Kingston Council’s financial problems have been compounded by poor judgement by the Lib Dem administration at a time when central government grants are shrinking.

A major reorganisation Children’s Services relied on the judgement of one senior officer. The administration failed to manage the restructuring project, or to track the higher expectations of Ofstead over a three year programme. Now £1.4 million is required this year to ensure that children are safe.

We risk similar problems in adult social care if the “Kingston at Home” project is driven through prematurely. Vulnerable elderly residents are to be transferred hastily from their homes in order to achieve savings.

Lib Dem Kingston Council’s Children Services have been condemned as inadequate by an Ofsted report issued in July making Kingston the worst borough in London. Conservative Councillors are promoting an improvement plan, and our lead spokesperson for Children's Services, Cllr. Andrea Craig,is on the Improvement Board.

Council Leader Derek Osbourne has blamed the findings on “tougher guidelines”, but the report states that a view had been forming of weaknesses and “little effective action had been taken to address known deficits”.

Some ideas of how New Malden's High Street might look are being displayed in the weeks up to Christmas. You can see them in Waitrose up until Friday 7th December, and then in the Malden Centre for two weeks. These ideas have been developed from your input over the Summer. The Town Centre Strategy will form the basis of funding and investment opportunities.

Kingston’s Children Services have been condemned by Ofsted in a report issued in July. In particular, it was criticised for how it dealt with children who had already suffered significant harm.

Kingston’s inadequate grading is due to “significant failings” in child protection. LibDem member in charge, Cllr. Tricia Barnford, has refused to take responsibility.

Following a successful campaign by Cllr Lynne Finerty to raise the profile of New Malden Station within South West Trains, the Head of Stations has agreed to a site visit.

The petition to Make New Malden Station a better place carried 606 signatures from concerned local residents, businesses and station users. These signatures were obtained without once standing at the station.

Cllr. Lynne Finnerty is a regular theatre-goer, but she is concerned about continued subsidy to the Rose Theatre without consultation. The theatre also benefits indirectly from smaller Council grants to various arts and cultural organisations which use it.

Following lobbying by local Councillors and MP Zac GoldSmith, Michael Gove, Education Secretary, has confirmed to Cllr Lynne Finnerty that emergency funds of over £2 million will be granted to Christ Church Primary School.

Structural deterioration to a wing of Christ Church Junior School, identified last year, required a temporary move of the whole school. The approval process was poorly handled by the LibDem controlled Council, and it was a testing time for all concerned.

Relocation to the playing field adjacent to Corpus Christi School was approved once your local Conservative Councillors considered that road safety and access issues had been addressed fully.

Zac Goldsmith, MP, has engaged with Sam Freedman, the Secretary of State for Education's Senior Policy Advisor, to discuss alternative funding mechanisms for a much-needed new Secondary school, including the free school option, which the Council has now selected as its preferred route.