Elmbridge Borough Council

The board did not fund the £3,300 carpet replacement for the playhouse foyer and corridor, indicating this item was judged less essential than the other venue requests.

The board agreed to fully fund £28,000 for Home Farm Allotment's access resurfacing project.

Funding was approved for Cobham Football Club's new changing rooms and pavilion. The club initially sought £350,000 and said it could not realistically go much below £250,000; members accepted the reduced ask and awarded £250,000. The project was treated as a major community sports facility with strong local use and substantial volunteer and match-funding commitment.

The Licensing Sub-Committee refused the new premises licence application for Cloudtown at Unit 4, Wellington House, 60 High Street, Walton-on-Thames. The refusal was based on concerns that the applicant, who did not attend, could not directly reassure members about his understanding and ability to promote the licensing objectives, and the representative could not provide the technical detail the committee needed.

Funding was approved for Pains Hill's new outdoor community space. The project, delivered with Voices of Hope and aimed at accessible, free community use outside the pay barrier, was reduced from the original ask to £47,996 after discussion of which elements could be omitted.

The board agreed to fully fund Ashley Primary School's £36,000 maintenance and weatherproofing request.

The meeting focused on a single planning application for four new dwellings at 33 Lee Hill Road. Members heard strong objections about local character, density, access, drainage and flood risk, alongside the applicant’s case that the scheme would provide family housing on a sustainable site. The committee ultimately deferred the application because a sequential flood test was deemed necessary before a lawful decision could be made.

The meeting was dominated by tributes to Councillor Peter Harmon, but there were several procurement-relevant items. Members discussed the forthcoming waste collections and street cleaning contract for 2027, including zoned cleaning frequencies and mobilisation. The council also provided updates on the Hurst Pool refurbishment, PCN refund scheme, and action taken to remedy traffic order/penalty notice irregularities. Finally, members debated and supported a motion opposing the government’s national scheme of delegation on planning.

The meeting focused heavily on East Surrey shadow authority transition planning, including the corporate strategy, implementation programme, service configuration, and harmonisation of council tax policies. Procurement and spending issues featured prominently in relation to implementation funding, external expert support for council tax modelling, IT/ERP systems, waste contracts, and a Leatherhead waste processing contract. Members also discussed future waste service flexibility, specialist service hosting, and risks around programme delivery, staffing, and alignment with West Surrey.