Newsletter March 2024
Dear Residents
With Mother’s Day, International Women’s Day, the Chancellor’s Spring Budget and the Council Budget we have had plenty to talk about recently, but first up, get ready for …
M25 J10/11 Closure this Weekend
We met with National Highways Director, Jonathan Wade, last week, to discuss the impact of 15-18th March closure of A3 and M25 for first time ever, which will bring never-seen-before traffic pressure to Chessington, as the only artery to cross the M25 within miles. The London Orbital will be shut in both directions between junctions 10 and 11 this week from 9pm on Friday until 6am on Monday, as part of a £317 million engineering project to build a new interchange with the A3, improving safety, congestion, and even, according to National Highways, the local environment. This is the first of five weekend closures so we will have to be prepared for more to come. We are expecting the worst but, with a bit of planning, we might be able to avoid the stress.
Stay safe and don’t get stuck.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/m25-closure-how-avoid-road-traffic-chaos-junction-10-11-t8lwd72w
Oxshott closes to HGVs
Oxshott closes to overnight HGV traffic . Is this fair on Chessington residents? Especially during A3/M25 closures this weekend and 5 more time over summer .
Have your say urgently before 29th March when survey closes .
International Women’s Day
We loved all the wonderful events around the borough celebrating community and work and the double role we women play in the home.
We loved the fabulous International Women’s Day with The World Tamil Organisation promoting women, work and welfare of our Tamil communities at the beautiful Ravens Ait overlooking the Thames.
Thank you to Shine Bright led by amazing Shaheen celebrating International Women's day in partnership with Tolworth Community Library, Community Development Officer from RBK, The Tamil Community and the Community Health Worker from KVA supporting mental health and well-being for all. Thank you to Cllr Yogan for all his kindness and support.
I very much enjoyed celebrating International Women’s Day Bruch at the Mitre Hotel with Kingston Chamber of Commerce with special thanks to our wonderful guest speakers: Julie Leach (Julie Leach Associates), Susana Gonzalez (ND Bright Brains Ltd) and Jessica O’Neill (Harrison Jacks) for sharing your insights, perspectives, and valuable advice.
What have the Conservatives done for Women?
Conservatives have been working hard to remove barriers to opportunities for women in work, pay, safety, health and home. We have more women in work and more women on company boards than ever before, up to a third of leadership positions are now held by women.
https://www.helenedward.uk/news/international-womens-day-2024
Childcare
The biggest recent announcement has been around childcare, introducing thirty hours of free childcare per week for children from 9 months to 4 years, worth £6,500 per year per child from 2025, helping more women return to work after having children. We are also raising the threshold at which families can access the childcare offer from £50k to £60k, and up to £80k there will still be benefits as well as making it fairer for single parent families. The new budget will support parents with the cost of raising their children to help women back to work. I know first-hand the sacrifices we make as mums to our careers to put our children first, so this childcare support is transformational for women, a campaign close to my heart.
Spring Budget
I was delighted to have been invited to Westminster with Jeremy Hunt to discuss the Spring Budget and to put constituents feedback to the Chancellor. Topics covered included NI cuts vs tax bands, defence spending, services spending on education and health, hospitality incentives including tourist tax refunds, inheritance tax, business rates, pensions triple lock protections, energy, fuel and cost of living support and business growth and incentives to increase productivity and encourage more people back into work.
"The plan is working. We must stick to the plan. With inflation down from 11.1 per cent to 4.0 per cent and wages growing, I am pleased the Conservative Government are focussing on cutting the taxes that help to grow the economy. This Budget cuts taxes for hardworking business owners and families across Kingston Borough, continues to drive down inflation to help with the cost of living and supports the public services we all rely on. This progress is thanks to the long-term decisions the Conservatives have taken to stick to the plan and strengthen the economy, helping to secure a brighter future for families across Kingston."
Budget Headlines for Kingston
· Cutting National Insurance Contributions for 4.4million workers in London by over £763 a year, encouraging hard work by cutting taxes to grow the economy.
· Freezing alcohol duty to support over 12,000 venues in London, backing the local economy and driving costs down for businesses.
· Freezing fuel duty supporting drivers in London, delivering the fourteenth consecutive fuel duty freeze under the Conservatives, helping to save motorists money at the pump.
· Taking thousands of businesses out of paying VAT by increasing the VAT threshold for small businesses, creating jobs and growing the economy.
