Richard spoke up on behalf of those threatened with homelessness, and supported the Council’s efforts to try to prevent people being made homeless, during a discussion on homelessness in the Council Committee of which he is vice-chair.

On 19 March the Housing, Economy and Business Committee (HEB) discussed the efforts the Council makes to prevent people who are threatened with eviction becoming homeless.

Drawing on the casework he deals with as a Councillor, Richard pointed out that being threatened with eviction from one’s home – being out on the street or placed in bed and breakfast accommodation many miles away – was a terrifying prospect for the families involved. It can lead to family break up and people losing their jobs if they wind up in bed and breakfast accommodation far away. In the recession, there are many reasons why this may happen, in particular redundancy. Every effort should be made to keep people in their homes while efforts are made to find them other suitable accommodation they can move to.

Landlords, sometimes because they are intent on jacking up rents, may try to remove tenants without going through a proper legal process. The policy of the Council is to insist the proper process is followed and to give those threatened with homelessness advice and support, trying to find them some other private sector accommodation. In most cases this is successful, but it is often quite late in the process that a solution is found.

Richard argued that people should not be pressured into leaving their accommodation early in the legal process, if no alternative accommodation had been found. If they were pressured into leaving their accommodation two problems arose:

–  it reduces the time available to the Council’s support team to find them an alternative home, and an alternative was often found quite late in the process, meaning they would have to go into bed and breakfast

– there was a danger that they might, in law, be deemed to have made themselves intentionally homeless, in which case what support the Council can provide is limited.

Richard therefore supported a policy of avoiding putting pressure on people to leave their accommodation early in the legal process, and that the Council should only accept that someone is homeless and put them in B and B accommodation before the process is exhausted if and when it is fundamentally evident that no alternative accommodation will become available.

When Richard was first was elected a Sutton Councillor for our area, in 2010, one of the first pieces of casework he dealt with concerned approaches from residents in Copse Hill about the loss of trees that had been hit by cars. He succeeded in getting several replacement trees, including one planted outside number 24.

He was upset to see, recently, that the tree had been vandalised, and lost. He has now got a further replacement planted. At present it is wet but he has asked local residents to check, if we have a dry summer, that the tree has enough water.

Brighton Road car park

Subsea 7, the expanding engineering company that want to bring over 500 new jobs to Sutton have, after discussions with Heather and Richard, agreed to extend their exhibition setting out their proposals. It will now be held on Tuesday 26 March from 3pm to 9pm in addition to the exhibition on 19 March. Both events will be at the Holiday Inn in Sutton. 

Richard and Heather have had further meetings with Subsea7, and the following is the text of their letter sent to local residents.

“Since we learned of the proposed redevelopment of the Brighton Road Car Park site, we have been working hard to tackle the parking issues that might arise for residents in Sutton South. Although this is still very much work in progress, we thought it a good time to bring you up to date with what is going on.

As you know, the high-tech engineering firm Subsea 7 want to expand their presence in Sutton by building a brand new state-of-the-art Head Quarters for their international business. This may bring up to 500 new jobs.

The new building will be much more attractive than the existing Brighton Road Car Park and will be designed by a renowned firm of architects, ESA. It will form part of a renewed “Gateway to Sutton” along the Brighton Road from the South that, in addition to new jobs, will provide extra spending power for local shops, restaurants and hotels.

Keeping the company in Sutton will also protect over 300 jobs that the company currently have located in the Borough so that they do not move elsewhere.

Subsea 7 have considered other buildings in Sutton that are currently empty, like Sutherland House, but have found that these are not satisfactory for the needs of an international  headquarters.

The Council undertook a parking capacity study that showed that Council public car parks are only 53 per cent full during the peak weekday period.  This means that there is therefore 47 per cent spare capacity. 

But the report did not address the specific issue of increased on-road parking in the Highfields area and adjacent roads, including Upland Road and Farm Road. We immediately pointed this out to the Council and were told that its purpose was to ensure that the loss of parking in the Brighton Road Car Park would not damage the town centre’s economy. 

