Steed Bennett

Great to see one of our own on politics live 👏

I’m on today’s Politics Live, starting now on BBC2!

Always loved seeing the poppies around town 😁

The poppies have popped up again It’s good to see the poppies have appeared around the town. They remind us to think about what was, what is, and what might happen again. On a lighter note, it was only when we looked at this…

Would be happy to see the Council do this 👇

On behalf of all Surrey Heath’s citizens, I stand with Israel against the barbaric terrorism we have witnessed in the last few days. I have asked Surrey Heath Borough Council to show solidarity with the people of Israel by flying Israel's flag and condemning the evil of Hamas.

It was a pleasure to welcome guests to another Business Breakfast at Frimley Hall Hotel this morning. I was asked a number of questions about global, national and local politics, and am grateful too those who came along.

My Business Breakfast Club meets quarterly and is a great opportunity to strengthen ties with local businesses and Conservative Councillors, and if you would like to join or find out more information, please email [email protected]

I am horrified by what is happening in Israel, Gaza and Lebanon. Two of our good friends are stuck in Israel and I feel for all those living there.

Hamas is a terrorist organisation.

Since 1980 Iran has built the capability of Hamas, I can’t see how the Iranian state could not have been behind the attack. Press TV has been banned by the UK, but that’s not enough- IRGC has to be proscribed and any business in Europe who trades with them directly or indirectly has to be sanctioned, the focus should be on weakening them and taking away the power from their hands.

Hamas has been using the Palestinian people as it’s pawns. Hamas and IRGC have to be stopped.

I can only hope for peace for those living in the Middle East and an end to violence against men, women and children.

Tom Tugendhat
James Cleverly

It was great to see Michael Gove on Tuesday talking about a range of issues that are important for the constituency 💪💙

Michael Gove MP urges eligible constituents to book COVID and flu jabs as NHS winter vaccine programme gets underway The NHS winter vaccine programme is now underway. This week, residents of older adult care homes and people who are housebound will begin receiving their COVID-19 and flu vaccinations, as we prioritise those at greatest risk.

𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒅𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒄𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒔?

I'm very accepting of everyone, but during a cost of living crisis this seems like a complete waste of time.

Eliminating the word "Madam Mayor" and replacing it with just "Mayor" isn't helping your residents.

Is having a gender neutral council your priority? Language is a powerful tool that shapes the way we perceive the world and each other. In recent years, there has been a growing trend towards using gender-neutral language in various contexts, incl…

On Tuesday, 29 August at 7pm-8pm, I will be meeting Surrey Heath residents live on Zoom to answer questions on all things Surrey Heath and on issues that matter to them. For further details on how to register for the event, please visit:

https://www.michaelgove.com/events

They just don't stop 🙄

The Surrey Heath Planning Committee has only one item on the agenda this evening: the Intersex Progressive Pride Flag. 🏳️‍🌈

Whilst a Pride flag is normally raised each year to coincide with Pride in Surrey, having a full meeting with Council officers in attendance on a single matter - whether or not to raise a flag - seems little more than a self-serving exercise by the new administration. ☑️

What's your thoughts? 💭

Further reading on this application can be found here:
📲 tinyurl.com/yzn5nas9

Very sad to see Wilko go 🥺

Hopefully there can be a worthy successor in the near future, though I imagine it shall be hard to replace.

To B&M now I suppose? 🤷‍♂️

Go on girls!

IT'S ALL OVER! 💪

The are through to their very FIRST FIFA Women's World Cup final! 🤩

Seems like the council has their priorities straight 🙄

During a cost of living crisis I'm sure this is something we've all been calling for........progressive flags

publicaccess.surreyheath.gov.uk

𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐲 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝: 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐭

This evening's Executive meeting of Surrey Heath Borough Council has been cancelled by the new administration, meaning they will miss the deadline to bring forward some of their proposals for the Council's budget review in October.

So far, other than implementing gender neutral terminology to Council documents and changing the way individuals are addressed, such as the Mayor and Alderman (now Alderperson), little of substance seems to have been achieved, despite the many promises made in their pre-election 'manifesto'.

Here's hoping this isn't a sign of things to come.

Tonight's cancelled meeting:
📲 surreyheath.moderngov.co.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=127&MId=4240

Camberley Sewage Treatment Works For a number of years, Michael has been aware that residents in Camberley have been periodically impacted by odours emanating from Camberley Sewage Treatment Works.

Sad to see the Council laying waste to the line of trees at the back of Southcote Park.

All in bird nesting season aswell. Awful stuff.

𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒓 𝑹𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝑼𝒑

Since being elected in May, quite a lot of people have asked me the same question - “What does a Councillor actually do?”

To answer this, I’m going to start doing regular round ups of what I’m up to on behalf of St Paul’s residents.

