On Thursday 19 April we attended the Sutton South, Cheam and Belmont Local Committee, at Overton Grange school. Amongst other things we:

– sought re-assurance from the police about police resources in Sutton, given the evidence that police resources are stretched that Richard heard at the Licensing Committee hearing he attended on 28 March (see post below “Late Night Noise Danger Averted”)

– obtained agreement to litter bins being provided at locations suggested to us by residents, including Grange Road and Upland Road

– established the way forward on the Eastleigh Close parking scheme, and the Bonchurch Close yellow lining (removal thereof) scheme

– heard a presentation on the new bin collection scheme. We noted that local authorities have suffered 26% cuts in Government funding of running costs, in real terms, and 29% of capital programmes since 2010, and Sutton Council has done well to keep the Council tax frozen for three years while avoiding draconian cuts like closing libraries. The new bin collection scheme will save £500 000. There may be a few rough edges, to be ironed out in the next few weeks, but it is a worthwhile scheme

– noted further proposals for the expansion of primary schools, including The Avenue, which some of our residents send their children to. We noted that the expansion of Devonshire Avenue school had been successfully completed with no adverse consequences, and the school did well in its OFTED inspection. We noted that the percentage of children born in the Borough entering State primary schools had risen from below 84% in 2007/8 to almost 94% in  2010/11, due to the recession coupled with the high quality of Sutton’s State primary schools leading to parents turning their back on private education. This is what has caused the need to expand primary schools.