| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| werra |
Posted - 02/11/2009 : 16:09:58
EPSOM & EWELL BOROUGH COUNCIL, RUXLEY WARD BY-ELECTION
Polling Day – Thursday 26th February 2009, 7am – 10pm
At Epsom & Ewell High School
Your Ruxley Ward Residents’ Association Candidate is MICHAEL GUEST
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Following the death of Derek Phillips, Councillor for Ruxley ward there will be a by-election for his Borough Council seat on Thursday 26th February. We are delighted to inform you that Michael Guest has agreed to stand as the Residents’ Association candidate.
As a Residents’ Association Councillor Michael has no allegiance to any political party and is able to assess any decision on its merits. He will be free to speak and vote at borough meetings on ANY issues in the way that he considers is in YOUR best interests. Residents’ Association Councillors do not receive instructions or finance from any central office remote from Epsom & Ewell, nor do they have to conform to a central party line or dogma.
The aims of the Residents’ Association Councillors are to safeguard and promote the interests of residents in Ruxley both collectively and individually and to assist in just, efficient and economical local government.
Over the next few weeks people pretending to have an interest in your problems and a desire to solve them, will probably accost you and post colourful, glossy leaflets through your door. These people are from mainstream political parties and they will try to convince you that a vote for them in Ruxley ward will send a strong message to central government.
Please reject these “fair-weather friends” and support your RA candidate so that we can continue to have our unique and independent council manned by councillors who live locally 365 days a year, constantly in touch with you and your needs.
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Michael Guest
Michael Guest was born in Epsom Hospital and as a child attended both schools in Ruxley Lane, whilst living in Scott Close, Ruxley. Recently retired, he worked for over 20 years in a number of local community-based projects developing services and employment for the disabled, the long-term unemployed and disadvantaged.
In his previous term as a councillor Michael was an active member of the Social and Licensing committee, looking after services for the elderly and vulnerable; he served on the Planning Committee and was also a member of the Epsom & Walton Downs Conservators. Michael worked hard to promote and develop the Ruxley Community Partnership, taking a keen interest in the needs and concerns of residents with regard to preventing graffiti and anti social behaviour and ensuring the community’s voice was properly represented with Rosebery Housing and Surrey County Council.
Michael is proud to have been asked to represent Ruxley where he previously worked with Derek Phillips. He is intent on continuing the work started to ensure the preservation and enhancement of our open spaces around the Hogsmill and Bonesgate steams and Horton Country Park.
Until October 2008 Michael served as a Governor of Epsom and Ewell High School and undertook his own initiative to create and lead a school redevelopment sub committee in an attempt to gain much needed funding for the school.
Michael’s keen interest in the racing industry is demonstrated by his role as a member of Epsom & Walton Downs Training Ground Management Board, which aims to retain Lavendou stables as an equestrian centre for future generations in Epsom & Ewell.
If elected as your Councillor Michael wishes to support local schools and help further develop Ruxley Ward’s community facilities and continue to work closely with Clarendon Park RA.
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What your local RA Councillors have succeeded in doing for you:
Epsom Hospital
• Your RA Councillors remain committed to the campaign for the retention of all services at Epsom Hospital.
Highways
• RA Councillors persevere in working with the Highways authority and the developer to enable adoption of the roads on the Clarendon Park estate.
• Your RA Councillors continue to monitor both traffic flow and the results of environmental health pollution analysis at the junction of Ruxley Lane and Chessington Road to check that pollution levels do not increase whilst ensuring that traffic flow is optimised.
Planning and Development
• Your Councillors maintain the work towards managing sensible housing developments; preventing overcrowding and ensuring all developments enhance the local environment.
• RA Councillors supported Epsom & Ewell High School to improve its facilities whilst seeking residents’ views and identifying that the proposed housing development on the site was not the solution they wanted.
Environment & Leisure
• Gatley Avenue and Poole Road playgrounds have been refurbished and new equipment added.
• RA Councillors have been actively involved in local projects to improve access to riverside paths in both the Hogsmill & Bonesgate river areas.
Recycling
• The Borough’s costs of recycling are in the best quartile, i.e. the lowest in the country (Audit Commission words) at £44.36 per household.
• The Epsom & Ewell policy of kerbside sorting produces “clean” waste.
Campaigning and lobbying for improved local services resulted in:-
- A two-form intake from September 2009 at Southfields School
- The continuation of the 467 Bus service to enable residents to travel to and from Ewell Village.
- The saving of Ewell Court Library – now regularly used by West Ewell Infants School.
- The retention of the Derek Avenue post box and the installation of a new one at Gatley Avenue shops.
- West Ewell station being incorporated into Zone 6 resulting in reduced fares.
NOT JUST WORDS BUT ACTIONS ON BEHALF OF LOCAL RESIDENTS. |
| 1 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| werra |
Posted - 03/02/2009 : 16:06:21
In the recent Ruxley by-election Michael Guest was not successful in retaining Derek Phillips’ council seat for the Residents’ Association. Michael is an experienced Borough Councillor who has represented Ruxley in the past, and has therefore already done much work to support our community, our environment and the Epsom racing industry. We are disappointed that we do not have someone of his calibre in the borough council assisting Jan Mason in representing Ruxley residents. Councillor Mason stated, "We are naturally disappointed that our own excellent candidate Michael Guest was not elected and therefore will be unable to continue the work started by Derek Philips. We do, however, look forward to working and debating with William Keen." |
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