This week’s activities have included:
- Holding a meeting with residents in Wellington Park (a part of St Paul’s ward) to discuss their ongoing frustrations at the general maintenance of the estate. Many issues were raised and it is now my job to follow up on these. Work in the ward is, in my view, the key role of a councillor and often more important than what happens in the Council chamber.

- Attending the Council’s Audit & Standards Committee. One issue that was very prevalent during the campaign was the new Lib Dem administration’s pledge to “remove the veil of secrecy that surrounds the Council’s finances. I was surprised, therefore, that when I asked if there had been any change in approach in resolving the Council’s outstanding audits, I was told that there had not. Assurances were given that the outstanding 19/20 audit should be resolved by October (which was the expected timeframe anyway) and I am sure all members of the committee will be pushing for this to be achieved.

- Emails on a variety of issues continue to come into my inbox. I always seek to reply promptly though some issues require more investigation than others. If you live in St Paul’s and want to contact me, you can do so at [email protected]

- I met with our MP, Michael Gove and was able to discuss local issues with him. Since my election, I have been very impressed with the time and commitment Michael shows in local Surrey Heath matters and his ability to balance this with the pressures of being a cabinet minister.

Agree with Camberley Observed would love to see us doing something similar to this with the Obelisk 👇

A clever way to show what ancient ruins looked like in Austria. See more: themindcircle.com/what-ancient-ruins-looked-like

Not to be political but......

God highly honours mothers and so should we.

Something I noticed aswell, thank you Trefor Hogg for bringing light to this and clarifying 👍

𝑭𝑰𝑹𝑺𝑻 𝑻𝑰𝑴𝑬 𝑰𝑵 𝑩&𝑴! (𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚)

I slightly delayed first trip to our fantastic new B&M store opened in Camberley.

Brilliant inside, very friendly staff and good prices all round, i have no doubt that B&M will make a fine addition to Camberley.

The hard work of the previous Conservative administration made this possible, so a huge thank you to all of them involved in that process.

𝐂𝐀𝐅𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐎 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 👇

Cafe Nero was scheduled to re-open soon but safety complications and negotiations with the council over the lease is causing major delays.

Read more below 👇

Caffè Nero – an update A little while ago we expressed concern that there was no recent evidence that Caffè Nero would be re-opening in the former House of Fraser store. Well, we now have a bit of inside information & #82…

It was a pleasure to meet Surrey Heath’s Borough Commander, Sam Turner, this afternoon. We discussed several important issues, including violence against women and girls, drugs, speeding and vehicle theft, and I was delighted to hear about the brilliant work that is being done and the recent arrests that have been made. I was also pleased to hear that Surrey Heath has the lowest crime in Surrey, and I am so grateful for all the work that Sam and his team do for residents.

I'm not sure how much more caffeine the high street can take 🤣🤣

Another coffee shop is apparently coming to Camberley Costa in Park Street is no more, of course,, and Caffè Nero doesn’t look as if it’s going to be back in action for a while, so it might be a good time to open a new coffee shop. Could t…

𝗕&𝗠 𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘 👇

More brilliant news!

B&M will officially be opening on the 24th of June 2023.

I know so many are excited about this, as am I.

See you all there 💙💪

* B&M officially opening its doors at 8am on Saturday the 24 of June 2023 *

A few weeks ago I was delighted to announce in my role at Portfolio Holder for Economic Development & Transformation at Surrey Heath that B&M Stores would be coming to Camberley. Today we have a further update.

In a welcome boost to the local economy, B&M Stores are thrilled to announce the launch of its brand-new store on Princess Way, Camberley.

The launch of the new store will create 55 jobs for local people. The discount retailer has taken possession of a previous 20,369sqft BHS store which will undergo a comprehensive internal and external refurbishment programme before officially opening its doors at 8am on Saturday the 24 of June 2023.

Customers can expect to find a wide variety of branded groceries for the best possible price including a range of food, drink, and pet food. There will also be a fantastic selection of quality health and beauty products, homeware, electricals, DIY essentials, toys, games, gifts and plenty more to explore.

A spokesperson from B&M said: “We’re feeling extremely positive about the creation of more jobs for local people, and we hope customers are going to be delighted with their new store.” “We are all really excited to get the doors open and welcome our new customers through the door.”

Love Camberley The Square Camberley

𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗛𝗢𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗧𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗗

Fantastic work from Michael Gove to secure the funding for our new Frimley Park Hospital. 🏥💙💪

Great news for Surrey Heath!

The Health Secretary has just announced that Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust’s bid to the New Hospital Programme for funding to build a brand new Frimley Park Hospital has been successful.

