents who took part in the SCC panel in February said they agreed that councils should have more powers and funding from central were also asked what outcomes they wanted from the changes, with the three top answers being: better value for money from councils when delivering services, clearer accountability and more financially resilient authorities. 'Open and transparent' Catherine Powell, leader of the Residents' Association and Independent Group at SCC, said the information from the panel showed higher support for three authorities."I'd like to see the full survey," she told BBC Radio Surrey."I'd like to see what questions were asked, what the answers to the questions were [and] exactly what percentage of people supported which…because that is open and transparent."In his letter, Oliver, who has previously criticised a consultation by the boroughs and districts, said the panel was "broadly representative of Surrey's population"."The overall data lacked consensus with 40% disagreeing or strongly disagreeing with both two and three unitaries," he said."Therefore, our final plan includes the more in-depth and directive responses on preferred outcomes to local government reorganisation."He added that those responses had provided "a clearer understanding of what residents want… and this is what we have focused on addressing".In a statement to Parliament on 3 June, Jim McMahon, Minister for Local Government and English Devolution, said: "I am pleased to inform the House that we received proposals for unitary local government from councils in Surrey, and I will provide the House with a full update shortly."
BBC News
30-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Emily Place, Woking's new respite centre, opens for family breaks
A £5.7m centre to offer respite for families caring for adults with additional needs has been opened in Woking, Place features a sensory room, lounge and eight en suite bedrooms at the property in Goldsworth building was officially opened by Surrey County Council leader Tim Oliver, a year after construction mother whose daughter has made a five-night stay already, described it as "absolutely amazing". Mr Oliver said: "My wife and I know from personal experience how challenging it can be when a loved one has disabilities and additional needs, and the level of commitment that takes from parents and carers."It's about the right support, in the right place, at the right time – that's absolutely what we're trying to achieve."Sinead Mooney, cabinet member for adult social care, said: "I can see how people coming to use the facility will be very settled and very happy here, and the location is great – you've got facilities right on the doorstep that people can use and access."It's fantastic to see this place up and running." Jean, whose daughter has used the centre, said she had been able to drop her at Emily Lodge and "not panic"."The life of having a young adult with disabilities – or abilities, whichever way you want to go – is absolutely exhausting, so to have a few hours, a few days, a few nights, is irreplaceable" she in the centre will be allocated by the authority.
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
MPs should not 'talk down' Surrey's SEND service, says council leader
The leader of Surrey County Council, Tim Oliver, has said MPs should not "talk down" the service which handles special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).Liberal Democrat and Conservative MPs have written separate letters to Clare Curran, the councillor in charge of children's services, after she sent an email saying the department would respond to fewer SEND cases raised by told BBC Radio Surrey she wanted MPs to "ensure" that parents who were hoping to challenge decisions use the "correct" appeal MP for Guildford, Zöe Franklin, said she was "stunned" to receive the email. In a speech at a full council meeting on Tuesday, Oliver said Surrey County Council had more than 16,000 children with education health and care plans (EHCPs), one of the highest numbers in the country."I urge all our MPs to use your position to speak up for Surrey in Parliament, not to talk down a service that needs urgent national reform and support this council and government to implement reforms that work for our children, their families, and for all councils across the country," he told BBC Radio Surrey she understood the frustration that families have with SEND services and why they would want to speak to their MPs."I am purely asking those MPs to ensure that their constituents are aware of the correct channels of appeal," she said she was "frankly stunned" to receive the email and that she'd had "no advance communications" indicating the council was concerned."I, for one, have 50 cases relating to SEND, so we are trying to support parents and families," she said people approaching her had already been through the proper procedure and that MPs were a "last resort" most of the the meeting, Woking's MP Will Forster, who is also a county councillor, said he had about 40 active SEND cases. Eber Kington, from the Residents' Association and Independents group, said it was important that councillors and MPs did not have "communication barriers put in place by children's services."
