AN AWARD FOR SUTTON POLICE CADETS

On 15 March a contingent from Sutton Police Cadets received a special award from the Lord Lieutenant of Surrey, Mr Michael More-Molyneux, and the Surrey Royal British Legion, for the funds they have raised for the Surrey Poppy Appeal. They were the only police cadet group to receive an award at the ceremony led by the Lord Lieutenant to celebrate the fund raising work of cadet groups throughout Surrey and the outer south London boroughs.
Sutton has one of the largest contingents of police cadets in London and for the past two years they have won the prestigious Gravesend trophy which is competed for by police cadet groups in the Metropolitan police area. The photograph shows them being congratulated by Richard, as Sutton’s Mayor, at the presentation ceremony.
Richard told the cadets “Sutton is blessed with numerous scout, guide and cadet groups providing opportunities for young people. The police cadets are particularly strong in Sutton, and I was astonished to learn of how much effort you have put in to raising funds for this very worthy appeal to help those injured in military service.”

PIONEERING EXHIBITION STAGED BY SUTTON SOUTH HELLO

On 7 March Ricard, as Mayor, opened a remarkable exhibition put together by Heather Honour and her Sutton South Hello team. This featured the reminiscences of elderly members of the group, based on a number of themes, such as their experience of evacuation of children during the 1939-45 war. Richard had attended some of these reminiscence sessions and found them fascinating.

Sutton South Hello goes from strength to strength.

The Sutton South Hello party for the Queen, 15 June 2016, was a great success

 

NEW SUBSEA7 OFFICES OPENED BY SUTTON’S MAYOR AT RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY

The Mayor cuts the ribbon

NEW SUBSEA7 OFFICES OPENED BY SUTTON’S MAYOR AT RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY
On Thursday 23 February Subsea7’s spectacular and attractive new office building in Brighton Road, just south of Sutton station, was formally opened by Richard, as Sutton’s Mayor.
The ceremony was held as the last of the Subsea7 staff previously located in The Quadrant next to Sutton station moved into the building. The ceremony was attended by Trish and other Councillors, including the Leader of Sutton Council, Councillor Dombey.
Subsea7 are an offshore exploration and technical support company, and they had brought one of their submarines from Aberdeen to the building to show it to guests. Paul Rosier, of Subsea7, gave the audience a potted history of the site, including information on the famous people who had once lived on the site. These included the famous engineer Harold Berridge, who invented techniques for measuring the strength of concrete, after whom the adjacent road has been named Berridge Close.
Subsea7 had considered re-locating from Sutton to an adjacent Borough, but their staff were keen to remain in Sutton. They wanted a purpose-built new office building and purchased the site in order to build an HQ to their own design. They have closed their office in Hammersmith to concentrate their staff in Sutton, and will eventually expand to employ up to 900 staff at the site.
In opening the building Richard said “This is great moment for Sutton. This is one of the most attractive new buildings in our town and the decision of Subsea7 to locate their headquarters here will be of massive benefit to the local economy, bringing jobs and prosperity to local shops, restaurants and hotels. As a Councillor for this Ward, I have supported this project throughout.”

The Mayoral party

GOLD DUST FOR THE LOCAL ECONOMY: SUBSEA7 MOVE IN TO THEIR NEW HQ

The new building now completed

The new building now completed

The design for the Subsea7 office in Brighton Road

The design for the Subsea7 office in Brighton Road

Over the weekend 15 January Subsea7 have started to move their staff out of the Reed building in the Quadrant and into their attractive new headquarters building in Brighton Road.
By this time next year there will be 750 people working in the building.
The Sutherland House building – now re-named Northumberland House – almost opposite, is being converted to 128 flats, with parking spaces, that are being offered for rent. The first residents were moving in over the same weekend. The shops at the bottom are yet to be occupied. Sainsburys have changed their mind about opening a store there, but it would have been competing with the Tesco opposite.
Money has been spent improving the look of the former Sutherland House

Money has been spent improving the look of the former Sutherland House


Occupation of these two buildings, increasing footfall in the area and business for local shops, restaurants and hotels, will have a positive effect on the local economy. And the Subsea7 project will keep many hundreds of jobs to our area that would otherwise have been in Epsom or Leatherhead, and add several hundred new jobs. Jobs are gold dust for the local economy.
On 24 November we attended the final meeting of the liaison group with Subsea7 and local residents that has monitored the progress of the project to build the new headquarters of Subsea7, here in Sutton.
The company will arrange visits for local residents to see inside the building when it is fully occupied. And discussions continue on a new pedestrian crossing outside the building, crossing Brighton Road, given the massively increased footfall from those who work in the building arriving at Sutton station and walking down Brighton Road.
On 4 September last year the Subsea7 building was “topped out.”
subsea on the roof 1
“Topping out” is a ceremony traditionally held when the building has been built to its full height. Richard and Trish were there on the roof of the building when the final piece of concrete was put in place on 4 September.
The site won the Ivor Goodsite Hoarding Competition 2015!  The site was one of 8 winners out of 48 entries nationally to receive the award which showcased the great artwork used on the hoarding, produced by local schools; Devonshire Primary and Overton Grange Secondary.  The schools produced widely praised artwork on the themes of ‘Under the Sea’ and ‘Subsea 7’.
The picture below is of Trish and Richard with the Devonshire Avenue primary school artwork displayed at the site.
Following consultation with residents on the parking arrangements in the side road separating the site from Raeburn House and Girtin House, now named Berridge Close, the road is now included in the controlled parking zone with parking bays in the road reserved for residents with parking permits.

