Councillor Peter Ankers

The Council’s debts as at 30^th November 2009, the latest published figures, have risen to £113.6 million. This represents an increase of £20 million in the 9 months since the end of February and the rise is more than double the forecast income from Council Tax of £8.1 million for the whole of 2009/2010.  

At the December Council Meeting I asked the Council Leader what the upper limit of debt is that he would be prepared for the Council to incur. He refused to name any figure and merely referred me to the £175 million that had been previously approved as the Council’s Authorised Borrowing Limit.

There is a widespread concern about increased debt at all levels of our society. Our Council is not immune from changes to economic conditions that may undermine assumptions about the future ability to service and repay these loans.

I will therefore continue to press for this headlong rush to borrow money by our Borough Council to  cease                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Many people ask me about the funding of the Lightbox and so I checked up with the Council.

In the 12 months to March 2009 a total of over £1.3million was paid to the Lightbox by WBC made up as follows :

Capital contribution agreed 2002                  £638 K

2007/2008 service contract                           £277K

2008/2009 service contract                           £288K

S106 funding for outdoor area                         £91K

Others                                                               £9K

Total                                                              £1303K

My decision to become an Independent has not been taken in haste and focuses on one particular area that I regard as being very important, ie the debt burden of Woking Borough Council. In the past year as Mayor it has been impossible for me to speak out on controversial Council matters. However what has led me to this decision is that as at end May 2009 the debts of Woking Borough Council had risen to slightly over £100 million. To put this amount into context this level of debt :-          Is comfortably more than the combined total of all the other 10 Boroughs in Surrey and in the top 3 or 4 of other 238 Shire districts in England, at least one of which has a considerably bigger population than Woking;-       compares with our annual income from Council Tax of about £8 million and approaching £7 million from the Government.  The budget forecast a further £11million from Fees such as Car Parking, although the recession is taking a toll on this expectation.Not only am I concerned about the actual level of debts but additionally the Council has approved a very much higher limit of borrowings, subject to discussion of the precise projects. The Authorised Limit for external debt approved in February for 2009/2010 is £170.8 million, an increase from £117.4 million for 2008/2009. Whilst I have sympathy for some of the projects being discussed I believe that we have reached a debt level that is potentially imposing an unacceptable liability on future generations. The schedule for repayment of these debts, apart from a very small amount in 2015, stretches from 2027 to 2077. Inflation may mean repayment in a much devalued currency but it is also difficult to know what changes there will be in our society over this lengthy period that may make current assumptions about putting aside reserves difficult to achieve.

I have therefore taken my action so that I can speak out publicly on the subject

On 15th May 2008 I was appointed Mayor of Woking and therefore, constitutionally, I have to be non-political for the forthcoming civic year.

My wife, Gill, and I are both very much looking forward to our year.  In my 'acceptance speech' I said that we particularly want to see at first hand the valuable work done by volunteers and voluntary organisations that make such a wonderfully positive contribution to the life of our Borough.  Without this effort Woking would be much worse off.

I also very much admire the work of the Chamber of Commerce who do so much to support the businesses in our Borough. I pledged to do all I can to help the Chamber and the economic base of Woking.

My charity this year is the Friends of Woking Community Hospital. I believe the hospital itself fulfils a much needed role for residents whilst the Friends have a superb record of raising money for the benefit of patients and staff.

If anyone wishes to contribute to my charity then please do not hesitate to contact me.

I have been working with our County Councilor, Mrs Valerie Tinney, and our MP, Humfrey Malins, to improve the road service on Old Woking Road. The B382 was once a quiet, minor road between West Byfleet and Old Woking .

It is , however, now a major thoroughfare with levels of traffic that would never have been envisaged in the past. As a result residents who live near the road find the noise very disturbing.

A 'quiet' road surface was laid down in 1999 but shortly afterwards a cable TV company dug a trench. This, together with the fact that the road surface did not survive the traffic levels resulted in the County Council laying a more sturdy surface, but on ethat generated more noise.

Quiet simply the residents want a surface that will deaden the noise.

This has been promised - but until it actually arrives I'm not sure I'll believe it. 

Money is available from the County Council, through the Pyrford County Councillor, Valerie Tinney, to help with funding and improving community assets.

If residents have any suggestions or queries then please contact me. 

As from 16th October 2006 my efforts to have the Dial a Ride service offered by Woking Community Transport , enjoyed for so long for those elderley and disabled residents in the west of the Borough, are now extended to residents in the east of the Borough, including Pyrford.

I am told that there will be new marketing literature being printed in the New Year but in the interim if anyone has any queries please contact me on 01932-352246 or call Woking Community Transport on  01483-744800.

I am pleased that after considerable pressure Serco have cut the grass verges in Pyrford so that as the winter starts they look reasonably tidy.

The limit for length of grass is supposed to be 75mm ( about 3 inches).

I will be watching things closely when spring starts to check Serco getting cutting quickly.

I am very disappointed at the performance of our contractor, Serco, in cutting the verges and open spaces in Pyrford.  Now that the weather has warmed up, and we have had some rain, the grass is really growing.

Residents can be assured that I am in frequent contact urging the contractor that he should get a move on. So far this year I have cut my lawn at least 4 times but, as far as i can see, some of the verges have not yet had a single cut.

After 4 years of effort I am pleased that in April 2006 we now have a new pedestrian crossing of Old Woking Road near to the junction with Lincoln Drive.

Originally I had hoped that we might get a fully fledged light controlled crossing. However this proved to be too expensive and other options, such as a footbridge, were not suitable.

In the end an island was agreed. The feedback I have received has so far been most positive.