Handmade in Epsom and Ewell (HiEE) will hold its first community event, The Festive Makers Fair, on Saturday 29th November 2025 from 10am to 3pm in the Youth Hall at Epsom Methodist Church, Ashley Road (KT18 5AQ).

The fair will offer an affordable platform for local artisans to showcase their handmade products while supporting a vital community cause. All proceeds from the event, apart from stallholder sales, will be donated to Epsom Foodbank.

HiEE was founded by a group of local makers keen to create a space where craftspeople from within the borough can share their work and at the same time raise funds for charity. The organisers are particularly encouraging new makers to take part, alongside some of the area’s more established names.

Visitors will find a range of handmade gifts and festive items including soaps, ceramics, upcycled furniture, art, jewellery and metalwork, all produced in Epsom and Ewell. Prices will range from pocket-money treats to larger special gifts. Twenty-two local makers are already confirmed, including Annette’s Gemstones Jewellery, Bird & Bear Soaps, Colour and Sparkle, EpsomPots, H for Handmade, Martha Moon Creations, Surrey Woodcraft and Wadey Smithing.

Adding to the festive spirit, The AMP Voices choir from Nescot College will perform in the Roots Coffee Shop at the Methodist Church, which will be open for refreshments and cakes throughout the day.

All funds raised from event profits and entrance donations will go directly to Epsom Foodbank. Entry is by a suggested £1 donation. Attendees are also invited to bring non-perishable food items for the foodbank’s Christmas drive. A list of items particularly needed can be found at epsomewell.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-food.

Organiser Janice Heyes said: “We really hope the Epsom and Ewell community will support this event which is taking place right in the heart of town. Shoppers will find unique handmade Christmas gifts made with care and passion while giving something back via the Epsom Foodbank. This really is an event run by the community for the community.”

The event is being coordinated by volunteers Imogen Curran, Janice Heyes, Jo Jones and Helen Worwood, supported by local craftspeople and small businesses. The group hopes that this first fair will be the start of an annual tradition, with future events expanding the initiative’s reach and community impact.

For more information visit www.handmadeinepsomandewell.co.uk or follow @Handmadeinepsomandewell on Facebook and Instagram. Enquiries can be sent to handmadeinepsomandewell@gmail.com.

Event details
Date: Saturday 29 November 2025
Time: 10am–3pm
Venue: Epsom Methodist Church, Ashley Road, KT18 5AQ
Admission: Suggested £1 donation
Parking: Please walk, use public transport, or park in town centre car parks. Limited on-site parking for Blue Badge holders only.

Solar energy is now so cost-effective that, in some of the sunniest parts of the world, it costs as little as two pence to produce one unit of electricity – cheaper than power generated from coal, gas or wind. That is the finding of a new study by researchers at the University of Surrey’s Advanced Technology Institute (ATI), who say solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has become the key driver of the world’s shift to clean, renewable energy.

Publishing their work in Energy and Environment Materials, the Surrey team point out that the global capacity of installed solar power passed 1.5 terawatts in 2024 – double the figure in 2020 and now enough to supply hundreds of millions of homes.

Professor Ravi Silva, Director of the ATI and co-author of the study, said: “Even here in the UK, a country that sits 50 degrees north of the equator, solar is the cheapest option for large-scale energy generation. Simply put, this technology is no longer a moonshot prospect but a foundational part of the resilient, low-carbon energy future that we all want to bring to reality.”

The study notes that the price of lithium-ion batteries has fallen by almost 90 per cent since 2010, making combined solar-plus-storage systems as cost-effective as gas power plants. Such hybrid installations allow solar energy to be stored and released when required, turning an intermittent source into a dispatchable one that helps balance grid demand.

However, the researchers warn that the next major challenge lies in connecting vast amounts of solar generation to existing electricity networks. In regions such as California and China, high solar output has already caused congestion on power lines and wasted energy when supply outstrips demand. Co-author Dr Ehsan Rezaee said: “Connecting growing levels of solar power to electricity networks is now one of the biggest challenges. Smart grids, artificial-intelligence forecasting and stronger links between regions will be vital to keep power systems stable as renewable energy use rises.”

Professor Silva added that advances in materials such as perovskite solar cells could raise energy output by up to 50 per cent without using additional land. “With the integration of energy storage and smart grid technologies, solar is now capable of delivering reliable, affordable and clean power at scale,” he said. “But progress depends on consistent, long-term policy support. The US Inflation Reduction Act, the EU’s REPowerEU plan and India’s Production Linked Incentive scheme show how clear direction can drive investment and innovation. Sustained commitment and international collaboration will be essential if we are to accelerate the world’s transition to a clean and reliable energy system.”