TWO OF US SMALL

CRIME REMAINS LOW IN SUTTON SOUTH

Sutton police station in Carshalton Road

Sutton police station in Carshalton Road

 

Trish and Richard attended the Ward police consultative committee meeting on 10 January. The police again reported that crime in our area remains low.

In the final quarter of 2016 there were 3 residential burglaries in our Ward (down from 6 in the corresponding period a year previously), 3 non-residential burglaries (down from 7), 7 thefts from motor vehicles (down from 12) and 2 thefts of motor bikes.

The police had executed a number of drug searches in the last quarter, which they felt had had a positive impact. Priorities continue to include drugs, looking out for rough sleepers in stairwells of blocks of flats, anti-social behaviour at bus stops, speeding checks and aggressive begging around Sutton station.

The police consultative panel next meets at Christchurch hall in Christchurch Park on 9 May. This is a public meeting. See if you can come.

There were several “Speedwatch” events in the last quarter, some involving students from Overton Grange school, using a speed gun to catch and warn speeding motorists.

Richard at an earlier Speedwatch event in The Ridgway

Richard at an earlier Speedwatch event in The Ridgway

 

SUTHERLAND HOUSE – NOW NORTHUMBERLAND HOUSE: RESIDENTS MOVE IN

sutherland house

The contrast - what it used to look like and now looks like

The contrast – what it used to look like and now looks like

Residents have started to move in to the the block in the Brighton Road just south of Sutton station that we all knew as Sutherland House but which now has a new name – Northumberland House. Perhaps the owners changed the name as – after it being empty for five years – they want to signal a new beginning for this building. They have spent money on the renovation and certainly improved the way it looks, as the pictures above show.

The apartments in the block, a few hundred yards south of Sutton station and in our Ward, are available to rent. The Acorn Group are in charge of renting out the flats. If anyone is interested in renting they can contact Kimberley Ellen (kimberley.ellen@acorn.ltd.uk or ring her 020 8315 6917). The flats are also advertised on the website Rightmove.

On 14 January Richard visited the block. It has been refurbished to a high standard and it is good to see it occupied. There are 128 flats with parking spaces.

As long ago as December 2015 we met with Council officers and the developer to discuss renovation of the front, to fit in with the Gateway scheme further north. We have sought agreement that the owners fund the renovation of the area in front of the building, to bring it up to the same standard as the area renovated during the “Gateway” project just to the north.  The shops at the bottom are not fully let out and we have hopes that the area just south of the station will include of a mix of good restaurants, shops and maybe a wine bar as the area will have so much  more footfall. We are pleased that the Rose cafe and Sofra are surviving. We look forward to the area in front of the building being renewed and improved in due course and the vacant shops let out. However Sainsburys have pulled out of opening a store at the bottom.

We have been critical of the developers as they used a route to bypass normal planning permission requirements, but at last the building will be occupied. The year 2017 will be a good one for the area with the occupation of the Subsea7 building and Sutherland House, bringing people into the area who will spend money in local shops and restaurants, which will give the whole area an uplift.

The area has in the past suffered from a group of “all day drinkers” who walk the streets drinking alcohol from cans. However, one of Richard’s first acts when elected in 2010 was to get the “no drinking” zone extended from Sutton town centre into Sutton South Ward. This makes it unlawful to drink alcohol in public in the area if a police officer asks you to stop.

Richard and Trish held a surgery at Sutherland House to advise residents

Richard and Trish held a surgery at Sutherland House to advise residents

STUNNING SUCCESS FOR SUTTON IN 2017 LONDON NEW YEAR’S DAY PARADE

The float entered by the London Borough of Sutton won fourth prize in the 2017 London New Year’s Day Parade, our best result in over a decade and a stunning achievement given the stiff competition from other London Boroughs.

