Epsom & Ewell Borough Council prepared for future funding challenges

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council is looking ahead to 2024/25 and beyond to ensure that it remains a financially sustainable council.

Like many councils across the country, the council faces the challenge of reductions in central government funding of local government since 2010, in combination with continued rising costs. As the budgeting process for 2024/25 commences as well as future planning, officers and Councillors are working together to identify savings, efficiencies and income generation options that will enable the council to balance its budget and continue to provide an extensive and stable range of services for its residents.

In a report that went to the Strategy & Resources Committee on 13 July, the council set out a plan to address the forecast £1.1m annual shortfall for 2024/25, and to develop its new four-year Medium Term Financial Strategy, both of which will aim to maintain the financial health of the council while delivering on local priorities. The detail of the measures that will be put in place to address the funding shortfall are currently being developed and will be published in the new year.

Councillor Neil Dallen, Chair of the Strategy & Resources Committee, said: “The future financial sustainability of the council is critical and taken extremely seriously by the council administration. We have a strong track record of meeting the considerable financial challenges the past decade has brought for local government, and we are confident that putting in place these measures alongside planning for next financial year and beyond will allow us to balance our budgets, while maintaining the wide range of services and support we offer to our residents.”

Epsom & Ewell families join celebration for Specsavers Surrey Youth Games

On Saturday, children in Epsom & Ewell who took part in the 2023 Specsavers Surrey Youth Games and their families came together to celebrate the Games at the Surrey Sports Park in Guildford. Around 70 children from Epsom & Ewell aged 7–16 took part in the Games this year, having a go at a range of activities - from boccia, boxing and street basketball to judo and rugby, all at no charge.

The Specsavers Surrey Youth Games is the biggest multi-sport youth programme of its kind in the south east. The Games were open to all but were actively promoted to encourage those who might not normally get the chance to join a sports club or are otherwise unactive.  

The Games would not have been possible without the 12 young ambassadors who helped promote them in their schools, encouraging young people to find out more and sign up to take part.

Councillor Clive Woodbridge, Chair of the Community and Wellbeing Committee said “We were overjoyed to see so many children from Epsom & Ewell take part in the Specsavers Surrey Youth Games this year.

“We know that building positive habits in early life is vital for the long-term health of our children and the Games are a great way for children who may not previously have had access to some of these sports to join in and have fun taking part.

I was honoured to meet the young ambassadors who volunteered their time to help promote the Games to their peers earlier in the year while I was serving as Mayor of Epsom & Ewell and was delighted to see the positive outcome of their efforts this weekend.”

The Specsavers Surrey Youth Games were coordinated by Active Surrey and sponsored by Specsavers.

The Borough in Bloom

Nonsuch Park is participating in South and South East In Bloom for the first time since 2019.

While we’ve entered the award several times before, this year felt like a real celebration of the partnership between all those involved in the care of the Park. The passion and dedication of Nonsuch Voles, Friends of Nonsuch, stakeholders and council staff has come through loud and clear.

Since 2019, there have been many improvements and future plans including:

• Maintenance of the parkland
• Cleanliness of the site
• Repairs to the greenhouse wall and gardener’s bothy
• Carefully considered planting schemes
• The new habitat management plan, the renovation of the round pond and the commitment to managing our parkland to increase biodiversity
• Plans for virtual garden tours and the launch of the council’s Arts, Culture and Heritage Strategy
• The use of the gardens for the council’s walk and talk events
• And much more.

On Monday 3 July, a judge from South and South East In Bloom visited Nonsuch Park. The judge appeared suitably impressed and offered free additional entry into the Large Conservation Area category of the award scheme, as well as the Formal Gardens category.

We won’t know the outcome of the judging until September, however we are confident that we will hold our own in a very tough category (Heritage Parks), which is usually populated with paid to enter facilities such Arundel Castle.