Across the UK, renewable sources supplied just over half of all electricity in 2024 – the first time that clean generation surpassed fossil fuels. Wind power dominated with nearly 30 per cent of total generation, while solar contributed about 5 per cent, equivalent to one unit in every ten generated from renewables. Biomass, biogas and hydro made up most of the rest. When nuclear is included, low-carbon sources together delivered around two-thirds of the UK’s electricity.

Globally, renewables produced about 30 per cent of electricity in 2024, with wind and solar together accounting for roughly 15 per cent and expanding faster than any other energy source. The International Energy Agency expects global renewable capacity to rise by almost half again before 2030, with most new investment in solar.

While Britain’s relatively low sunshine hours limit its solar potential compared with southern Europe or Asia, domestic generation costs have plunged, making rooftop and community-scale arrays increasingly popular. Planning delays and grid connection backlogs remain obstacles, but the UK Government has set a target to increase installed solar capacity fivefold by 2035.

As Professor Silva observed, solar power has crossed the threshold from promise to practicality. The next test, he said, is building the smart, interconnected systems and political consensus needed to make affordable solar energy work everywhere – even in less sunny countries like the UK.

Sam Jones – Reporter

Parabel GmbH – Solarpark Jännersdorf. CC BY-SA 3.0

EEBC publishes an Annual Report amid some questions over priorities and spending.

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council has released its 2024/25 Annual Report, showcasing a range of achievements over the past year — but opposition councillors have questioned both the purpose and timing of the publication.

The report, available on the council’s website, highlights milestones such as a balanced budget for 2025/26, the allocation of over £2 million in Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) funding to neighbourhood and strategic projects, and a 100% success rate in determining major planning applications within statutory deadlines. It also notes environmental achievements, including Epsom Common’s eighteenth consecutive Green Flag Award and new solar panels installed at the Rainbow Leisure Centre.

Chief Executive Jackie King said she was “proud to present Epsom & Ewell Borough Council’s 2024/25 Annual Report which reflects the dedication and impact of our teams on the borough over the last financial year.”

She praised the efforts of the council’s 280-strong workforce, highlighting the Waste Services team’s 99.9% on-time bin collection rate and the Planning Policy team’s award-winning work at the Royal Town Planning Institute’s South East Awards for Planning Excellence.

“I am grateful for the hard work and dedication of everyone at Epsom & Ewell Borough Council and I know we are in a good position to meet the challenges ahead,” said Ms King. “I look forward to continuing to deliver the council’s new strategic priorities and working towards local government reorganisation – whilst continuing to provide the high-quality services our residents depend upon.”

However, some opposition councillors have some reservations about the report.

Cllr Alex Coley (Independent – Ruxley) said: “I wonder who the audience is for this brochure and what the staff resource was for this work at a time when the Council is already struggling to deliver work on its strategic priorities. I also wonder who decided to do this piece of work.”

Cllr James Lawrence (Liberal Democrat – College) drew attention to ongoing financial pressures, particularly on housing budgets: “It is worth noting that at the same time this report is being published, an £875k overspend on temporary accommodation by the end of the financial year is being predicted. This is due to a combination of an increase in temporary accommodation need, and a substantially too optimistic budgeting of 71 temporary accommodation spaces when for the past year and a half approximately 90 spaces have consistently been required. It would not be accurate to describe the current 2025/26 budget as balanced.”

Neither the Labour nor Conservative parties, both with small representations on the Council, offered comment.

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council continues to be run by the borough’s network of Residents’ Association councillors, who hold the majority of seats.

Image: Cover page of the EEBC Annual Report. © EEBC

Sam Jones – Reporter

A growing number of major UK supermarket chains are removing ‘best before’ dates from many fresh fruit and vegetable products in an effort to reduce food waste.

Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose and Co-op have each begun phasing out the labels on selected produce such as apples, potatoes, citrus and salad vegetables. The move follows guidance from the government-backed Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), which says that scrapping date labels from uncut fruit and vegetables could prevent thousands of tonnes of perfectly edible food from being thrown away every year.

WRAP research has shown that many households confuse ‘best before’ dates, which indicate when food is at its best quality, with ‘use by’ dates, which mark when food may no longer be safe to eat. As a result, millions of items are discarded while still fit for consumption.

