Many apologies to those of you who were delayed in the Staines Road West traffic on Saturday. The march, supported by LOSRA (see article of 23rd November), was a further demonstration of the opposition to the proposed cuts to our fire services. Already, through the consultation process, eleven Borough-wide residents' associations, three packed consultation meetings and every local councillor has come out against the cuts. At a political level, the Leader, and the Council as a whole, have voted against the cuts. It now remains to be seen whether Surrey County Council take note of the strength of opposition and consign this ill-conceived proposal to the waste bin.

This Association is mature enough to understand that cuts to services are a necessary fact of life especially in these straitened times but we hold to the view that the risks associated with these proposals (see article of 13th September) outweigh any possible advantage to the County's balance sheet.