On 15 January Trish and Richard visited Grosvenor Court in Brighton Road where there had been a serious fire in a second floor flat during the night. Extensive damage had been caused to the flat and the flat downstairs, but mercifully no-one was injured. We spoke to the fire office, the caretaker of the building and the owner of the flat, which had been empty and under renovation at the time.

Last October, Richard and Trish visited Sutton Court, one of the largest estates in our Ward, having learned of a fire in a flat at the block (see photo). We spoke to the next door neighbour, who lives in the flat opposite on the top floor of their block. She had been concerned at the fire but we were all relieved that no-one was hurt and the damage confined to a single flat.

The damage that fires can cause emphasises the need for everyone to fit smoke detectors and carbon monoxide indicators.

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England is reviewing the boundaries of the local Government Wards in Sutton prior to the next local elections in 2022.

They have published some draft proposals. You can view these on their website and write to them with comments, to reviews@lgbce.org.uk

Currently the Ward runs from Sutton station in the north to Devonshire Road in the south, Banstead Road South in the east, Overton Road in the west. It is mostly a Ward of residential roads with three schools, one small park, three places of worship, split into three parts by Langley Park Road and Brighton Road running north-south.

The proposals will remove from the Ward roads east of Upland Road – Kaymoor, Willis, Prior, Downside, Farm Close – and put them into Carshalton Beeches Ward. There will be minor adjustments at the western end so the whole Ward moves westwards.

In drawing up new boundaries, the Commission is required to aim to deliver electoral equality for voters in Council elections so that each Councillor represents roughly the same number of voters. The review also aims to ensure that the new Council wards reflect, as far as possible, the interests and identities of communities across Sutton.

After a debate on 14 October Sutton Council submitted some proposals. Richard spoke in this debate, commenting in particular on the proposals fro Sutton South Ward. He said:

“I recognise that there is always a tension between drawing lines on maps that create sensible geographical structures in terms of communities and natural boundaries and getting the numbers right in terms of residents per Councillor. I would like to stress that where these create tensions I think it important to give priority to getting the boundaries right, creating areas that residents recognise as communities, in particular respecting natural boundaries such as main roads and railway lines, and keeping recognised communities together, and this should be the priority even if it does lead to some unevenness in Ward sizes. In any exercise like this there will inevitably be some disparity in the size of Wards with some outliers.”

Almost one in eight of our residents in Sutton South Ward are European Union citizens – an unusually high proportion. Hard working EU citizens have been vital to our economy, particularly in the health service, social care, transport and catering. We value the huge contribution they make to our economy and to local life. Now that Brexit will happen, we urge our residents who are EU citizens to take action to ensure they and their family can stay in the UK by applying to the Government’s settled or pre-settled status scheme, details of which are on the website www.gov.uk. If you are a citizen of the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland you can apply now. You can also apply through the Council at no cost by going to www.sutton.gov.uk and typing “nationality” in the search line.

We meet many hard-working EU citizens who have lived here for years and contribute massively to our society and our economy. The UK needs what they contribute to our society.

Sutton Council has again, this year, offered residents and businesses in Sutton the opportunity to collect 10kg of free grit per household or business to use on footpaths, pavements or roads in front of their homes or business premises. Residents could also collect grit for elderly friends and neighbours, or residents and businesses who do not have cars. 

LET US KNOW IF THERE IS A GRIT BIN IN YOUR ROAD THAT NEEDS TOPPING UP.

STOP PRESS – The article below was published in November just before the final consultation on parking commenced. It summarises the position reached following earlier rounds of consultation. The consultation is now closed and the results are being analysed.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED SO FAR

The Council decided that, as parking is often raised as a problem in the regular surveys of residents on what they like about living in Sutton, it would ask all Sutton residents if parking was a problem in their road and what they would like done. Earlier rounds of consultation in our Ward led to proposals that were not given sufficient support by residents for the Council to proceed with them.

Responses to consultation highlighted two problems. First, unless the controls cover the whole local area parking will be displaced into roads without controls. Second, “free to park at any time” bays would be a magnet for commuters and long stay parkers, squeezing out residents. The only alternative to schemes that have these disadvantages is a residents-only Permit Parking Area.

WHAT IS NOW PROPOSED

Consequently, the Council is now consulting on a proposed Permit Parking Area. As roads not within the scheme will suffer from displaced parking if the roads nearby are in the scheme, the area consulted on is wide and runs from Egmont Road to Willis Avenue and Prior Avenue – including Chalgrove Road, The Ridgway, Mayfield Road, Farm Road, Farm Close, Upland Road, Kayemoor Road, Downside Road, Willis Avenue and Prior Avenue.