We have therefore asked for work to be undertaken on the impact on car parking in the Highfields area and adjacent roads.  We have also asked for financial incentives to encourage those drivers who currently use the Brighton Road Car Park to go to the Gibson Road Car Park rather than drive up to the area outside the controlled parking zone. These discussions are ongoing.  

We have discussed with Subsea 7 our concerns about on-road parking in Sutton South and, as part of any planning application, they will be required to submit a traffic impact survey. We have asked that the traffic survey also considers where commuters will park as a result of these changes, And what local impact it will have. The results of this study will then be taken in to account by the Council when it negotiates with Subsea 7 about their financial obligations to the local community.  This is part of the normal process with any large planning development.

The next steps are as follows:

• Subsea 7 will hold an exhibition on the proposed development at the Holiday Inn on 19 March and 26 March, and we do encourage you to visit it.
• The Council’s Strategy and Resources Committee (which is made up of a number of Sutton Councillors from both parties) will consider whether they can agree Heads of Agreement with Subsea 7. This is basically an agreement to go ahead, subject to planning permission. The meeting is open to the public.
• If the Heads of Agreement are agreed, Subsea 7 can then apply for planning permission and all aspects of their application, including the impact on parking, will be assessed against current planning standards. Residents have the opportunity to submit their comments on the application and the decision will be taken by the Council’s Development Control Committee, again made up of Sutton’s elected Councillors.”

On Monday 4 March Sutton Council had its annual budget meeting.

Richard and Heather both contributed to the debate – Heather talking about social service provision and the loneliness and isolation project she is leading in the Ward, Richard talking about the Opportunity Sutton programme and the fact that we had found money to provide a hardship fund for those in difficulty as a result of changes to the Council tax support scheme.

The full text of Richard’s speech is on his blog, on this site (see 4 March).

The Council adopted the budget proposed, which freezes Council tax for a fourth year while finding resources for a number of key priorities such as the “Opportunity Sutton” programme to attract jobs and businesses. Council tax in Sutton remains below the level in Conservative-controlled Croydon, our neighbouring Borough, which has increased Council tax this year.

The snow tends to bring with it a rash of potholes.

Richard and Heather will report them and get them fixed if you let us know of them. The Council will get them repaired quickly. This (above) is a picture of a pothole in Eaton Road we have just reported.

Besides reporting potholes, we have been busy getting new litter bins where residents have asked for them. Often the request is for one of the red “dog mess” bins, but while these are successful in public parks it seems that when they are in local roads people tend to just fill them with litter. You can put dog mess (in a suitable plastic bag) in these bins. Most dog owners are responsible but a few can sometimes cause a problem. Let us know of places where a litter bin is needed.

Brighton Road car park

Richard and Heather have met representatives of the high-tech firm Subsea7 who want to build a new HQ for their international business in Sutton, bringing probably up to 600 new jobs working for the company and many more jobs due to the stimulus these new office workers will bring by spending money in local shops, restaurants and hotels. Keeping the company in Sutton will also protect over 200 jobs the company currently have located in the Borough, which could move elsewhere. Overall, this development could be worth 1 000 jobs.

The company wants to build a brand new state-of-the-art office to meet its particular needs, on the site of the Brighton Road car park. The design they showed Richard and Heather, for a building designed by renowned architects ESA, only a little higher than the car park but a much more attractive building, would be an iconic structure in the “Gateway to Sutton” that is the Brighton Road. It would bring  jobs and development to an area that needs it.

Jobs are gold dust, and there is intense competition between local authorities for such inward investment. In the current recession, a situation where an engineering firm is sufficiently confident of its future to open a new HQ building is most unusual. However, after considering many options, Sutton is the company’s current preferred site. The popularity of Sutton with those of their employees who live in Sutton – our good schools, low crime rate, pleasant suburban atmosphere, voted the best place in London to bring up children – is a factor in their preference for a site in Sutton. They have considered buildings in Sutton currently empty, but have very particular needs and a preference to build their own bespoke headquarters building.

Residents have been reassured that parking in the Borough will still be easily accessible despite the loss of Brighton Road car park. Research carried out for an independent report on the likely impact shows that there are high levels of surplus parking spaces in nearby car parks in the town centre, enough to absorb any displaced should Brighton Road Car Park close.

