Louise, Richard and Trish travelled to City Hall, the HQ of London Mayor Sadiq Khan, on 30 June to join other Sutton Liberal Democrat Councillors in presenting a petition to the Mayor. The petition, signed by over 10 000 Sutton residents, expressed our opposition to the extension of the ULEZ zone to outer London boroughs. Our views on why we opposed the extension of ULEZ can be found in posts further down this site.
Despite our opposition, ULEZ has now been extended by the London Mayor to outer London.
We are again involved in arguments over proposals to add extra storeys the top of Northumberland House.
Northumberland House is the tower block at the corner of Brighton Road and Wellesley Road, about 200 yards along Brighton Road if you turn left when coming out of Sutton station.
Criterion Capital, the owners of Northumberland House, are again seeking planning permission to add two storeys to the top of the building. The owners are again seeking to extend the building, creating a further 29 flats by adding two extra storeys on the top of the ten storey part of the building and an extra storey on the lower part, with some additional flats in the “undercroft” above the parking area. Some of the current parking spaces would be lost.
An earlier similar application was not supported by Sutton Council on the basis of design of the proposed tower extension and issues about the alignment of the windows. Planning law allows developers to seek to over-ride the decisions of local Councillors by appealing to the remote Bristol-based Planning Inspectorate, whose decision is final. The developers went to appeal, to the Planning Inspectorate, and on 5 October Richard and Louise attended and spoke on behalf of residents at a hearing organised by the Planning Inspectorate.
We had noted that there would be some positives, such as the creation of a community amenity and play space on the tarmaced area at ground floor level. However, while there is a shortage of accommodation in London and more housing is needed, we were concerned that the building work had the potential to be extremely disruptive to the lives of current residents. And an extra two storeys on the top of the building looks incongruous and out of keeping with the design of the rest of the building. Richard told the Inspector the design “looked like a couple of portacabins had been dumped on the top of the building.” At the hearing we told the Planning Inspector that residents of Northumberland House are concerned about the likely disruption involved in this proposed work, and have long standing concerns about frequent lift breakdowns in the building and the general standard of housekeeping, particularly in the bin area. We pressed the Inspector to impose conditions, if he were to agree to the scheme, to protect the interests of residents, and include these conditions in any planning permission they eventually obtained. We asked that access to the roof areas would be only by external hoists, and that the peace and quiet of the interior of the building would not be disturbed or the interior turned into a storage area, or building site. We sought controls on scaffolding to ensure any scaffolding that is required is removed as soon as the requirement has passed. We insisted there must be a construction management plan to control hours of work and control noise and dust nuisance. We asked that the contractor joins the “Considerate Contractors Scheme”, which provides a route for residents to raise concerns if they observe poor behaviour. We were pleased that the developers indicated they would accept all these conditions.
The Inspector supported our views and commented that the proposed building looks “incongruous” – the exact wording Richard had used at the hearing. He turned down the application and also refused the application for costs.
The owners have now submitted a further, similar application. Residents can see the proposals via the Council’s website (go to the section on planning and follow leads to get to comment on planning applications). It is application DM2023/00796. We are keen to learn of the views of residents on this matter, particularly those who live in Northumberland House. Do contact us at the email addresses given in the first post on this site.
This picture shows Louise and Trish cleaning off the graffiti we found in the area outside Northumberland House in Brighton Road. We want residents to report to us instances of graffiti, which is one of the scourges of our times, worldwide. In general, the Council has a good record in cleaning off graffiti quickly. A difficulty is when the graffiti is on private property and the owners of the property have responsibility.
Here is an example of graffiti we got cleaned off, on the bridge at Kings Lane.
In support of our policies to combat global warming and reduce carbon emissions, the programme to fit electric vehicle charging points in lampposts in our Ward continues. A further consultation exercise is about to take place on the installation of two new electric vehicle charging points in Mulgrave Road, close to the junction with Worcester Road. A preliminary consultation found majority support but few residents responded.
There are now charging points at the following locations:
Opposite 49 The Ridgway
Opposite 26 Langley Park Road
Opposite Foxley Court in Christchurch Park
Opposite 10 Cumnor Road
In Cedar Gardens
Opposite Grange Court, Grange Road
Opposite Thomas House, Grange Road
Opposite 13 Stanley Road
Opposite Fairford Court, Stanley Road
We want to draw attention to the Sutton Citizen space survey where residents should log their suggestions for EV charge points.
The photo shows the first vehicle that used the first charging point in the Ward, in The Ridgway. Given the policy to ultimately phase out petrol driven vehicles, a big and continuing expansion will be needed.
Sutton Council is working with Siemens to install Ubitricity lamp column electric vehicle charging points. Ubitricity lamp column charging points are compact and fit into the door of a lamp column. The aim of lamp column charging is to give residents the ability to easily charge electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles on the street where they live, especially if they do not have off-street parking or are unable to install their own home charging point. Installing residential charging points is important because a key barrier to people switching to electric vehicles is the concern around where they will be able to charge their vehicle.
Not all lamp columns are suitable for lamp column charging points. The lamp columns need to be “electrically suitable”, be positioned near the kerb and have enough internal space to fit the charging point. They need to be sensibly located so that a vehicle could safely park and charge next to the lamp column. The lamp columns also need to be made of metal, not concrete.
