Mole Valley Liberal Democrats - Demand Better

The Lib Dem administration considers the problem of roadside littering in Mole Valley to be a critical issue that needs a comprehensive solution.

At the Council meeting on 9^th July the opposition proposed a motion to adopt the 'Don't be a Tosser' Keep Britain Tidy campaign from January 2018. Whilst well-meaning, this is an inadequate yet potentially costly response. Furthermore it does not reflect the Council's existing activities including support for local litter picks, the need for fuller engagement by Surrey County Council as Highways Authority, or indeed the need to keep our recycling centres free and open for household waste.

At the Council Meeting on Tuesday 9^th July the Lib Dems supported the opposition motion to positively celebrate local diversity in Mole Valley. We made some amendments to ensure proper management and effective use of limited council resources and agreed to promote inclusion in all appropriate future communication.

Today we received the wonderful news that the Molebridge Practice's application to close its Fetcham surgery has been withdrawn. Read the Statement.

We would like to thank everyone who joined the campaign to retain a GP surgery in Fetcham - whether signing our petition, going out in the rain to collect signatures, or responding to the survey/consultation. We leafleted every house, we gave interviews to the press and on radio, we asked questions at the County and District Councils, and we spoke to NHS representatives - all to make sure decision-makers understood the strength of feeling within the community.

The Liberal Democrats successfully steered their Climate Emergency motion through an Extraordinary meeting of Mole Valley District Council on Tuesday 18th June. The result was met with delight and cheers from the public viewing gallery.

This now empowers the Lib Dem administration to drive ahead with policies and programmes that will enable Mole Valley to be one of the leading councils in the country delivering effective measures to help safeguard our world from the damaging effects of global warming.

It's eighteen months since Mole Valley District Council sought to sell the footpath in front of Pippbrook Mill between Fairfield Drive and London Road, then backed down in the face of very significant opposition from residents, and the District and County Councils made a joint commitment to register the footpath on the Definitive Footpath Map.

Many thanks to the hundreds of residents who have so far signed our petition to retain a GP surgery in Fetcham, following the Molebridge Practice's application to close its Fetcham surgery from 20 August. And particular thanks to those of you who have printed off a copy of the petition and collected signatures from friends and neighbours. If you have not yet signed you can do so here: mvld.org.uk/fetchamgp Or you can download a signature sheet for your friends and nieghbours to sign.

In the European Parliamentary election results, announced on Sunday 26th May, the Liberal Democrats came top of the polls with 11,055 votes ahead of the The Brexit Party with 9,920. The Green Party came third. Full Mole Valley results.

Mole Valley's poll contributed to a successful result for the Liberal Democrats in the South-East region, where our sitting MEP Catherine Bearder was joined by Antony Hook and Judith Bunting. Nationally the Lib Dems came second in the polls and went from having a single MEP to having 16.

Petition suspended - see "Molebridge Gp surgery - safe for now!"

We are extremely concerned about the impact of closing the Fetcham surgery of the Molebridge Practice which would leave many Fetcham residents without access to local GP services. The loss of Fetcham's only GP surgery will particularly affect elderly residents and those with limited mobility and transport. It will also undermine local pharmacies and other related businesses in Fetcham, and put increasing pressure on other GP surgeries in Bookham and Leatherhead which are already overstretched.

Mole Valley Liberal Democrats have started a petition to retain a GP surgery in Fetcham in response to residents' concerns about the proposed closure of the Molebridge Practice's Fetcham Surgery from 20th August 2019. If authorised this closure would leave Fetcham, which has a population of nearly 10,000 residents, without any local GP services.

The Tip is a County Council facility. The results of the District Council elections will have sent a strong message to the Conservative councillors at County Hall that their proposals for the Tip are totally unacceptable to residents. We will be highlighting the election results at County Hall and will be pressing the case to overturn the decision to close the Tip.