WELCOME TO MY MARCH NEWSLETTER!
Hello,
My newsletter is designed to give an overview of what I've been doing as Member of Parliament for Surrey Heath, so please feel free to forward this on to your friends, family and neighbours. They can sign up to receive it directly by clicking here.
With every good wish,
Rt Hon Michael Gove MP
Member of Parliament for Surrey Heath
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RETURN TO CAMBERLEY DELIVERY OFFICE
On 8 March, I returned to Camberley Delivery Office for an update from Royal Mail on the work to improve its service to my constituents in Surrey Heath.
For some time, many in Surrey Heath have experienced a poor service from Royal Mail, often facing lengthy delays between postal deliveries. I have been keeping in touch with Royal Mail about this, and I am pleased that I have started to receive positive reports from constituents of an improvement.
There is still more to be done, so I was delighted to hear that Royal Mail has recruited more members of staff at Camberley Delivery Office, and I was informed that staff absence rates have significantly improved and morale is up. Royal Mail has also promised to review all delivery rounds at Camberley Delivery Office to ensure that the service becomes consistent.
I will, of course, continue to monitor the situation closely, and I wish to hear from any residents who are continuing to experience postal delays.
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SPRING BUDGET 2024
At the beginning of March, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and fellow Surrey MP, Jeremy Hunt, delivered the Spring Budget. He announced that National Insurance will be cut again. Combined with the cut at the Autumn Statement, that is a tax cut of over £900 for the average worker earning £35,400 – giving the average earner the lowest effective personal tax rate since 1975! You can read more about the Spring Budget here.
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VISIT TO FRIMLEY AND CAMBERLEY CADETS
I met Robin Perry, Hon President of Frimley & Camberley Cadet Corps (FCCC), together with WO1 James Sewell, Deputy Commandant and Safeguarding Officer FCCC.
It was great to hear their news and all about their future ambitions for FCCC. We also discussed the importance of fundraising for the Cadets, and I promised to come back to them with possible funding routes.
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LIGHTWATER CAMPAIGNING
On 9 March, I joined local Councillors Katia Malcaus Cooper and Rebecca Jennings-Evans in Lightwater, together with other local Conservative colleagues and friends.
It was great to be out and about speaking to residents, and to discuss the particular issues that matter to them.
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ONLINE Q&A
I held another online Q&A for Surrey Heath residents on 11 March, and I wish to say a huge thank you to Cllr Paul Deach for chairing it. I very much enjoyed it, and thank you too to all the local residents who kindly took part. If you missed it, Paul has made a recording which you can access via the following link: https://bit.ly/4abumqD
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SIR WILLIAM SIEMENS SQUARE IN FRIMLEY
In early March, I visited Sir William Siemens Square in Frimley to speak to Miller Homes regarding its proposals to redevelop the site. Miller Homes submitted a planning application to Surrey Heath Borough Council last month with plans to build 170 dwellings on the site, and you can read more details about those proposals here.
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ROAD SAFETY OUTSIDE KINGS INTERNATIONAL
I recently visited Kings International College to discuss the road safety issues the school is experiencing at drop-off and, particularly, at pick-up time after school. I discussed several suggestions including the introduction of cycle routes, traffic calming measures and a new crossing to enable pupils to cross the road safely to the nearby bus stop, and I have raised this with Surrey County Council.
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GREAT BRITISH SPRING CLEAN
The Great British Spring Clean is a hugely important campaign, and I showed my support and took part in a litter pick in Watchmoor Reserve in Camberley a few weeks ago. It was organised by Keep Britain Tidy, and you can watch my video with local Keep Britain Tidy activist, Philippa, here.
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MOTOCROSS 100
I visited Surrey Heath Museum to see a special exhibition celebrating the birth of Motocross in Camberley in 1924.
It was fascinating to learn more about how this famous sport started in Camberley 100 years ago, and then became a worldwide phenomenon.
The exhibition runs until 4 May, and you can read more here.
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RURAL OSCARS
I am delighted that Kevin Horn at Surrey Hills Butchers is a finalist in the Countryside Alliance Awards. He is in contention for a South East Regional title in the Butcher category and on 15 March I dropped by the Tongham-based shop, which opened in May 2023 and is located in a refurbished barn at the Hogs Back Brewery. It was wonderful to meet Kevin to congratulate him in person, and to see for myself the brilliant produce on offer.
