The Woking News and Mail sat down with Surrey Heath MP and Liberal Democrat Dr Al Pinkerton to discuss some of the issues facing Surrey faces.

The first topic that Dr Pinkerton brought up was SEND and how it has become the most significant issue that raised by hundreds of concerned families.

“I stood for election for the first time in 2019 and as soon as you stand for election people start writing to you,” he said.

“Even though I lost, for five years I have been handling so many correspondences about SEN.

“It is the single biggest issue that occupies my postbag or email inbox.”

Dr Pinkerton believes a long period of underinvestment is to blame for the current state of the county’s SEND provision. It has meant the right schools have not been built and the right kind of spaces are not being provided. 

The MP said that parents are being told they are unreasonable when contacting services to sort out their children’s SEND. When in reality, they are right to be concerned.

A recent report by Measure what Matters revealed there is a severe quality compromise in Surrey’s SEND system. Appeals against SEND decisions have risen from 2.5 per cent in 2014 to a high of 4.7 per cent in 2023, parents won 98.3 per cent of these last year.

In addition, 230 complaints against Surrey County Council have been escalated to the Local Government Ombudsman so far this year and it is 10 times the national average.

Housing poses another challenge with numerous spaces already full and those remaining having protected green areas and other factors that prevent more homes from being built.

Dr Pinkerton added: “One of the biggest demographic challenges that we have as well as the geographical challenge, is that we have a very high level of older people.

“They are very often living in 4 to 5 bedroom houses that have grown too big for them. I speak to these people all the time, there is nowhere for them to move into.”

He also pointed out the struggle of young people trying to find affordable homes and how the Government’s new housing targets might not include the right type of ones that need to be built.

There is also concern that local councils could be cut out of decision making related to housing under new building legislations. Effectively, removing locals from having a say about what they want in their area.

The struggle of local businesses trying to stay afloat was the last topic discussed and Dr Pinkerton highlighted that most of the business rates collected are going to central Government rather than local.

He commented: “These businesses are paying tens of thousands of pounds in rates, thinking that this should pay for investment and for regeneration. They don't because they are taken away.”

Clearly, there is a lot of work to be done in Surrey, but Dr Pinkerton hopes he can make a difference to make the county better for its residents.