Masterminded by Christine Lindsay of the Gary Mason Drummers and put together by over 60 unpaid volunteers, the float was on the theme of the Wizard of Oz. The theme of the parade was “Lights, Camera, Action” and floats were expected to reflect this theme.
The prize is a trophy – which will be displayed in the Mayor of Sutton’s Parlour – and £7 000 to the Mayor’s Charity Appeal for two worthy charities, Sutton Shopmobility and the Alzheimer’s Society. Richard received the trophy from the Deputy Lieutenant of Greater London, Roger Bramble DL, following the announcement of the results after the parade.
Richard, as Mayor of Sutton, travelled with the Mayoress – his wife Gloria – near the head of the parade on a bus carrying all 32 London Civic Mayors. He commented to the press
“This is a stunning achievement, up against very stiff competition from the other 31 London Boroughs. I am so grateful to the wide range of volunteers and sponsors who made this outstanding entry, a highlight of the parade, possible, and am astonished to find my charity appeal is £7 000 richer as a result.”
on-the-bus
The pictures show the float and the Mayor on the Mayoral Bus.

CAN YOU HELP? A CHRISTMAS APPEAL

Richard helped serve Christmas lunch at Devonshire Avenue school

The Salvation Army in Benhill Avenue is again running its Christmas Toy Appeal for vulnerable children, many whom may not receive a Christmas present this year. Tags are placed on the Christmas Tree with restricted information provided by social services, (i.e. the number of children and their ages).

The number of children they have been asked to consider as part of their appeal this year has increased from about 200 to about 300. The Salvation Army is concerned they will be unable to provide a gift to all the children, as they rely heavily on donations. We are sure our residents will want to contribute towards this worthy cause and help put a smile on the face of a child at Christmas.

TRISH LEADS THE FIGHT FOR A BETTER TRAIN SERVICE

R and T at station smallMany of our residents commute to London by train, and the combination of good schools, low crime, a green and leafy borough and proximity to local railway stations is what attracts many London commuters to Sutton South Ward.

For this reason we are concerned at the reports we get from many residents that the train service is not adequate. Both of us have, at times, been commuters into central London and we know the frustrations. In September Trish made an impassioned speech to Sutton Council on the problems residents have experienced, quoting the stories residents have shared with us of cancelled services and broken down trains. The Council called on the Government to review the franchise of Southern Railway and Govia, and implement stringent penalties for failure to deliver an adequate service.

Since Richard was elected he has fought successful campaigns to save the Thameslink service and to get the side entrance to Sutton station open. We are now campaigning to get Network Rail to increase the capacity of the station car park. We want to monitor the performance of the railway so please continue to contact us with your thoughts and experiences.

tunnel train

CELEBRATING THE CONTRIBUTION OF BLACK CULTURE TO SUTTON

Richard and Gloria at the Black History Month Closing Event

Richard and Gloria at the Black History Month Closing Event

On 29 October Richard, as Mayor of Sutton, delivered a strong message of support for the contribution those of African and Caribbean heritage have made to the borough. This is a concern Richard and Trish share – on 8 October Trish attended a service in St Paul’s Cathedral to express our detestation of the racist hate crimes that followed the Brexit vote.

Richard was making a speech closing Black History Month, which he had opened at an event at the start of October, and he repeated themes he had raised the previous day when addressing the Annual General Meeting of Sutton’s Afro-Caribbean Heritage Association.

While drawing attention to positive developments in the promotion of diversity and multiculturalism he said he had been shocked by the racist hate crimes that followed the Brexit vote, and hoped this was a phase we would quickly move on from.

The Mayor said:

“Each year October is Black History Month, focused on raising the awareness of African and Caribbean history and cultural heritage, and celebrating the positive contribution of this heritage to the political, economic and cultural life of Britain.

My own family has a great interest in black history, in diversity and multiculturalism. Our daughter is married to man whose family comes from Ghana, so we have a grandson who is of mixed race. I look forward to having long, deep and meaningful discussions with him about diversity and multiculturalism, and what he can draw from a heritage that is both British and African. But he is only one year old, so not yet.

First celebrated in the UK in 1987, Black History Month is marked annually as an important point of reference for the black community. I believe we have made progress in the UK over recent decades in tackling racist attitudes, increasing diversity, and improving equality, within Sutton and in Britain as a whole. I tell my daughter and my son-in-law that when I was growing up in the 1950s and 1960s in this country, her marriage, a white woman marrying a black African man, would have been unusual and provoked openly racist comment in the white community.

Today, where she lives in Brixton, it is quite usual, and when I take my grandson to play groups there, such as the one I took him to in Brockwell Park last Monday, I cannot help but notice what an enormous melting pot there is of children of many different colours and racial groups, and many variation of mixed race, playing happily together. It makes me optimistic about the prospects for further progress in building a diverse community, something that is re-enforced every week when I represent the community, as Mayor, at Citizenship ceremonies, where people of many different cultural backgrounds take British citizenship.

For that reason I have been shocked, we have all been shocked, by the racist attacks and hate crimes following the Brexit vote, and we must pray that this is a phase we will, as a community, quickly recover from.

Sutton’s Black History Group was established in 2010 and has promoted a wide range of free community-wide events. The Group has been strongly supported by Sutton Council which is why I, the Mayoress and the Deputy Mayor Councillor Patel are here today, to show that support.”