An “earth mat”, a small metal grid, is also installed in the footway next to the lamp column. This is to make the charging point “electrically safe” if there is a fault. There are signs to indicate that the lamp column has a charging point fitted, though this sign will not prevent non-electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles from parking next to the lamp column.
This is a major advance in our drive to promote electric vehicles and combat global warming.
The remarkable victory of the Liberal Democrats in the by-election at Somerton and Frome on 20 July has been welcomed by Richard, Trish and Louise as showing that no Tory constituency currently held by a Tory MP in southern England is safe. A Tory majority of over 19 000 was converted to a Liberal Democrat majority of over 11 000.
We were also delighted by the strong showing of the Liberal Democrat candidates in the local elections held on 4 May. While there were no elections here in London, our candidates won resounding victories in elections in Surrey, immediately to the south of Sutton. Perhaps most striking was the overwhelming victory in Surrey Heath, the borough that includes Camberley and Bagshot. Once a Tory stronghold, Liberal Democrats hold 21 of the 35 seats on the Council. Voters continue to show their strong disapproval of the Tory Government and are turning to the Liberal Democrats in those areas, such as in Surrey, where we are the main challengers.
We also believe that the failure of Labour to win in Uxbridge due to the ULEZ issue does not indicate a rejection by the electorate of “green” policies. The problem is ULEZ – it is a bad policy that penalises people who had the bad luck to purchase a non-compliant vehicle. It will lead to vehicles that would have been scrapped anyhow in a few years time going to landfill before their time. It is in any case difficult to purchase a new vehicle due to supply problems so it will not achieve any acceleration in the purchase of new vehicles. Our views on ULEZ are set out in articles further down. Below is a photo of our visit to City Hall, the HQ of the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, on 30 June to present the petition expressing opposition to ULEZ signed by over 10 000 Sutton residents.
Louise, Trish and Richard at City Hall to present to the Mayor of London the petition opposing ULEZ signed by over 10 000 Sutton residents
On 22 May Louise was elected as Deputy Mayor of the London Borough of Sutton. Louise was elected to Sutton Council, joining Trish and Richard as Councillors for Sutton South Ward, on 5 May 2022. Louise – Louise Phelan – has lived in Sutton for over 20 years and her son Harry, who will be officially titled her “Consort” as Deputy Mayor, attends Overton Grange school in our Ward. She is an active member of many local community organisations and was a leading member of the Sutton New Town Community Festival, serving as chair of the organisation. Harry is a member of Sutton Police Cadets.
Following the Annual Council Meeting, held on 22 May, where membership of Council committees is decided, Trish, Richard and Louise have important new responsibilities. The most significant change in our responsibilities is that, while Trish steps down as Mayor, Louise is now our Deputy Mayor. Trish has stood down as Mayor of Sutton after three years and is now chair of the important Audit and Governance Committee. She will sit as a member of Planning Committee. Richard will chair the Council’s Planning Committee and sit as a member of the Housing, Economy and Business Committee. which takes major strategic decisions on housing policy and proposals for economic regeneration. He will also sit on the Licensing Committee. Louise is Deputy Mayor and vice-chair of Licensing Committee. She is also a member of the Housing, Economy and Business Committee.
The Coronation weekend saw a rash of street parties throughout Sutton South Ward, though there were fewer than there had been for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations last June. Louise, Trish and Richard dropped in at some of the parties, including the street party in Prior Avenue, which was a more modest affair than their Jubilee street party last summer. Richard also dropped in at the Highfield Residents’ Association event.
Our Mayor and the two other Ward Councillors at the Effingham Close street party last June.
The three Sutton South Councillors are united in opposing the extension of ULEZ to Sutton. While everyone is concerned about air quality, it will have a detrimental effect on so many of our residents, particularly those who run businesses or depend on using a car to get to work or to see family. At the Sutton Council meeting on 24 April we debated ULEZ. This is the speech Louise made.
“So ULEZ… I don’t have a car and I don’t drive, so it won’t affect me…
Only, actually it will…
You see, as I don’t have a car I have to rely on people that do, and many of the people I know do not have ULEZ compliant vehicles…
I rely on
The friend that’s taken me and my son on days out to places that we wouldn’t be able to get to by public transport,
The neighbour that’s taken me and my son Christmas shopping so we didn’t have to carry everything on a long bus journey,
The friend that’s picked me and my son up from hospital when my son was taken in for an emergency,
The friend who has moved furniture for me in his van.
The family and friends that come and visit me from outside the borough.
This is just a tiny snapshot of the people who I and people like me depend on who will have to change their vehicles because of the ULEZ, but these people are all going to struggle to replace those cars or vans because they are already wrestling with the after effects of COVID and the cost of living crisis. Public transport isn’t currently an alternative in Sutton, it’s too expensive, too infrequent and too patchy throughout the borough.
Don’t get me wrong, I live on a busy cut through road and would appreciate cleaner air and all the health benefits, but the effects on the quality of life and opportunities for me and my son are just too great. This will leave so many people like me without that extra help they need and rely on, they will find it harder to work, socialise and access healthcare and become even more isolated than before.
So you can see, this doesn’t just affect a small amount of vehicles as the Mayor of London claims in his now withdrawn advert, the knock on effect if this is brought in its current form will actually affect a much wider community of people whose lifelines will be cut. “
