Latest news with #MonicaHarding
BBC News
12 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Extra school bus service launched in Surrey after parent petition
A cancelled school bus has been replaced by an extra trial service after parents put pressure on Surrey County Council (SCC). SCC advised children to "bring torches" to walk to school after announcing plans to axe a free school bus taking children from Molesey to Esher High School from September, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).But parents started a petition to put on an extra 814 service to accommodate the children with part of the £12bn transport funding granted to SCC by the council said it had worked with Falcon buses on the issues raised by parents, and had agreed on an extra trial service at no cost to the council. 'A win for children' The extra bus will run for the first half-term of the 2025/26 academic year, according to the council. After that, demand will be analysed to see if the service will continue, says SCC. Matt Furniss, cabinet member for highways, transport and economic growth at Surrey County Council, said: "We're very aware of the challenges raised by parents and carers and have worked with Falcon to address these."As with all bus services, we need to ensure they are used to make them viable, so I encourage parents and carers to take up this new provision. "This additional bus is being provided by Falcon at no cost to Surrey County Council." The LDRS has previously reported that it understood cutting the bus route from September would save about £180,000 per year. Esher and Walton MP Monica Harding previously wrote to SCC council leader Tim Oliver about concerns over the walking route and said it was a shame families had to wait so long for the council to make a decision. She said: "This is a win for school children in Esher who were facing walks of up to three miles across unlit heathland with concerns about safety, after Surrey County Council decided to withdraw the Esher High School bus service.""I'm glad that this time local families have been heard. We now need to know that this much-needed bus provision will be sustained over the longer term."
BBC News
03-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Molesey parents' petition calls for increased Surrey bus capacity
Parents have launched a petition calling on a council to use government money to alleviate transport problems after a free school bus was December, Surrey County Council said it would axe free school buses running from Molesey to Esher High School, one month after it announced more than £12m funding from the government to "boost bus services".Children were advised to "bring torches" and "suitable footwear" for the proposed walk to school via alleyways, open fields and unguarded viaduct sluice gates, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).A council spokesperson said they were aware of the challenges that had been raised and were reviewing them carefully. "We will be able to update further in due course," they added. 'So inflexible' The LDRS previously reported it understood cutting the bus route from September would save about £180,000 per have started a petition calling on some of the government money to be put towards increasing the 814 bus between the two towns, which they said was already often Andrew Dillon started the petition and claimed the council was being "so inflexible" over the raised concerns that pupils would be left "stranded"."Attendance and punctuality will plummet, kids will be late for lessons and classes disrupted," he added."It will be a serious blow to the health of the school."Esher and Walton MP Monica Harding wrote to council leader Tim Oliver to request a meeting to discuss increasing capacity on the 814 route or other mitigating wrote: "The withdrawal of assistance and the dirty, isolated, and unlit 'safe walking route' proffered as an alternative by the council risks impacting the safety of pupils, the ability to get to work of parents, and the strong attendance and pupil recruitment rates of Esher CofE High."According to the MP, the council has offered to work with the school on a travel plan. But she warned that it should not be a substitute for greater capacity on the 814 route.
BBC News
29-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Surrey MP calls for new pharmacy on Thames Ditton high street
A new pharmacy is "vital" to address a "notable gap" on a Surrey high street, an MP has for Esher and Walton Monica Harding said a pharmacy on Thames Ditton High Street would be a "lifeline" for said the closure of the Boots Pharmacy had left a "vacuum", which could "impose significant burdens" as people had to travel to alternative sites further from home. A spokesperson for NHS Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Board (SHICB) said it was currently processing an application for a new pharmacy in the village "through the appropriate channels". The spokesperson added the decision would be made taking into account "local needs"."The strength of feeling about this in the community is palpable," Ms Harding wrote in a letter to the SHICB."The service is missed by local residents." The Liberal Democrat politician said she supported an existing application to open a new pharmacy at 14 High Street. A petition calling on Surrey County Council and the NHS to recognise the need for a new pharmacy was signed by just under 1,200 people. A spokesperson for Surrey County Council previously said: "We recognise that local pharmacies play a significant role in supporting local communities, not just because of the services they deliver but also their contribution to community identity."
BBC News
29-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Esher MP calls for unauthorised River Thames boats to be removed
The issue of unauthorised, wrecked and abandoned boats in the River Thames is set to be raised in Parliament by a Surrey MP and Walton MP Monica Harding has said the "overstaying" boats cause "anti-social behaviour, waste and litter" has called on the Environment Agency (EA) to get tougher with the owners and remove the boats adding: "It's practically Dickensian and nothing has been done about it - it's very unfair."The EA said it understood community concerns and was taking firm action but a more sustainable response was needed for repeat issues and non-compliance. Speaking to BBC Radio Surrey, Harding said the situation in the summer was "dire" as the number of boats had increased from 180 last July to 243 in said the "sunken, wrecked and abandoned boats" were "eyesores that nobody has bothered to deal with".The "overstaying" boats are unlicensed and unregistered, mooring by the banks for months, sometimes years," she said. Some have operated as rentals, she claimed, or erected fences with "keep out" and "private" signs along the public towpath. It was "intimidating", Harding said, adding: "Stretches of public land that have been enjoyed for centuries by residents have become no-go areas." Locals in Hurst Park, Molesey, told BBC Radio Surrey they were not said: "I'd like them moved on so we can enjoy the riverside a lot more than being intimidated by certain individuals."Another said: "If they are in poor condition I think they should be moved because they become an eyesore."Another man said: "I think it's a shame if people just leave the boats there because it's blocking it for someone else to be using."It's a loss of money as well because they are supposed to pay to moor their boats, so really it's very unfair on the owners of the land as well." The EA said it had invested heavily in recent enforcement work and where there was a risk to navigation it would continue to take action to remove the boats and seek to recover costs from the owners.A spokesperson added: "Over recent years there has been an increase in people living on boats and moorings along the Thames."We have asked our partners to work with us to develop a more sustainable and longer-term approach."This includes additional lawful mooring agreements for compliant users including exploring residential options and supporting local authority duties around homelessness and housing."
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
MPs, mayor and residents object to Heathrow plans
Residents and MPs have criticised a government announcement that it would be backing plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said on Wednesday that expanding Heathrow was "badly needed" and could create up to 100,000 jobs. But The Lib Dem MP for Esher and Walton, Monica Harding, said the runway would have "a profound impact" on residents, while Brighton Pavilion' Green MP, Sian Berry, called the plans "reckless". The government said it would issue a full assessment of any expansion plans through the Airports National Policy Statement. A third runway would bring in hundreds of thousands of extra flights to the west London airport each year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports. The government said the runway would nearly double the amount of freight coming through the airport each year and help UK businesses to reach new destinations, which would help to grow the economy. But opponents, including the London Mayor's office, MPs and campaign groups, argue it raises "serious environmental and health concerns". The Liberal Democrats said in a statement that research from University College London showed people living near Heathrow were at greater risk of heart disease, strokes and mental health issues, and the third runway would only make this worse. "The impact on human health can not be underestimated," the statement read. More locally, campaigners from Stanwell Moor, a village at the end of Heathrow's southern runway, said they would be preparing a list of demands "that put residents first". The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport UK, meanwhile, has praised the Chancellor's announcement, though stressed the importance of prioritising environmental concerns. The government has been contacted for a comment. Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook and X. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Reeves backs third Heathrow runway in growth push At a glance: What was in Rachel Reeves's speech? Local woman's plea over Heathrow runway plans
