Secretary of State for Education, Damian Hinds, has told Sutton schools they can deal with funding problems by cutting their energy bills.

The comment follows a letter from the Leader of the Council to the Government over the crisis in funding for Sutton schools.  Sutton councillors discussed the issue at a meeting in January and agreed to urge the Government to take drastic action to increase funding for schools.

Over the last few months, some concerns have been raised about Sutton Council’s N1 van parking policy. This policy, agreed at the Environment and Neighbourhood Committee in September 2016, restricts N1 vans not DVLA registered at the address within the parking control zones.

The Leader of Sutton Council, Councillor Ruth Dombey, has urged the Secretary of State for Education, Damien Hinds, and Prime Minister to take action on the funding pressures facing Sutton’s schools.

The move follows a council motion passed on 28 January about the funding pressures facing Sutton’s schools. Conservative opposition councillors refused to support the motion. Many schools in Sutton have written to parents and carers since the council meeting about the financial pressures they are facing and calling on them to lobby their local Members of Parliament.

Sutton Liberal Democrats have welcomed Tory ministers finally accepting that ‘no fault’ evictions must be scrapped. This will boost protection for 37,000 residents across Sutton who rent privately.

Sutton & Cheam’s Tory MP Paul Scully, the UK’s trade envoy to Brunei, has been criticised for putting business ahead of human rights as Brunei announced death by stoning as a punishment for gay sex and adultery.

Sutton Council will soon publish an update on its parking strategy proposals having almost analysed all the feedback from residents who took up the call to have their say on parking proposals.

Local resident Barry Lewis has been selected to succeed popular Lib Dem Councillor Joyce Melican in the Wallington North by-election, following her resignation through ill health.

Lib Dem councillors for Beddington South & Roundshaw have launched a campaign against Transport for London (TfL) plans to terminate the 154 bus earlier along the route.

On Monday at Sutton’s Council meeting, opposition Councillors refused to debate a motion proposed by Cllr Jenny Batt over funding pressures facing Sutton’s schools as a result of the government’s new national funding formula.

Analysis by Sutton Liberal Democrats has revealed that, in the three months to Christmas, Southern Rail cancelled or delayed the Wallington to Victoria journey a staggering 1,101 times.

The revelation comes as rail fares across England and Wales are hiked by an average of 3.1% from this month, which Sutton Liberal Democrats have called “unjustifiable”.