Ewell Village has entered Britain in Bloom’s Large Village category. We are lucky to be supported by Councillor Christine Cleveland and volunteers from the U3A (University of the Third Age) who look after the Gertrude Longhurst Memorial Garden and the newly formed Friends of  Bourne Hall Gardening Group.  Several retailers and residents got involved in the judging by sprucing up their shop fronts and front gardens, and Lower Mill Apartments have been growing plants for Gertie’s Garden.

Epsom competes in Britain in Bloom’s BID area category and we are pleased to support our local Business Improvement District (BID), with this entry.

The judges were taken to see the Lidl Living Wall and the secret train station which is hidden behind the shop fronts in Upper High Street. The judges loved this! The judges were also impressed by the upkeep of Rosebery Park, particularly the pond and the large and varied selection of trees.  They made particular note of the new trees which are a collaboration between the council’s Tree Officer and the local Tree Advisory Board.

Disruption to garden waste collections

In recent weeks, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council’s waste collection team has suffered from significant incidences of staff sickness.

Consultation on Proposed Taxi and Private Hire Emissions Policy

As part of Epsom & Ewell’s commitment to tackling Climate Change and reducing pollution in the borough, the council aims to make changes to licensed private hire vehicles and hackney carriages which, if they go ahead, will lower emissions. The council proposes using a phased approach to ensure that licensed private hire vehicles and hackney carriages meet the same emission standards as the London Ultra-Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ). This consultation launched on 19 June and will run for 6 weeks, ending on 30 July.

To help licensees with the transition to lower emission vehicles, the council proposes removing the requirement that hackney carriages be purpose-built taxis. This should create a more varied fleet, which Epsom & Ewell Borough Council hope will make hackney carriages easier-to-use, and more comfortable, for wheelchair users. Most hackney carriages will continue to be wheelchair accessible, however it is proposed that a small number of zero emission hackney carriages will be permitted to operate despite not being wheelchair accessible, until wheelchair-accessible zero emission vehicles are more widely available.

Councillor Steven McCormick, Chair of the Licensing and Planning Policy Committee, said “The council’s climate change action plan is of vital importance. Climate change is not a standalone single issue for the council or the borough - it runs through a broad range of activities and behaviours.

“Bringing emission standards for hackney carriages and private hire vehicles in Epsom & Ewell in line with those set by the ULEZ in London is a small but important step to improve air quality and reduce in emissions in our borough, which will contribute towards making Epsom & Ewell a safer and greener place for people who live, work and visit here.”

This consultation is for licensed taxis and hackney carriages only, not private vehicles.

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council wants to hear what the licensed trade, residents and local organisations think about the proposals. Details of the proposal, including the timescale for implementation, can be viewed via this link.

Hard copies of the draft policy can be viewed at libraries in the borough and in the Town Hall.

To give feedback on the proposed licensed vehicle emissions policy please email: licensing@epsom-ewell.gov.uk(link sends e-mail) or write to the Licensing Team, Epsom & Ewell Borough Council, Town Hall, The Parade, Epsom, Surrey, KT18 5BY.

Help us recycle more of the right things

Research shows that many people feel like they are already recycling as much as they can. But according to data, over 26,000 tonnes of recyclable waste can be found in Surrey’s rubbish bins. Categorised by material, that would look something like this…

• 9,096 tonnes of paper and card, equating to roughly 5,000 cars.
• 8,353 tonnes of plastic, equal to almost 1,500 elephants.
• 6,619 tonnes of glass, that’s approximately 9,500 cows.
• 2,268 tonnes of metal, equivalent to around 4,500 polar bears.

Why is this a big deal?

For Epsom & Ewell Borough Council and the tax payer, recycling makes financial sense because it costs less to recycle waste than it does to dispose of it as rubbish. It’s also better for the environment as recycling generates less carbon dioxide than rubbish disposal. So as a county Surrey needs to waste less and recycle more.

