At today’s meeting of the County Council, Surrey’s Lib Dems again unanimously voted against the proposed budget which provides funding for roads, school places and care services for the vulnerable, at a time when Surrey’s residents need them most.

The Conservative Budget, which was endorsed at today’s meeting, will also invest in:

• providing 2,400 school places by September 2014;

• our roads and highways, and easing congestion;

• adult social care services for our elderly and vulnerable people.

A £750,000 investment will also be made in the County’s apprenticeship scheme to get yet another 500 young people into employment by April next year, following last year’s overwhelming success when the target of 500 was exceeded by 40!

David Hodge, Leader of the Conservative Group, added ‘We continue to work tirelessly with our partners to ensure Surrey residents receive high quality and value for money services – but we will never be complacent. We face significant pressures: our roads are some of the most heavily used in the country; we have a birth rate which has risen by 20% in the past decade, and we have an ageing population with the number of over 85s set to double in the next twenty years. Yet, despite all this, we receive the lowest funding per head of any county council in the country. The Surrey Conservatives have driven savings of nearly £300m over five years and continue to show that we listen and understand what our residents want. Regrettably, the Lib Dems voted against these important investments yet again – despite the 1.99% rise being equivalent to just 45 pence a week!’[1]

[1] Figure quoted is for an average Band D property