Local Authority

Ahead of the Surrey Youth Games this summer, Elmbridge council is offering free training sessions for any child who lives or goes to school in the borough.

From March, children will be able to take part in a wide variety of sports including badminton, basketball, boccia, girls cricket, football, hockey, judo, netball, squash, swimming, tag rugby and tennis all for free.

These are called 'Give it a Go!' sessions.

In the wake of the snow, hundreds of potholes have sprung up all over Surrey leading the county council to promise £500,000 to be spent on repairing them.

Currently the repair teams are trying to fix at least 200 potholes a day to avoid any vehicle damage to residents.

Due to the extreme weather, potholes have been springing up across Elmbridge, with Oatlands Chase and Seven Hills Road, both in Weybridge and Station Avenue, in Walton being hit particularly badly.

Elmbridge borough council wants to know what residents think about their council tax and what it should be spent on.

A meeting is being held on Tuesday, January 19 with chief executive of the council Rob Moran and leader of the council, councillor Roy Taylor to find out exactly what residents think about upcoming services.

The event, which is being held at the civic centre, in High Street, Esher, is invitation only.

To attend, please contact the council on 01372 474391 or by visiting www.elmbridge.gov.uk/taxation/ctax

Over 150 residents have signed a petition against a proposed development in Weybridge which they claim would dramatically change the character of the area.

The petition was compiled over four days in December by residents who are objecting to an application to build a detached two storey house on the corner of Oatlands Avenue and Oatlands Close.

They claim that the application would change the look of the area and that building on the back garden could set a precedent for future developments.

TRAFFIC chaos is set to engulf Weybridge in the new year after it was revealed the Seven Hills Road will shut for seven months to allow gas main replacement to takes place.

The road connects Weybridge to the A3, M25 and Cobham and will be shut from the end of the year to everyone except residents, pedestrians and emergency vehicles.

Elmbridge council is calling all Indiana Jones wannabes for a half term activity session which will look at what archaeologist's do.

The scheme, named Calling Young Diggers, will be held on Wednesday, October 28, at Elmbridge Museum, in Church Street, Weybridge.

Children aged eight to 12 are being invited to get a hands on experience to explore the world of archaeology, between 10am and 3pm at the museum.

There will be a chance to examine trays of Roman, medieval and pre historic objects and take part in a mini dig, as well as cave painting and pot reconstruction.

As part of Elmbridge council's new bin collection service, a fleet of 12 new vehicles have been brought in.

Under the new bin collection service, which was launched on Monday (5), a vehicle will visit homes each week to collect either food and refuse or food and recycling.

The vehicles have front and rear steering as well as two sections at the back for food, and either refuse or recycling, depending on which week it is.

Elmbridge council is holding a consultation for parents in the borough to find out families views on holiday activities for children.

The consultations will be available to collect from libraries, the Xcel leisure complex, in Waterside Drive, Walton, children's centres, schools and the council's website, at www.elmbridge.gov.uk

The council want to know if families are happy with holiday activities, if there is one holiday scheme provider that children love most and what families do with their free time during the holidays.

Newsreader Nicholas Owen is helping Elmbridge council launch its Distraction Burglary Week, which starts on Monday, September 28 at the Weybridge Centre, at 10.30am.

The renowned journalist will be launching the week, which is aimed to help raise awareness of distraction burglary and cold calling, at the centre in Churchfield Road, which will be followed by the trickster play showing how people trick their way into homes.

Throughout the week, displays and information cards will be put up and useful telephone numbers will be handed out at the retired people's centres throughout the borough.

Elmbridge council is looking for feedback from residents and businesses as part of its gambling policy consultation which started on Monday (7) and lasts until Thursday, October 15.

The consultation comes as the council has to renew its gambling policy every three years in support of government objectives.

These include preventing gambling from being a source of crime and disorder, ensuring that it is carried out in a fair and open way and protecting children from being harmed or exploited by gambling.