Kingston Council Budget Response
The Lib Dem Council Exec have raised the increase to the maximum 5% again with further cuts to services such as pot holes, verges and bin collections while parking charges go up and we wait interminably for the development of the Cambridge Road Estate which was already well advanced under the conservative-led council in 2018 as well as the Kingfisher Swimming Pool which needed only a new roof, now a demolished hole in the ground and back to the drawing board due not before 2027 leaving a generation of children unable to swim. Council Tax in Kingston now the most expensive in London is up 34% from conservatives to an astonishing £2374 band D property in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. While the Lib Dem council blame the government, the govt contribution was more generous than expected at 7.5% this year on top of 9.5% last year plus an additional £600m funding equivalent to £17.5m for specific grants, £6.9m for services, £16.8m in capital budgets and £30m funding for SEN education. In addition, Govt Dept for Education offer Grants for the Coombe Boys rebuild and Kingston Uni and College and new Kingfisher heating green infrastructure from a sewage treatment centre. The Lib Dem council policies to inhibit the motorist with undemocratically imposed 20mph, LTNs and support for Khan’s hated ULEZ tax has taken its toll this year in penalties and tax and longer frustrating journeys. Read the full Conservative Response from Leader Cllr Rowena Bass,
Community Events
It was wonderful to attend the National Peace Symposium to celebrate Ahmadiyya Muslim Community at the beautiful Baitul Futuh Mosque bringing many diverse communities together with a message of peace and tolerance more relevant today than ever. My best wishes and admiration for everyone celebrating Ramadan in Kingston Borough.
Chessington FC
My heart went out to Chessington and Hook Football Club last week who face ongoing cancellations of training from sodden clay pitches affecting up to 200 local children following drastic damage to their drainage caused partially from railway line embankment clearing and felled trees. We are looking at solutions urgently to get kids and their dedicated coaches back to play. We toured the pitch with Thames Water contractor Nial and Amber to discuss drainage and flooding, replanting and drainage channels and the clay devil. Grounds solutions cost a fortune unfortunately but may be the only long-term solution. Also, thanks to CEO of Kingston Council for agreeing to support our search for solutions.
Ben’s A243 Crossing
Please support Ben's lifesaver campaign and petition for a safe crossing on the busy Chessington Leatherhead Rd A243 to protect children, walkers, cyclists, dogs, and horses. Ben heartbreakingly lost his dog to the traffic 2 years ago – Ben says, “let’s not wait until it’s a child”. https://www.helenedward.uk/.../sign-our-petition-safe...
Unilever
It was fascinating to meet Unilever in Kingston to talk about their new hybrid Unilever Campus home behind the Guildhall accommodating 2000 employees with public spaces and a cafe showcasing Unilever homecare, personal care and food which can be found in nearly all our homes. There will be a Customer Intelligence Centre on the rooftop for customer focus groups and research and retail partnerships as well as a well-being gym and everything you can imagine enticing the WFH back to the office ... it will be a phenomenal investment in Kingston, a truly beautiful building and landscape and inspirational partner in our town centre. Please join us in welcoming Unilever to our Kingston City Centre.
ULEZ Mayoral Update
In less than 60 days we face the London Mayoral and GLA Elections… Will you be giving Sadiq Khan another 4 years?
There are 8m voters in London where 6.6m live in Outer London and usually don’t vote. Can you change that? That includes us in Kingston Borough who the Mayor of London takes for granted and has recently made £52m from drivers who couldn’t afford a new car. If the Mayor just wanted to improve air why couldn’t he have just included an emissions test in the MOT? Is ULEZ about air or about tax? Is S London paying for N London? Are drivers in S London who depend on cars because there is less transport infrastructure underwriting a cheaper commuter tube system for N London? Only a vote for Susan Hall the Conservative candidate and Ron Mushiso for SW London Assembly Member can beat Sadiq Khan. And if you don’t vote, then you can expect another 4 years of Khan’s war on S London drivers.
Get to know Ron here
https://www.ronmushiso.org.uk/rons-story
Easy voting ? Get a Postal Vote.
https://www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote
What did you think of the Chancellor’s Spring Budget? And the Lib Dem Council Tax Increase?
I’d love to hear from you with your feedback, thoughts, ideas, and problems.
Want to make a difference and support the Conservatives? Can you be a deliverer ? Or just want to make sure we win here? Donate: Cheques can be made to Kingston and Surbiton and Conservatives Association or transferred to 23-05-80 A/C 2248 3129 using Ref Mitre Surname. Please do let me know so that I can thank you and let the Association know. Thank you it means so much to us.
Thanks for all your interest and support.
Very best wishes
Helen Edward, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Kingston and Surbiton
Promoted by Gia Borg-Darcy on behalf of Kingston and Surbiton Conservative Association, both of 3 Bridle Close, Kingston, KT1 2JW
https://www.facebook.com/HelenEdwardCWO/
https://twitter.com/helenedwardcwo
https://www.kingstonconservatives.org.uk
Write to me
[email protected]