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SURREY POLICE
I had a very helpful catch up with the Chief Constable of Surrey Police, and I was pleased to hear that the extra 300 Police Officers across Surrey are already making a difference in dealing with crime. I was also very interested to learn more about the action being taken to deal with drug dealing and domestic abuse, together with the ongoing work to catch shoplifters who are blighting the livelihoods of many hard working retailers.
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ST PAULS CAMPAIGNING
On 16 March, I was back in St Pauls in Camberley campaigning with local Conservative colleagues and friends. We chatted to lots of residents and it was great to have to opportunity to answer their questions.
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EMPTY MILITARY HOMES IN DEEPCUT
Following the closure of the Princess Royal Barracks, there have been plans to regenerate the area and work is now underway by Annington Homes to refurbish the former Service Family Accommodation. I recently visited several of these properties with Annington Homes and it was helpful to hear more about the plans to return these properties to local housing stock.
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SUPPORT FOR APPRENTICESHIPS AND SMEs
Last month, I welcomed the Conservative Government’s major package of reforms to support businesses to deliver more apprenticeship places, benefitting local small businesses across Surrey Heath.
Backed by £60 million of new Government funding for 2024-25, this means that the Conservative Government will fully fund apprenticeships in small businesses from 1 April by paying the full cost of training for anyone up to the age of 21 – reducing costs and burdens for businesses and delivering more opportunities for young people to kickstart their career. You can read more here.
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COUNCILLOR CATCH UP
On 22 March, I popped into Randall’s in Lightwater for lunch and a catch up with local councillors, Katia Malcaus Cooper and Valerie White. It was great to have a chat, and I am so grateful to them for keeping me up-to-speed on local issues.
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ZERO-EMISSION BUSES
I am delighted that the Conservative Government is committing a further £3,200,000 to improve bus journeys across Surrey. This will mean more modern and reliable fleets, and an improved service for my constituents in Surrey Heath.
The funding comes as part of a £143 million investment to roll out 955 zero-emission buses across 25 local councils in England, and you can read more here. |
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ROAD SAFETY OUTSIDE RAVENSCOTE
During March, I also visited Ravenscote Junior School to hear more about road safety concerns and the difficulties during drop-off and pick-up times. I know that local County Councillor, Edward Hawkins, has already been working on the issue and I will look into the potential solutions to ease the problems, both in the short term and in the long term.
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HAMMOND JUNIOR SCHOOL
On 22 March, I visited Hammond Junior School in Lightwater and met Julian Drinkall, the new Chief Executive of GLF Schools, which is a Multi Academy Trust that has several schools in Surrey Heath.
Following our catch up, I was then taken on a tour of the school, and it was great fun to have a chat with several pupils and to answer their interesting questions.
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NHS PARLIAMENTARY AWARDS
Healthcare professionals across Surrey Heath do a brilliant job, and these Awards are the perfect opportunity to recognise and thank those staff who go above and beyond.
I wish to hear about the people who you believe have made a real difference to how the NHS provides care for patients in Surrey Heath. If you know someone who fits that description, please send your nominations through to me at [email protected] before 19 April.
You can read more about the Awards here, and you can download a nomination form here.
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BETTER SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS PROVISION
I want to do everything possible to ensure that every child in Surrey Heath has the best possible education, and that is why I have been working together with Surrey MPs and Surrey County Council on important improvements to Special Educational Needs provision across the County.
I am, therefore, delighted to see that the Conservative Government is investing £18,649,991 in Surrey, which will help to deliver the education that meets the needs of children with SEND. You can read more here.
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DLUHC NEWS
£208M INVESTMENT IN THE NORTH: More homes will be built and regeneration turbocharged in the north of England under a transformational package. For more details, please click here.
A LEVELLING UP BUDGET: The Chancellor set out an ambitious package of measures that continue to significantly advance our mission to level up. You can read further details here.
COUNTERING EXTREMISM: The definition of extremism has been updated to respond to increased extremist threat since October 7 terror attacks in Israel. You can read more here.
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CONTACT ME
The best way to reach me is by email or post, and please include your full address, including postcode, in all communications.
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