Win, win, with your recycling bin

This summer, please help save money and the planet by recycling more. That includes:

• Letters, envelopes, paper, card, leaflets, catalogues, glossy brochures and magazines, junk mail, newspapers and cardboard.
• Food packaging such as plastic pots, tubs and trays.
• Plastic bottles used for shampoo, detergent, and cleaning products.
• Glass bottles and jars.
• Metal food tins for things like tuna, soup, fruit and pet food.

These small changes will make a big impact, not only to the planet but we can use the money saved for essential services for Surrey’s communities instead.

Find out more at: surreyep.org.uk

Home Upgrade Grant

It is still a challenging time, with many of us struggling in the cost of living crisis. Making your home more energy efficient and environmentally friendly is a great opportunity to reduce energy bills and do your bit for the environment and reduce your carbon footprint.

What funding is available?

More than £12m of Government funding is now available, via the Home Upgrade Grant scheme, for Surrey residents to make their homes more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. 

Who is eligible?

If your home is not heated by gas you might be eligible for this grant. Anyone living in hard to heat homes and on lower incomes could receive up to £38,000 to fund measures that; improve a range of insulation including wall, loft and underfloor; install solar PV, solar thermal and air source heat pumps and ensure ventilation meets the industry standards.

Your property must have an EPC rating of D-G, the primary form of heating must not be mains gas and you will need to meet the financial eligibility criteria. Funding is limited and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Find out more

For more information and to check if you’re eligible for the grant, visit the Action Surrey website or call 0800 783 2503.

Help for landlords

If you’re a private landlord, your tenant might be eligible for the funding. You can also check The Domestic Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) Regulations Guidance for Landlords web page for details on updated requirements.

Surrey Energy Advice

Online Energy Advice Tool to help you save money

Surrey County Council have created a new online Energy Advice Tool. The tool asks a series of short questions and depending on the answers will offer tailored information on grants, support and advice, and non-financial help on a range of topics including:

• Find free or part-funded schemes to make you home more energy efficient
• Signpost to debt relief grants
• Where to find additional services such as clothes and food banks
• Fuel vouchers

Other support:

Welfare Hub

Surrey County Council have pulled together financial, health and welfare information on their website to ensure you find what support is on offer in the country. For more information, visit the Welfare Hub.

Cost of Living Support

Visit Epsom & Ewell Borough Council's Cost of Living Support webpage for more support and advice.

Jobs at Epsom & Ewell Borough Council

Our small but ambitious authority offers you the opportunity to become involved in a wide range of varied and interesting work. That, together with an enviable array of staff benefits and a rewarding and challenging career is our unique offer to you.

If you have the passion and the drive to make a real difference, we really want to hear from you. View a list of all current vacancies at Epsom & Ewell Borough Council here.

At Epsom & Ewell Borough Council, we are passionate about maintaining an inclusive workplace for all that reflects the communities we serve. We welcome applications from all sections of our community particularly from underrepresented backgrounds, including BAME, LGBTQ+ and those with hidden or visible disabilities.

We are committed to ensuring all our staff – regardless of gender, age, religion, sexuality, ethnicity or disability – can thrive and succeed whilst working with us.

Take a look at our current vacancies, including:

Revenues Assistant

Housing Options (Prevention) Officer

All our vacancies can be found here: epsom-ewell.gov.uk/careers 

New patio at Bourne Hall

The patio at the rear of Bourne Hall has been replaced and new tables and seating have been added to the area.

Over the last few years Bourne Hall’s patio had begun to look tired, had become uneven and difficult for some visitors to walk on.

The new patio at Bourne Hall is more accessible and is safer and easier for visitors to use. The space is more attractive and more versatile, making it a lovely space to enjoy a coffee and cake from our café, as well as being ideal for bigger events such as weddings.

This project supports the corporate objective to promote Epsom & Ewell as a centre for creative and cultural excellence, delivering more cultural events in venues, and potential to increase events and activities at Bourne Hall.

Why not go along to Bourne Hall and enjoy a delicious snack from the Flying Saucer Café on the new patio?