Two parties have taken it in turns to run Kingston Council in recent decades.

Here is what they had to say in their manifestos about their policies to make Kingston, Surbiton, Chessington and Tolworth better places...

Council tax Lib Dems “We will keep local finances in check, delivering responsible budgets and council tax as low as possible without threatening our quality of life or reducing services at the expense of the most vulnerable in our community”

Conservatives: “We will guarantee to freeze council tax for two years and, through our drive for better value for money and reforms, we will seek to extend this freeze for a further two years.”

Environment Lib Dems: “We will work with our partners to become one of the most sustainable boroughs in London. Tackling climate change is a political priority.”

Conservatives: “We will review the performance of the collection of our waste and recycling, and examine how this can be improved to achieve a 60 per cent reduction in landfill.”

Education Lib Dems: “We will ensure every child has a place in a quality primary or secondary school maintaining class sizes and Britain's highest academic attainment.”

Conservatives: “We will guarantee the expansion of our primary and secondary schools to ensure more parental choice.”

Crime Lib Dems: “We will maintain our place as one of the safest borough in London where residents do not fear crime and we will work hard to preserve the current levels of police out on the beat.”

Conservatives: “We will work with the local police and Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, to increase the number of police on our streets.”

Community Lib Dems: “We will look critically at our 'in-house' low level residential care services and explore the efficiencies that can be made by more integrated work with the third sector and non profit making providers.”

Conservatives: “We will develop a new day care service for out retired residents. It will provide a place to meet, talk, relax and be entertained, but also somewhere to seek advice and help them feel able to enjoy life in retirement.”

Voluntary sector: Lib Dems: “We will work closely with all our voluntary and community sector and business partners, ensuring together the smart and sustainable use of resources to the greatest possible benefit to our residents.”

Conservatives: “We will work more closely with the voluntary sector and help build capacity to meet the demands that will be made upon it.”

Other pledges Conservatives: Replace lost trees in streets and green spaces

Remove humps from roads

Strict enforcement of hygiene regulations in restaurants and cafes

School meals cooked locally using local produce

Create retail improvement areas to local shopping parades

Lib Dems: Increase proportion of energy bought from renewable and clean sources

Stop the growth of flats spreading from district centres

Try to open up new allotments

More cycle lanes and charging points for electric cars

House voluntary sector organisations together in town centre