As expected the part closure of Victoria Arch has caused total chaos in Woking for almost a week now - and it will continue for at least month. Roadworks have unfortunately become part and parcel of traveling.. but wait, has someone found a solution to the problem? Roadworks, or more specifically the lack of coordination or publicity about them is what residents write to me the most about. Sadly utilities companies have a legal right to dig up the roads - until that right is taken away or at least limited, we will continue to face mass disruption. What’s more - locally in Surrey the County Council gets notices of almost 40,000 separate roadworks each year, but they don’t have enough people to monitor or advertise them. London has already done so, and Kent is planning to - introduce roadwork permits, where a utility company buys a permit from the local council before they dig up any road. If a company started digging up a road without a permit they can be fined £5,000 and £2,500 could be forfeited if a roadwork that breaks the rules of their permit. All this would force utilities companies to think carefully before any work is done - and make sure roadworks are carried out as quickly as possible. All that sounds great, so what’s the catch? Surrey County Council would only have to do 2 things: 1) Ensure that no roadwork occurs without a permit and that all roadworks with a permit stays to the rules in that permit. Although the Council itself maybe worse off by employing a few more people to watch the utilities companies - that cost would more than be saved by the wider county economy not being disrupted by unnecessary roadworks. 2) County Hall would have to ask the Government for these new powers. Surrey Council has a bad habit of not talking to the Government - they failed to apply for new powers under the Sustainable Communities Act, that could have meant for example Surrey could have kept business rates generated in the county rather than them being spent centrally. So it’s true, there is a better way of handling roadworks - but we need those in authority to have the vision to reach out for the new solutions out there in the wider world outside County Hall. I won’t be holding my breath.

Like many people, I was disappointed with the news that Cadbury had been takeover by Kraft. Cadbury is - soon maybe was - a national institution which provides thousands of jobs in the Britain, and I feel there is a real danger its takeover by Kraft will lead to job losses. Whilst it is for shareholders to accept or reject offers to purchase their shares, Cadbury shares have been rapidly bought up by hedge funds that are keen to accept the Kraft offer, regardless of whether it is in the long-term interests of the company. In the age of global capitalism there is nothing that really could have been done to stop the takeover of Cadbury, but the Government - namely Gordon Brown and Peter Mandelson said they would support an independent Cadbury. Kraft is borrowing £7 billion in order to purchase Cadbury, partly from the Royal Bank of Scotland - a state owned bank. It is wrong for a state owned bank, funded by taxpayers, to support a deal that is not in the best interests of the UK economy. Especially after the Government said this won’t happen. The Labour Government foolishly raised expectations of the country - but more importantly the workers of Cadbury, that Kraft’s bid would fail. Then after their quick popularist press release had been sent out - they failed to follow through their promise and let taxpayers’ money be used by an American company to buy out a British company. Not a good day for a Labour Britain, literately.

With the snow and ice, the planned closure of Victoria Arch has been postponed - for the third time. From 8pm on Friday 22nd January no northbound traffic will be able to use Victoria Arch for 6 to 8 weeks. Access to pedestrians and cyclists on both sides of the tunnel will not be affected so will stay open, nor will any southbound traffic coming from Woking Town Centre. The Council is advising motorists to follow the stated diversion route via Triggs Lane and Wych Hill Lane. This closure is to allow the Southern Gas Network to finish the works that took place in and around Guildford Road before Christmas. The Victoria Arch closure will, of course lead road chaos in and around Woking - but what’s worse is the same company has roadworks on Maybury Hill by the Lion Works and EDF are digging up the pavement on Triggs Lane, the official diversion route away from Victoria Arch. I am chasing the Council to coordinate this roadworks, so Victoria Arch is only closed after the other routes in Woking are open, will keep you posted.

Lib Dem Leader Nick Clegg launched my party’s General Election campaign this week with honest pledges and a promise to bring real change to Britain. At the last General Election, the Lib Dems stood out as a very distinctive with plans for free personal care for the elderly and free university education by scrapping tuition fees - with my over £10,000 student debt in mind, I clearly think the latter is very important. However with the deep recession and huge deficit the Lib Dems are saying, very simply and honestly that those promises maybe unaffordable at the start of a Lib Dem Government. So my party is making 4 key pledges: 1) Fair taxes - a commitment to make the first £10,000 you earn tax-free. People earning less than £10,000 will pay no income tax, and everyone paying the basic rate will receive a £700 per year tax cut. This will be paid for with a mansion tax on homes worth above £2m, and by taxing income and capital gains at the same level. 2) A fair start for all our children - We will cut class sizes and introduce a “pupil premium” which will mean an extra £2.5bn to help improve discipline and provide extra tuition where needed. This will be paid for by stopping tax credits for higher-income earners. 3) A fair and sustainable economy that creates jobs. We will make Britain the world leader in the green economy. We will save £3.5bn on current expenditure and invest in public transport, home insulation and social housing. 4) Fair, transparent and more local politics. We will introduce a fair voting system to end “safe” seats. We will return powers to local communities and councils, and ensure that MPs can be sacked for breaking the rules. We will stop tax avoiders standing for Parliament, sitting in the Lords or donating to political parties. The party has also committed to recruit 3,000 more police officers, scrap university tuition fees within 6 years, increase pay for the armed forces and restore the link between pensions and earnings. We will pay for these things by scrapping ID cards, cutting back on Defence bureaucrats, and abolishing Government Offices in the regions. Sadly, the recession has meant that we have had to move away from some of the things we’d like to do - but Labour have failed in their 13 years, both the economy and politics are broken. The Tories can’t be trusted - they pretend to offer change, but all they do is offer more of the same that has failed us. That’s not change, that’s more of the same. I am proud to be a Lib Dem, we are the only party that can give Britain the fresh start it needs.