‘Use by’ dates remain compulsory on foods that pose a higher safety risk, such as meat, dairy and ready meals. These indicate the final day on which food can be safely eaten, cooked or frozen. By contrast, ‘best before’ dates are about quality, not safety, and appear mostly on products such as bread, rice, tins and dried goods.

Marks & Spencer has removed best before dates from about 85 per cent of its fresh produce, while Waitrose has dropped them from nearly 500 lines. Some retailers are instead using small printed codes visible to staff for stock rotation and freshness checks.

Food safety expert Dr Richard Anderson of High Speed Training said that while ‘use by’ dates should always be observed, ‘best before’ guidance can be treated more flexibly. “Best before dates are an indication of quality rather than safety. You can still eat food after its best before date, but its flavour and texture may not be as good as before the date,” he said.

WRAP encourages consumers to rely more on sight, smell and touch to judge whether fruit and vegetables remain good to eat. The organisation says there is no legal requirement in the UK to label uncut produce with a ‘best before’ date.

According to WRAP, the average UK household wastes the equivalent of eight meals a week, with 4.5 million tonnes of edible food thrown away annually. The removal of best before dates is part of a wider drive across the food retail sector to tackle avoidable waste and reduce environmental impact.

Some critics warn, however, that removing dates altogether may cause confusion for some shoppers or make them more cautious, leading to continued waste. Others say the change puts greater responsibility on consumers to decide what is still edible.

The UK government’s food waste reduction roadmap aims to halve national food waste by 2030 in line with UN sustainability goals. Industry groups say supermarket labelling reforms are a practical step towards achieving that target.

In Surrey, FareShare Sussex & Surrey plays a key role in reconnecting surplus food with those who need it. The charity rescues safe, in-date food from farms, retailers and producers and redistributes it to charities, community groups, food banks, pantries and other support services. In 2024, FareShare opened a new depot in Surrey to handle more fresh, chilled and frozen food for redistribution across the region.

Locally, Epsom & Ewell Foodbank, part of Good Company Surrey and the Trussell Trust network, distributed almost 8,000 emergency food parcels last year to people in crisis. The network serves Epsom, Ewell, Banstead, Leatherhead and Tadworth through a voucher referral system and provides three days of nutritionally balanced food to those referred. It operates from local church halls and community centres, with donation points in major supermarkets and strong support from volunteers.

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council also promotes “Help with Food” schemes, directing residents to emergency support and a community pantry in Epsom that offers fresh fruit, vegetables and store cupboard items for a small weekly subscription.

Jonathan Lees, Good Company’s Managing Director and Founder told the Epsom and Ewell Times: ‘At Good Company, both our food provision projects, Foodbanks and Pantries, are very grateful for the food surplus we receive from local supermarkets. These donations ensure there is variety in our offer and are a very welcome addition to the ambient food donations. We offer the food on a help yourself basis to people that use our projects ensuring that there is some for all. If dates were removed, then we would need to look at how we used the food under appropriate guidance and of course less waste would mean we could have less to offer people in need.’

As supermarkets adapt their labelling to cut national food waste, the efforts of local redistribution organisations such as FareShare Sussex & Surrey and Epsom & Ewell Foodbank remain vital in ensuring surplus food finds its way to those who need it most.

Sam Jones – Reporter

Image courtesy High Speed Training

Dr Madhav Parik holder of Indian Passport No. Z5989629 residing at 4 Rutland House, Epsom KT187EZ & Dr Pritha Roy holder of Indian Passport No. Z5991976 residing at 70 George Roche Road Canterbury CT13FG intend getting married at the High Commission of India, London under the Foreign Marriage Act, 1969 of India. Objections, if any, may be conveyed to the High Commission of India, London within 30 days.

Council Finances

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Epsom and Ewell Borough Council is currently carrying 56 vacant posts, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act. The disclosure sheds light on the staffing challenges facing … Read More

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Businesses get £2 million boost in Surrey

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Get paid for falling over in Surrey study

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With 219,000 fall-related emergency hospital admissions among people aged 65 and over in England in 2023/24, a new trial at the University of Surrey is exploring how smart flooring could help prevent … Read More

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Surrey gets a sinking feeling over cost of its holes

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Community Local History

A snapshot of Romany Gypsy life in Woking

2 October 2025

Written and visual sources for the lived experience of Romany Gypsies in the county are rare so a collection of copy photographs of the Baker family of Sunridge/Sundridge Camp, Old … Read More

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Cuddington birdwatch could go Epsom and Ewell Borough-wide?

