At last night’s meeting of Full Council, Kingston councillors approved the Liberal Democrat administration’s budget which delivers the lowest Council Tax rise in Kingston’s history at just 1.9% – but protects front lines services and spending to invest in new schools and classrooms for the Royal Borough.

Kingston’s Executive Member for Transport has welcomed the judicial review challenging the Government’s sanctioning of a third runway at Heathrow airport.

Cllr Bob Steed said: “The Council’s Liberal Democrat administration is opposed to expansion of Heathrow.

At last night’s meeting of the Health Overview Panel, Conservative councillors refused to back a motion calling for the full publication of the document detailing the ‘options for change’ in the South West London Healthcare review -- which would make public the threat posed to critical services at Kingston Hospital.

Kingston’s Executive Members for Planning and Transport have welcomed a cross-party report criticising the funding of the Crossrail project.

The Liberal Democrat Leader of Kingston Council has demanded that local Conservative councillors reveal the details of their opposition amendment to the budget to allow for proper transparency and scrutiny.

Sir,

Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate Helen Whately wrote into your newspaper last week, praising a visit to the borough from Tory Shadow Education Secretary Michael Gove.

Commenting on the news that Cllr David Cunningham, Conservative councillor has launched a petition called ‘Save COUNTDOWN sites’ - Kingston’s Executive Member for Transport, Bob Steed said:

“Councillors of all parties are appalled by the proposals of Boris Johnson’s Transport for London to remove Countdown facilities from bus stops in Kingston.”

Sir,

Last week Daniel Goodger claimed that: “Poor council management and calculations missed the shortage of places at primary schools, leaving parents concerned if their child would have a school placement.”

Sir,

In the letters’ page of your newspaper, Daniel Goodger attempted a negative and misleading attack on the recent Liberal Democrat councillors’ leaflet ‘Four More Years of Progress’.

Kingston's Lead Member for Transport has revealed that the Conservative Mayor of London is planning on removing 32 'countdown' facilities from the borough’s most remote bus stops.

Liberal Democrat ward councillors have commented on the news that three new sites in the borough of Kingston upon Thames will be included in the latest stage of public consultation on the future of waste management facilities in South London.

The leadership of Kingston Council have reacted with disappointment to the news that Boris Johnson’s much hyped Crossrail levy ‘concession’ will affect just 62 businesses in the borough – and local school budgets will continue to taxed to pay for the North London railway line.

Sir,

I would like to clarify a claim made in your newspaper last week that, in 2009 “The bailout of the Rose Theatre added an extra £55 a year on the average band D property’s bill.”

Firstly, although the Council decided to fund part of the theatre’s ‘New Deal’ in 2009 we did so without increasing overall spend or Council Tax level.

Liberal Democrat leaflet: reporting back

This week the residents of the entire borough will receive a leaflet reporting back on the ‘four more years of progress’ from the Liberal Democrat administration of Kingston Council.

Not one penny of tax payer’s money was spent on the A3 literature – it was written, paid and published by local Liberal Democrat councillors.

Labour's secret plans to close A&E and Maternity

Local Liberal Democrat MPs Susan Kramer and Edward Davey have vowed to fight plans to close A&E and Maternity services at Kingston Hospital.

Senior NHS staff have blown the whistle on Labour proposals to close Accident and Emergency services and Maternity services at Kingston Hospital.