The extreme likelihood of a general election taking place later this Autumn has forced Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) to review and delay the public consultation process for the Local Plan.

During any election period Councils have a statutory obligation to enter a period of 'purdah'. This severely restricts the Council's abilities to communicate with the public and would therefore completely disrupt the planned comprehensive programme of consultation making full and meaningful dialogue with residents impossible. In discussion with the relevant officers at MVDC it became clear that the Lib Dem administration would need to delay the consultation until early 2020 in order to comply with the regulations. The delay was formally confirmed at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 24 September 2019.

The Dorking Tip, which has been under threat of closure by the County Council, could be saved.

This follows the recent publication of a report which recommends that all four of the Surrey Tips which are currently under the threat of closure, including the Dorking Tip, should be kept open. The report also recommends that charges for small quantities of wood and rubble should be discontinued.

Surrey County Council has just granted UK Oil & Gas (UKOG) planning permission for four extra production oil wells and a water reinjection well (11^th September). The Planning and Regulatory Committee failed to take into account both government policy on climate change and their own recent declaration of a Climate Emergency. Furthermore, the recent worrying spate of earthquakes around Newdigate were not deemed valid in terms of planning objections; earthquakes apparently come under the jurisdiction of the Environment Agency and the Oil and Gas Authority, bodies which did not object on these grounds. Consequently, they were afforded no weight in the planning decision.

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.