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What started as a local experiment in Cuddington has grown into one of Epsom and Ewell’s liveliest community-led wildlife projects. After hearing news of the planned Grafton Stables nature reserve, … Read More

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Redhill care home put under special measures

2 October 2025

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Epsom’s Rainbow Leisure Centre Places new operators

1 October 2025

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Council Council constitution

Epsom and Ewell Council CEO contests ‘culture of secrecy’ claim and outlines fixes

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Arts Culture News

From Epsom to the Big Screen

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Epsom and Ewell Borough Council is currently carrying 56 vacant posts, according to figures released under the Freedom of Information Act. The disclosure sheds light on the staffing challenges facing the Borough at a time when discussions continue over local government reorganisation (LGR) across Surrey.

The Council confirmed that five senior officers have left since April 2022, with all but two of those positions permanently replaced. Two roles were deleted as part of an internal reorganisation.

Despite the vacancies, the Council reported no “vacancy savings” for the current financial year. In previous years, however, unfilled posts generated savings of £286,000 in 2023/24 and £340,000 in 2022/23.

EEBC’s expenditure on agency, consultant and temporary staff remains significant, totalling £1.47 million so far in 2024/25, following £1.76 million in 2023/24 and £1.89 million in 2022/23.

The figures show that Operational Services consistently account for the largest share of agency spending — around £985,000 this year — followed by Property Management (£181,000) and Venues (£130,000). Other notable areas of spending include Community Services, Environmental Health, Finance and HR.

No senior management posts are currently filled by consultants or agency staff. The Council also said it holds no internal reports identifying recruitment difficulties or pressures linked to potential LGR changes, and no shared service arrangements have been entered into as a result of staffing shortages.

While EEBC stated it aims to operate “as an open, transparent authority”, the figures highlight the extent to which local authorities are relying on temporary staffing amid wider uncertainty over Surrey’s local government future.

Sam Jones – Reporter

Written and visual sources for the lived experience of Romany Gypsies in the county are rare so a collection of copy photographs of the Baker family of Sunridge/Sundridge Camp, Old Woking, and a memoir written by Rose Baker (later Burch) recalling her family’s life there, make for an extraordinary testimony (reference 10066/1/9). Rose (born 1918) was a twin and one of 13 children of James and Clara Baker. Gems in the collection include a handwritten list of where she and her siblings were born, including in tents, in a meadow by Old Woking cemetery and in ‘the little field by the river near the park which is now overgrown’ (10066/1/6).Nellie Violet & Rose Baker Jackmans Nursery

The Bakers and other families in the camp worked for Mr Carter at his farm in Kingfield. The work was arduous, and Gypsies provided cheap labour as they were generally not well paid. From the age of 14, Rose worked at Cartbridge Laundry, then at Jackman and Son’s Nursery in Egley Road, where some of her sisters were already employed. Annually in September, the family would travel to Hampshire for the hop-picking season. New building byelaws and public health concerns meant that by 1931 Woking Urban District Council compulsorily purchased the privately owned land which the encampment stood on and a year later evicted its nine resident families. The Bakers moved into settled accommodation in Westfield. Rose’s son Geoff used her memoir to research his Romany roots and, in the process, collated a whole collection revealing a fascinating insight into their lifestyle. The collection will be a huge help to enquirers tracing their own Gypsy ancestry.

A game of cat and mouse?

This intriguing drawing was discovered among records of Greenfield School, Woking, recently deposited before the school’s merger with Hoe Bridge School (10768/1/2/2). The pencil sketch, depicting a cat teacher with a classroom of mice pupils, is captioned, ‘But when her Highness is near, Dear Cat you need have no fear’.

Who is the Cat examining the maths paper in her hand, and who is ‘her Highness’? Helpfully, though, all the mice are all individually named, including K Green (creator of the artwork) and K Barbier (whose name appears on the maths paper).

The mystery is further deepened by a cryptic poem that accompanies the drawing:
Cat poem

Now look amidst the senior mice,
Serene and calm Her Royal Highness stands,
How could you Cat, suggest these mice
Would game and play in little bands.
Never, never could the Girls’ School mice
Be other than polite and nice
When such a Highness took command
And ruled with love that lively band
Dear Cat, in all humility we you advise
To show our portrait (we’re sure that’s wise)
To that same Royal Highness who here stands
And say you’re sorry – we feel she’ll understand.

