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Surrey County Council has no plans to reopen Lakers Youth Centre one year after fire

Council has no plans to reopen Lakers Youth Centre one year after fire The Lib Dems have criticised Surrey County Council for leaving the Lakers Youth Centre closed for a whole year, and still not having any plans to reopen it. In January 2018, Lakers Youth Centre in Goldsworth Park was badly damaged by a fire and has been closed since. During a recent Surrey County Council Cabinet meeting, Lib Dem County Councillor, Will Forster, asked the Council if, or when, it will repair and reopen Lakers. The Council stated that there are no immediate plans to rebuild Lakers Youth Centre and that they are reviewing all youth services. Will Forster said, "Ever since Lakers was damaged and closed by last year's fire, the Lib Dems and I have been campaigning for the County Council to commit to reopening the Youth Centre. However, they have refused time and time again. We are now one year on, and the Council still has no plans to reopen Lakers." "I am appalled that the County Council has left both Lakers unused for over

WFRH
by Will Forster, RH.
4 Feb 2019
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Surrey County Council's £2.5 million for contract staff

Surrey County Council's £2.5 million for contract staff It was recently revealed that the cost of temporary staff at Surrey County Council is £2.5 million. The news comes at a time when the Council are proposing a number of cuts to essential services, affecting bus subsidies, Children's Centres, Community Recycling Centres and libraries. Prior to the appointment of new Chief Executive, Joanna Killian, in March 2018, the County Council had just one contract for an interim member of staff. The contract bill for temporary and interim staff now stands at £2.5 million. Will Forster, Lib Dem County Councillor for Woking South, said, "The Lib Dems and I have two reactions to this very disturbing news - firstly, can the previous officers, cleared out so rapidly, have been so ineffective that emergency recruitment has been necessary? If so, how did that happen?" "Secondly, there has been no democratic accountability in the appointment of these people, who may be wonderful, but their appointments have bypassed the

WFRH
2 Feb 2019
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Lib Dems call for Surrey County Council to protect Europeans from Brexit

Lib Dems call for Surrey County Council to protect Europeans from Brexit Lib Dem County Councillor Will Forster has today called on Surrey County Council to support European Union (EU) nationals living locally from the damaging effects of Brexit. Before Christmas, the Government announced that EU citizens would have to apply and pay for 'settled status' post-Brexit, causing fears that some European workers will leave the UK post Brexit. Surrey County Council, like other local authorities, relies on EU nationals to fill key jobs especially in the social care sector. Therefore, Will Forster and the Lib Dems have called on the County Council to protect EU nationals by paying the settled status fees of all of its EU staff. Lib Dem County Councillor for Woking South, Will Forster, said: "Although Theresa May's Brexit deal was recently rejected in Parliament by a record 230 votes, Brexit is still a huge threat, especially to Surrey County Council's social care system which relies on staff from Europe. Bre

WFRH
2 Feb 2019
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Deborah Hughes headshot

Woking residents deserve better

It may be that the recent 'block' voting by the Tory members in Woking Borough Council is a way in which to keep the length of the Council sessions to a reasonable time? However this means that we have many important decisions being compressed into one meeting, some of them involving millions of pounds of investment, possibly without balanced debate and consideration.

8 Jan 2019
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National Party News

A hand pointing at a piece of paper
Local Government

Local Government Finance Emergency

After years of neglect, our local councils are in financial survival mode. The Liberal Democrats are calling on the Government to move past emergency bailouts and deliver a sustainable future for local government.

ZF
15 Mar 2026
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Donald Trump - (Gage Skidmore - CC BY-SA 2.0)
International Affairs

Trump and the Wider World

The international stage has been shaken by a series of reckless and illegal actions from Donald Trump’s White House. Liberal Democrat members have passed a new motion to bolster our national defence and strengthen our alliances with reliable partners.

CM
15 Mar 2026
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Child looks at a phone. Next to the child are age-rating symbols: U, 13+, 16, 18
Children & Families

A digital world fit for the next generation

For too long, tech giants have treated children as data to be mined, using addictive algorithms and harmful content to keep them scrolling. While some are calling for blanket bans, we know these are impractical and risk isolating vulnerable groups.

VC
15 Mar 2026
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Pedestrians walking in town centre
Economy & Business

Revitalising Town Centres and High Streets

Liberal Democrats are committed to building town centres that inspire pride for generations to come. It is time to stop ignoring the decline of our high streets and breathe new life into them as vibrant hubs for the future.

DC
14 Mar 2026
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Lady Justice statue
Crime & Policing

Preserving Trial by Jury

The right to a trial by jury has been a cornerstone of our democracy for over 800 years. Liberal Democrat members have passed a new plan to tackle court backlogs without scrapping juries.

JBF
14 Mar 2026
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