Individual roads in this area could be left out of the scheme if there is strong resident opposition in their road, but they might then find they suffer significant parking pressure if adjacent roads are all in the scheme. This would be a problematic outcome for those roads so one we hope to avoid.

The way the Parking Permit Area works is that only residents can park their vehicles in the road for a “control period”, 9 to 11 AM each day on weekdays, thus removing commuters and long stay parkers. Residents who need to park a car on the road rather than in their drive during the “control period” can obtain a parking permit to display on any vehicle they want to park in the road during the “control period”, and obtain “visitors’ permits” for their visitors. As this scheme will involve some costs of administration and enforcement there would be a charge for a permit, to cover costs. The Council can only cover costs, not use parking charges to subsidise other services. Parking charges in Sutton are amongst the lowest of any London borough. Charges per vehicle for permits in the CPZ area are on a scale you can find on the Council website and start at £40. A similar charge in Croydon is £80, Merton and Kingston £90, Richmond £99. You only need a permit if you need to park a car in the road during the “control period.” A Permit Parking Area involves notices to advise of parking controls but there is no need for yellow lines.

The Council is consulting residents on this proposal. Consultation closes on 21 November.

Residents of the area described above can fill in the online form at www.sutton.gov.uk/parkingstrategy, or write to

Parking Strategy, Highways and Transport, London Borough of Sutton, 24 Denmark Road, Carshalton, Surrey, SM52JG.

Even if you are indifferent to the outcome, it would be helpful to know that, so please respond. If you support the proposal, say so. If you are opposed to this proposal make sure you explain your reasons, related to parking, for not favouring the scheme.

We are not making any recommendation – as local Councillors we simply want to do what our residents want. But you should be aware that the Council’s consultation is comprehensive and it is possible that almost all the roads in the area from Sutton station to Carshalton Beeches station will eventually have parking controls, so those roads left out will inevitably attract commuter parking.

Many residents are concerned about parking and we are pleased they now have the opportunity to put their view on a concrete proposal developed on the basis of earlier consultation.

We hope residents will respond to the consultation so we have a full picture.

Trish and Richard intervened in the debate over an application for a licence to sell alcohol, from the Registrar’s Office in Worcester Road, The Russettings. They persuaded the office to limit the hours sought so that it did not extend into the evenings.

The office was happy to do this as they are closed in the evening. It seems the application for a licence in the evening was a mistake. They want to be able to provide the happy couple at the weddings they conduct with a glass of champagne. These weddings are always daytime events.

Richard spoke at the hearing on the licence application. This is his speech:

“The task of the committee is to satisfy itself that two very important objectives can be achieved simultaneously. There is no reason why they cannot be.

These are:

First, the Registrar’s Office should be able to properly perform the important functions it discharges for the residents of Sutton, in a world where (I accept) the expectations of the community as to how these functions are discharged has changed a little.

Second, the Office should be a good neighbour and not disturb the peace and quiet of the residential area where it is situated.

I would like to say a word about each of these objectives.

The Registrar’s Office has been in Worcester Road for over 50 years and its functions have changed little over time. I have been to weddings at the office, as a guest, to meetings and conferences there, and to Citizenship Ceremonies. During my year as Mayor I attended these every week to make a speech of welcome to new citizens. The importance of these functions to those who take part needs to be recognised. The day you get married, the day you take British citizenship, these are massive moments in life that stay in the memory and I know the office does all it can to ensure these are happy events. I have been to these events and found champagne is being served when it has been brought by the happy couple or, very occasionally, the new citizen. I think it quite appropriate that a glass of champagne should be available at these events. Those involved all want to make this a happy day and there is no reason atall to suppose that this will lead to disorder in the context of these carefully organised and conducted ceremonies. In fact, there is more of an element of control if champagne is being provided in a managed way rather than people bringing their own.

On the second objective, the expectations of the Councillors and the residents is that the Office will continue to be a good neighbour. That is vital and I am pleased the Office has emphasised its commitment to do this. I am pleased with the assurances that have been given about a limit on the supply of champagne and how these events will continue to be carefully organised. The changes the Office have made to the application to limit the hours and to daytime are, of course, of massive importance and re-assurance.

There was no reason why the licence should extend into the evening. These weddings are daytime events and the office is normally closed in the evening.

I think it important this hearing today had taken place so we can get these assurances from the Office. The officers who run the Registrar’s Office know that were there to be any disorder and disturbance to local residents in the future, the Councillors and their employers would be immediately investigating. I very much hope the Office will continue to discharge these very important functions – which bring happiness to those who take part are are important, memorable days in their lives – without any undue disturbance to the neighbourhood beyond what has happened for the many years the Office has been in Worcester Road. “