Surrey’s Environment and Economy Committee yesterday refused to sign up to the national 10:10 climate change campaign to commit to cut carbon emissions by 10% in 2010. At the October meeting of the County Council the Lib Dems proposed the carbon cutting motion calling on the Council to act. At that meeting, the ruling Conservatives refused to debate the motion and referred the issue down to the Environment and Economy Committee. Once sent to that Committee, the motion was deferred twice before tuesday’s decision to dismiss the 10:10 campaign. I was the councillor who formally seconded the motion at the Full Council meeting in October and I also adopted the referred motion at committee level - so I am thoroughly disappointed in the decision. But I am more than disappointed - I am also very surprised that the Surrey Conservatives have refused to sign up to 10:10. Council Leader Andrew Povey came to power at County Hall saying that the authority should “spent more time thinking about sustainability and climate change”. Why would the Leader of the Council say he has strong views on climate change - then fail to act on them? Franny Armstrong’s 10:10 campaign has been so successful that it has become a mass movement of tens of thousands of businesses, people and organisations. The Lib Dems have signed up and asked all local councils under it’s control to adopt 10:10 - and they are doing so, Lib Dem Edinburgh became the 100th council to commit to a 10% carbon cut in 2010. The Conservatives nationally also urged it’s councils to sign up. But so few have - why are the Surrey Tories ignoring David Cameron? The Conservatives might have spray painted themselves green - but the new look is wearing off. What Conservatives such as Andrew Povey and David Cameron say before taking office, is very different to what they will do once in power. I fear that if the Conservatives win the next General Election, Britain may become ‘the dirty man of Europe’ again the country was when the Tories were last in Government. People today, especially the young may lose their jobs, their homes and possibly even their lives due to climate change. That’s why its important to act on climate change.

With a fresh wave of winter weather on the way, Surrey County Council is scaling back on the roads it pre-treats with due to a worryingly low stocks of salt. Only A roads and routes to A & E Hospitals will be gritted due to the lack of salt, this leaves Woking Borough of 90,000 people having one road - the A320 being gritted. Also at long last grit bins will begin to be filled with sand, - however the bins will only be filled if they are on specified routes and if the crews have enough time over the weekend (which they properly won’t). But on a good note the county crew will be using a mechanical grab lorry that will speed up delivery. And after all the snow and ice are gone, I can imagine we will be noticing a vast new generation of potholes on Woking’s roads. Sorry not much to look forward to!

This week I asked Surrey County Council to make Sutton Green safer by banning unnecessary Heavy Goods Vehicles in the village’s rural roads. Sutton Green is one of the few remaining traditional settlement - village type communities left in Woking Borough. With this rural setting comes narrow country lanes, little or no footpaths and rat run roads. Also under the Cycle Woking program, the Guildford to Woking cycle route now goes through Sutton Green. With all those issues, combined with Sutton Green’s roads being in a poor state - mean that the large amount of Heavy Goods traffic that drives thorough is too much for the area too cope with. A weight restriction on Sutton Green’s roads would make them safer for cyclists, pedestrians and other motorists by getting Heavy Goods Vehicles off the area’s rural roads. Blanchards Hill, New Lane and Sutton Green Road are named as a major cycle route yet several lorry companies use them as a training area to teach learner drivers. Clay Lane, just over the border in Guildford Borough has a weight restriction on it - so what Sutton Green wants is not unreasonable, just parity with the surrounding areas. I have put this strong case to the Woking Local Committee, and I hope at our next formal meeting in early February the right decision will be made by banning lorries in Sutton Green.

Today we have had another thick and fast heavy winter snow, all of the county and most of the country looks like a winter postcard. But the views might look nice from your bedroom window - but if you want to get anywhere you are in for a hard time. And it looks like this snow or the ice that will follow may stay with us for sometime. Before the night, Surrey County Council managed to clear the A roads - but at the expense of the others and footpaths. It is of course difficult to get everywhere on the first sign of snow, but this is set to last - and unless you live on an A road (which the majority of us don’t), you will struggle to get out safely. The few grit bins there are have not been refilled since the Christmas break, but they will begin to be refilled tomorrow - with sharp sand, due to the lack of true grit left in reserve. As you can see from my tone - I don’t think the Council has done enough to help residents in the snow, but I was shocked to hear what the Conservative Leader of Oxfordshire County Council said in defence of his local authority. Councillor Keith Mitchell said those complaining about the snow “lack the British spirit that defeated Hitler” and should get out of their dependency culture by laying grit themselves. I don’t see what the war has to do with snow. I also don’t think it is akin to a dependency culture by expecting the Council to grit your road, that’s what people pay Council Tax for - its called a service. Also Cllr Mitchell couldn’t say that here in Surrey, since if residents were expected to grit the roads - there would need to be many well managed salt bins. Which there certainty isn’t.

No - I am not joking, or still drunk for my Christmas and New Year festivities but Victoria Arch will be closing. From 8pm on Friday 15th January no northbound traffic will be able to use Victoria Arch for 6 to 8 weeks. Access to pedestrians and cyclists on both sides of the tunnel will not be affected so will stay open, nor will any southbound traffic coming from Woking Town Centre. The Council is advising motorists to follow the stated diversion route via Triggs Lane and Wych Hill Lane. This closure is to allow the Southern Gas Network to finish the works that took place in and around Guildford Road before Christmas. Also, in a rare example of joined up thinking - Surrey County Council will be improving the pedestrian crossing from Goldsworth Road to the Market Square at the same time. This closure was advertised to take place earlier, but due to the heavy snow it had to be delayed. I am assuming this closure will lead to yet more chaos in and around Woking - but unlike at the end of last year, there are (that I am aware off) no other major roadworks in the Borough that would combine to cause total gridlock - a small bit of hope at least!