Latest news with #Spelthorne
BBC News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
South Western Railway delays harm Surrey school attendance
Pupils are being recorded as late to school due to consistent railway delays in Surrey, according to an Jopp told the House of Commons that schoolchildren in his Spelthorne constituency who used South Western Railway to get to school are recorded as late on attendance registers that "follow them throughout life".The 07:58 BST service from Sunbury to Shepperton – used by "a lot" of pupils – was recently cancelled four times in six days, the Conservative MP Western Railway apologised for any disruption experienced. Jopp asked Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander if the government would "commit to improving the reliability and punctuality of that section of the line" when it nationalises South Western Railway on 25 cabinet minister responded that the government was "determined to turn this situation around" when it takes over from current operators First Group and said: "We have inherited an abject mess from the train operating company, who over six years have failed to get the new fleet of Arterio 701 trains into service." South Western Railway began operating the first of its new Class 701 trains in rail operator – which runs services between London Waterloo and Hampshire, Surrey, Wiltshire, Dorset, Berkshire and Devon – said its rollout of the Arterio fleet in April was taking "longer than expected".It ordered 90 trains costing £1bn in 2017, which were originally due in service from 2019."Many of the 98 stations the Arterio will serve were built more than 150 years ago, and we have a challenge interfacing the train to some of our older platforms, given their design," a spokesperson said."While the further delay has been frustrating, we now have a way forward that will see increasing numbers of customers enjoying increased capacity and comfort of the Arterio through the rest of 2025 and beyond."
BBC News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Spelthorne by-election set as councillor steps down
A by-election is set to be held in Surrey in June after a councillor who recently moved to Cornwall announced her decision to stand Rybinski, a Conservative councillor for the Ashford Town ward on Spelthorne Borough Council, said she needed "to focus on [her] expanding family" after recently announcing she was expecting her third said the lack of any maternity leave for councillors, left her with "no choice but to resign", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Boughtflower, leader of the Conservative group, said Rybinski was an "outstanding councillor" who would be "hugely missed". Spelthorne Borough Council said if there were multiple candidates for the Ashford Town borough ward, voters could take to the polls between 07:00 and 22:00 BST on 19 to register to vote must be received by 3 June, the council said.
BBC News
08-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Government steps in to help run Spelthorne Borough Council
Government-appointed commissioners are to intervene in running a Surrey council with debts of more than £1 McMahon, Minister of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, said the government had appointed officials to oversee Spelthorne Borough interventions come after government inspectors expressed concerns over its record of implementing recommendations from external auditors and from the Local Government leader Joanne Sexton said the council was "determined to address the challenges facing the authority" and would work "collaboratively with the commissioners to ensure long-term improvement in the areas highlighted". Under the intervention, which will last until May 2030, commissioners Lesley Seary, Peter Robinson, Deborah McLaughlin and Mervyn Greer will oversee changes to council services to deliver "value for money and financial sustainability".Commissioners will be in place until January 2026, at which point their role will be of March 2023 Spelthorne's debt stood at nearly £1.1 authority was found to have the second highest level of debt for a district or borough council in England, after nearby Woking, relative to its size.A letter from the government to Daniel Mouawad, Spelthorne's chief executive, says the commissioners will aim to close budget shortfalls and reduce the council's "exceptionally high level of external borrowing".Costs for the commissioners will be met by the council rather than the government, Mr McMahon inspection of the authority in January found the council had a "culture of optimism bias", lacked consistent leadership, and did not have the awareness to identify issues or areas for some degree the authority had been "blindsided" by the financial situation, the inspection report added.A council spokesperson added that most decisions would continue to be made by the local authority, but with the oversight of the commissioners.