As some of you may know, the current Frimley Park Hospital site is affected by Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete, which needs to be replaced, and the Trust’s preferred way forward is to build a brand new hospital.

I have been supporting the Trust and pressing the case for a new hospital for some time, so I am absolutely thrilled with this fantastic news which demonstrates this Conservative Government’s ongoing commitment to providing state-of-the-art facilities to ensure world-class provision of healthcare for NHS patients by replacing outdated infrastructure.

A new Frimley Park Hospital will safeguard crucial local healthcare services for generations to come, and I would like to congratulate the Trust’s team for all their brilliant work in putting together their successful bid.

I would also like to thank my neighbouring colleagues, Leo Docherty MP and James Sunderland MP, for their support and for throwing their weight behind the Trust’s application as well.

There are more details to come, and I will share any information I can on the following webpage as soon as possible:

https://www.michaelgove.com/campaigns/frimley-park-hospital

I'm committed to getting a better deal for everyone in Surrey Heath who rents a home.

I've been working with residents in social housing to hold Accent to account and improve the standards of the accommodation they provide. Most recently, I discussed with the Ballard Court Residents Association the need for better service.

And over recent months I've also worked with service families to improve the way they're treated by the MoD.

Today I've introduced new legislation to help those in the private rented sector.

The vast majority of private landlords provide an exemplary service and we all benefit from a flexible supply of homes for rent. But we do need to deal with the small minority of cases where bad landlords have abused their position. A number of these cases in Surrey Heath have caused me concern. That's why the new law I'm bringing in will end no-fault evictions, which have been used by unscrupulous landlords to intimidate tenants in poor housing into accepting substandard accommodation. I will also make sure there are new powers to deal with anti-social neighbours. And I will establish a new ombudsman to help resolve issues between landlords and tenants rapidly and effectively.

If any residents who are tenants need help in dealing with issues they face with landlords, or indeed if landlords want to get in touch to discuss how I can help them, please email [email protected]

Soon to return to The Square... 👀 Clarks Shoes

Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be for team Parkside this time around. We saw similar results around the country, making it a tough night for us in blue.

Be assured though, I will continue to hold the council to account in the wings, I'm certainly not done.

💪💙

🌳 PARKSIDE WARD 🏡

Tomorrow in , Steed Bennett and Louise Grainger are standing as our fantastic candidates for Surrey Heath. 🗳️

Steed Bennett:
My name is Steed Bennett, I'm proudly standing as your new Conservative candidate for Ward in these upcoming local elections on Thursday.

Why choose me? I'm young, fresh and hungry. I'm finishing up at the University of Reading and work for a kitchen company in Farnborough. Yes I know, running for Council is certainly not what most young men in their early twenties are doing. I'm doing this because I genuinely care about my local and feel I can make a difference for the better.

I've knocked on hundreds if not thousands of doors at this point and listened to every single concern, no matter how big or small. I will always listen to you, my email is on my page and my inbox is always open to residents with concerns.

Though my legs are certainly tired at this point, I'm still hungry to make a difference, that's why I want to do this. I want to campaign for local issues and slightly larger ones across Surrey. I believe my experience as a young person can bring a new perspective to certain issues, helping Surrey develop its next generation and showing younger people they are not only more than welcome in politics but should not be afraid to be Conservative.

I believe strongly in a community. I love Camberley, I love Surrey. I believe those who stand on Surrey Heath Borough Council should genuinely love the areas they live in and want to improve them. Not bring them down but raise them up and be proud of where we call home.

Louise Grainger, a little about me:
For those of you that don’t know me, I’m Louise Grainger. I have decided to stand as your local Parkside candidate. This has come about because of my campaign to get a pelican crossing installed outside my children's junior school in , you can read all about this at: facebook.com/PelicanCrossingCampaign

It took four long years and was such a journey, but eventually in 2022, the flashing green man became a reality! 🚸

I want you to know more about me, so you can decide if I'm the right person to represent you at SHBC...

I am a full-time working Mum of two boys, I'm married, and I also care for my Mum who is sadly affected by Alzheimer's. I am now 50 years old, and I have had a lot of life experience at this point, dealing with many challenges along the way, but always with a determination and attitude of never giving up!

I care about people, animals and the environment, I also care about the community we live in, the safety of children and I have an altruistic desire to help others.

I have always found myself naturally falling into a counselling role among friends, family and colleagues. I am also a trained Mental Health First Aider.

I'm a great communicator and know my way around social media. I've always had a very strong work ethic and am not afraid to roll up my sleeves and graft, most recently with my own home renovations. I am on a level with all you hard working families, striving to give your children the best education possible.

If your experience of life resonates with mine, or even if it doesn't; please know that if you vote for me, I will do my utmost to stand up for what you need and get things done.

Thank you for reading!