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Five takeaways from leader of Surrey County Council in hotseat
Surrey County Council leader Tim Oliver has been in the hotseat on BBC Radio has been the leader of the council since 2018, and is a Conservative councillor for the Weybridge division. In 2024, Oliver was awarded an OBE for services to local a wide-ranging interview on Wednesday, he fielded questions from BBC Radio Surrey Breakfast presenter James are five takeaways from what he had to say… 1. Community boards Tim Oliver has been leading the proposal by Surrey County Council (SCC) to have two new unitary authorities when local government is reorganised. Most of the borough and district councils have said that there should be three instead and there is a fairly robust debate about the issue. One of the ideas is to set up 'community boards' in areas which do not already have a town or parish council, to allow people to have more of a say locally on how services are everyone is convinced. For example, the leader of the Liberal Democrats at SCC, Paul Follows, has described them as "unelected community boards which will have no legal standing, no powers and will basically be talking shops".But Oliver told BBC Radio Surrey it was ultimately about how these bodies are set up."If you give them powers and responsibilities and money, then they will be effective and that's absolutely key that that happens," he said. 2. Reigate & Banstead and Crawley plan 'a surprise' Another proposal is for a merger of Reigate & Banstead Borough Council and Crawley Borough that concept has not gone down well with some. Tandridge District Council, for example, has rejected the said it came as a surprise."It came out of the left field," he said."It was raised very early on in the conversations and then it went very quiet. I think other 11 councils were very surprised to see a submission was put in." 3. Writing off council debt A lot of the concerns being raised are about what would happen to the debt owed by councils in Surrey when local government is example, Woking Borough Council, which effectively declared itself bankrupt in 2023, is estimated to have more than £2bn of debt, although it says the government has agreed to help "aid the reduction".Oliver said there was "active conversation" with ministers and the request would "always be" that the money should be written off."I'm not going to ask my residents division or indeed any resident in Surrey to pick up the debt of those councils," he said."The government will have to step in and they will have to write it off."The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has been approached for a comment. 4. Fixing the roads and utility works When members of the public are asked what service they would like to see dealt with, they will, more often than not, talk about potholes and the amount of utility is a problem which Oliver said that he said there were issues with the impact of weather on the roads and the current amount of money being spent by the council and the government to fix them, which he said was "not enough.""The real issue is around utility companies and we have 88 single day in this county and that is where you see all these temporary traffic lights going up," he has called for greater powers to prevent firms digging up roads and said ministers had now agreed to set up a working group, which will include Streetworks UK, the trade association for utilities companies, had said it was "engaging constructively with highways authorities" across the country, while the government has also said it was taking action. 5. 'National challenge' on special educational needs One of the biggest pressures on SCC is providing support to children who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).The support being provided by the service has been criticised by parents, as well as the six Liberal Democrat MPs in who has previously apologised to families, said there was a "national challenge" and that the number of children with additional needs, including mental health issues, had increased "exponentially", particularly since covid."We have 15,000 children in this county that have an education health and care plan," he said."I absolutely understand, as a parent, that parents want the best for their are times when we can't actually give the parent what they ask for."Oliver said he acknowledged there were people who were struggling with the system and SCC was trying to do its best to help them.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Council leader to discuss SEN and devolution
Special educational needs provision and local government reorganisation will be among the topics discussed when Surrey County Council's leader answers questions on BBC Radio Surrey. Tim Oliver will appear on the hot seat on the breakfast show on Wednesday from 09:00 BST. The council's provision for children with additional needs has been previously criticised, with the cabinet member responsible saying the authority was "resolute" in its ambition to improve. Its children's services department was rated "good" on Friday, after "inadequate" ratings in 2015 and 2018. Listen to the BBC Radio Surrey breakfast show from 06:00 - 10:00, Monday to Friday, on BBC Radio Surrey or on BBC Sounds. The council submitted plans to central government earlier in May for how local government could look in the future with fewer, larger councils responsible for services. Surrey County Council, supported by Elmbridge Borough Council and Mole Valley District Council, is proposing that two new councils are created, with one in the east and another in the west. Elections that were due to take place in 2025 in Surrey have been postponed until 2026 as part of the devolution plans. Oliver has been the leader of the county council since 2018, and is a councillor for the Weybridge division. In 2024, he was awarded an OBE for services to local government. Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Council's 'long journey' to good Ofsted rating More than 1,800 children with SEN missing school Council apologises to families over SEND provision Fines for education failures approaching £1m Surrey County Council