We think the drawing dates from the early 1940s, as some of the names have been traced on the 1939 Register as born around 1926 to 1927, and were most likely senior pupils, as the poem suggests. This was before the school was purchased by Ockenden Venture founders, Joyce Pearce and Ruth Hicks (in 1948), so we are no closer to identifying ‘Cat’ and ‘Her Royal Highness’. If you can help us solve this enigma, we would love to hear from you!

Surrey History Centre.

Read about many other rich and varied events from Surrey History Centre HERE

What started as a local experiment in Cuddington has grown into one of Epsom and Ewell’s liveliest community-led wildlife projects.

After hearing news of the planned Grafton Stables nature reserve, local councillor and Heritage Champion Kim Spickett (RA Cuddington) invited members of the resident-led ERLIBIRD group (Elmstead Red Listed Bird Project) to help track bird and wildlife sightings in local gardens and parks.

A handful of streets joined in at first – but the idea quickly took off. A growing list of sightings is now published online as a Cuddington Bioguide (view here), with residents of all ages contributing.

“People are genuinely surprised by how much wildlife we have right here on our doorsteps,” Cllr Spickett told the Epsom and Ewell Times. “Smartphones and our street WhatsApp groups – originally just for neighbourhood watch – have given everyone the chance to learn, share and get involved. It’s sociable, it’s educational, and it brings real joy to people who might not be able to get outdoors themselves.”

A ‘nature superhighway’ through the borough

The Hogsmill River, cutting through the borough towards the Thames, provides the backbone for what residents have dubbed a “nature superhighway”. New initiatives such as a mammal tunnel at Malden Manor and fish passes along the river mean that creatures from bats to kingfishers can navigate the area more safely. The forthcoming Grafton Stables reserve is expected to act as a “service station” for migrating birds using the Hogsmill as a flight path.

Suburban gardens, railway embankments and small urban green spaces all play their part in supporting biodiversity. Conservation work in neighbouring boroughs Sutton and Kingston also influences what residents see in Cuddington, underlining how ecological networks cut across council boundaries.

Citizen science in action

The Cuddington Bioguide is part of a wider movement often described as “citizen science” – where local knowledge and volunteer time help build valuable datasets for conservationists.

Across Surrey, residents are already engaged in projects such as tree-mapping by EETAB (details here), seasonal species guides from the Surrey Wildlife Trust (visit here), and river monitoring supported by the South East Rivers Trust.

Digital tools have accelerated the trend. Facebook groups such as the Hogsmill Nature Reserve page have become hubs where experts and beginners alike share photographs, swap advice and flag up urgent issues like pollution or vandalism. Nationally, projects like the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch and Butterfly Conservation’s annual count show how mass participation can generate serious research data while fostering community pride.

Growing beyond Cuddington

Cllr Spickett believes other wards could easily copy the model:

“Every residents’ association or friends group could nominate a local enthusiast to pull together sightings. It doesn’t have to be ward-wide – start with your street or park. Like everything else in the borough it runs on those magic fairies called volunteers, but the rewards are huge. We hope to keep our list running year on year so we can see how weather patterns and human activity – both good and bad – affect what we see.”

Plans are already in place to create a 2026 sightings page for Cuddington. The longer-term aim is to build a record that not only captures the delight of local birdwatchers but also contributes to understanding how climate and land management shape Surrey’s wildlife over time.

Sam Jones – Reporter Related reports: Grafton Stables to Remain Green Space

Audit & Scrutiny grills council on transparency

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council’s Audit & Scrutiny Committee on 30 September 2025, chaired by Cllr Steven McCormick (RA Woodcote and Langley), devoted a lengthy section of its meeting to the thorny question of transparency in council decision-making. Crucially, members heard directly from Chief Executive Jackie King after councillors had pressed for her attendance over the summer.

Why transparency was on the agenda

The committee had asked for a management paper expanding on the Council’s response to Grant Thornton’s value-for-money recommendation that the authority “develop a clear approach towards transparency” and be “mindful of requirements to be open and accountable”. Officers’ paper recapped the auditors’ reference to the LGA peer team’s concerns about decision-making and the handling of a constitution and delegations update that was “not fully discussed in public meetings”.

Senior management defended the lawful use of exempt items, promised clearer public rationales for any confidentiality, and said regular catch-ups with the external auditor were being instituted to ensure that key matters are raised and addressed appropriately.

The CEO’s evidence and key claims

Appearing for questions, Ms King told members she had already contacted the LGA peer review lead to verify what was actually said about EEBC’s culture.

