Issue - meetings

One petition with 4,252 signatures had been received. It requests that Surrey County Council preserve and protects Norbury Park Sawmill and Workshop. The response to the petition was published as part of the supplementary agenda. Mr Anthony Bainbridge presented the petition.

One petition with 4,252 signatures had been received. It requests that SCC preserve and protects Norbury Park Sawmill and Workshop. The response to the petition was published as part of the supplementary agenda. Mr Anthony Bainbridge presented the petition. Mr Bainbridge stated that he would like SCC to extend the Sawmill’s period of operation until a suitable alternative could be found adding that the products from the Sawmill and Norbury Park wood products were the same. The Sawmill was a commercial profitable enterprise and closing down the Sawmill would mean losing a number of personnel with a high skill set. The Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change responded to the petition, included in the supplementary agenda.

The Leader stated that there was a difference in interpretation of the financial information regarding the Sawmill between the council and petitioner. This was a Surrey Wildlife Trust business and the council needed to consider the use of public funds to take on liabilities especially in the current climate. The Leader stated that discussions were ongoing with Surrey Wildlife Trust to extend the time for closure of the Sawmill in the hope that someone could be found to take the business on.