“They don’t recall making the comment to say that there’s a culture of secrecy… they were more concerned with transparency from the aspect of clarity… being transparent in a way that everybody understood the processes around decision-making,” she said, adding that she would pursue written clarification for members.

On practical changes to reports and meetings, Ms King said officers are splitting reports so that only the genuinely confidential elements are in Part 2 and adding plain-English explanations for why any exemption applies.

“We’re going to continue to look at every paper… We’ve experimented with putting part of the paper in the public section and part in the exempt section… we can also add a section to say, in layman’s terms, what that actually means and why we’re doing it.”

She confirmed that external auditors will review a year’s worth of restricted items to provide assurance on whether exemption was appropriate.

Ms King also described the new audit dialogue: “We have… scheduled in catch-ups with myself… there’ll be a shared part where the Section 151 Officer is in there and possibly the Monitoring Officer… and then I’ll get some time on my own… We’re promoting that very open dialogue, and I believe I’ve got my first one… this week.”

On training and process controls, she said a decision-making flow-chart is on the staff hub and has been used in training. Controls have been tightened so that decisions are published promptly and responsibility for posting is explicit. “Everybody received training… We clarified… the timing of the publishing of a decision… we put in a step to make it very clear that it’s the initiating officer that has to publish it immediately.”

Members’ challenge

Vice-Chair Cllr Phil Neale (RA Cuddington) asked what concrete actions were being taken to address the peer review’s concerns and how their effectiveness would be monitored. Ms King responded that improvements would be visible in the content and structure of future public reports, with more part-public and part-exempt handling, and through the fact of regular auditor meetings, which auditors would consider in their conclusions. She also reminded members that actions from the Annual Governance Statement improvement plan had been acknowledged in a peer follow-up and are being tracked via the new performance hub.

When Cllr Neale pressed specifically on the “culture of secrecy” formulation, Ms King reiterated that the LGA lead, checking notes and recollections, did not recognise that phrase as the peer team’s finding, recalling instead a specific discussion where a few members “weren’t very clear on how we’d come to some decisions” on a major project. She undertook to write to the committee with any further detail.

Cllr Steve Bridger (RA Stamford) quizzed officers on how staff and members would be kept up-to-date with transparency expectations and what metrics would demonstrate progress. Ms King pointed to the ongoing training and process updates, but cautioned that some aspects are not easily reduced to KPIs: “You can’t really put metrics in for meetings or restricted paper measures.”

Cllr James Lawrence (LibDem College), who had pressed for the CEO’s attendance earlier in the year, set out why he felt the matter had to come back. He cited the auditors’ “significant weakness” conclusion and offered recent examples he felt illustrated shortcomings, including late tabling at the May AGM and confusion over an “urgent” fleet paper. Ms King accepted there had been human-error-type confusion, stressed that officers were learning and clarifying procedures, and distinguished between an “urgent matter” and an “urgent decision”.

What the Council’s written position says

The officers’ background paper to the committee set out a fuller management view. Headline points included:

• Lawful confidentiality is limited and reviewed: reasons for exemption are set out publicly and checked by Legal. Where possible reports are prepared part public and part exempt so debate can remain in open session.
• Clearer public explanations: officers acknowledged that rationales have not always been obvious and pledged clearer lay explanations in future.
• Urgent decisions: management said they try to timetable items for committees or hold extraordinary meetings. If urgency rules must be used, decisions are taken with the chair, published to Members’ News, reported to the next committee, and an annual public log comes to Audit & Scrutiny.
• Regular auditor check-ins are now in place after recognising an issue “should have been flagged sooner”.

The chair’s take and decision

After questioning, Chair Cllr McCormick noted that Audit & Scrutiny had, in effect, put officers “on the stand” and said the improvements on transparency were welcome, with the committee to continue monitoring. Members then received the report unanimously.

What changes residents should expect next

• More public-facing content: reports split so only sensitive details are redacted, alongside plain-English explanations for any exemption.
• Audit follow-through: external auditors to sample the past 12 months of restricted items and give an independent view.
• Structured liaison: routine, documented meetings between the CEO and statutory officers and auditors throughout the year.
• Internal training and controls: a live decision-making flow-chart, refreshed training and clarified responsibilities for immediate publication of decisions.

Jackie King CEO EEBC and Cllr S McCormick at Audit and Scrutiny Committee – Epsom and Ewell Borough Council YouTube channel

Sam Jones – Reporter

Related reports:

Absence of CEO on audit Red Flag causes an outrage. Annual audit of Epsom and Ewell Borough Council

“Audit and Scrutiny” under scrutiny