This is an opportunity to create hundreds of jobs for local people and in turn support existing businesses in the Borough. We have declared that Sutton is “open for business” and we will strive to seize those opportunities that will bring positive benefits for the area and for our residents. Given the scale of the impact on employment, it would be irresponsible of the Council not to engage with the company to see if its highly specific needs can be met.

That said, any proposal will of course need to be fully examined within the Council’s planning procedures.

Richard has spoken before about the extent of hidden poverty in Sutton South, often associated with people – both young people who have never had a job and those made redundant in their 50s who find they are one of twenty applicants for every job – not being able to find work. Jobs are gold dust. As vice-chair of the Housing, Economy and Business Committee he is aware of how important this development is for Sutton.

Richard helping to open the Metrobank in Sutton on 8 February

Thriving Sutton has had further good news.

The Borough has been surviving the recession well, with lower levels of unemployment than other Boroughs in London and a rate of economic activity in the workforce that is now over 80%, much higher than the London average of 75%.

On February 8 Metrobank opened offices in Sutton, creating 25 local jobs.

Now comes the news that the high-tech engineering company Subsea 7 is considering developing a bespoke, purpose-built office in Sutton, and wants to have a discussion about developing the Brighton Road car park as its new corporate headquarters. There is intense competition between local authorities for such inward investment, so this is good news.

Research shows that there are enough parking spaces at the Gibson Road car park, and the other multi-storey car parks in central Sutton, to accommodate parking thay would be displaced if the Brighton Road site closed. However any decision to negotiate further on the sale of the site would be under a transactional structure that would ensure that the car park can only be redeveloped as commercial offices in accordance with an agreed scheme, which would also be subject to normal planning regulations.

The company requires a site where a bespoke set of state-of-the art offices meeting its needs can be constructed. At present, no existing office building in Sutton will meet its needs.

It is early days and there is a long way to go on this proposal, but the proposal represents a vote of confidence in Sutton’s future. If it goes ahead, it could bring hundreds of new, hi-tech, engineering jobs to the area.  Plus a real boost to local shops and restaurants. As we have more car parking capacity than people use in Sutton town centre, developing Brighton Road could make sense.  But what is important is that we get a development local people are happy with and that we create more jobs, for which reason there is a long way to go in negotiations and consideration of planning arrangements before this is finalised. In particular, there will be close attention on the design and construction phase.

Heather said, “ Opportunity Sutton is a great initiative for business in Sutton.  Given our emphasis on the environment this type of investment is just what we want.  We will be making sure that our residents are properly consulted.  Like us they are keen to bring new life to the Brighton Road which is currently blighted by the derelict building at Sutherland House”.

Richard, who is vice-chair of the Housing, Economy and Business Committee, said “I think this shows how attractive Sutton is to potential invstors. They see Sutton as a place with a thriving local economy, good facilities, good transport links, affordable housing, low crime and good schools. rightly voted the best place in London to bring up children two years in a row.

There are issues to be sorted out before this project can go ahead but it would be irresponsible of the Council not to engage with the company in negotiation.”

Richard and Heather were delighted to see their campaign to improve safety for pedestrians at the narrow, single track bridge in Kings Lane finally come to fruition.

The bridge poses a hazard for pedestrians, particularly those with mobility problems, with buggies or small children, as it is narrow and the cars approaching from the Hillcroome Road end do not see pedestrians until they are almost on the bridge. 

Traffic engineers we consulted suggested building out the kerb on the left hand side at the intersection with Hillcroome Road, with a bollard to slow traffic and hatching, as well as improved signage. This will ensure that cars crossing from that end will start their journey across the bridge from a more central position. They will be more visible, earlier, to cars coming from the other end and to pedestrians on the bridge. In addition, warning signs alerting drivers to the road narrowing and the presence of pedestrians are being upgraded and repositioned to make them more prominent.  

The improvement is being funded by Transport for London. It is a small, low-cost but helpful step.

Consultation with local residents led to some modifications to the original scheme.

More radical proposals, such as making it one way, widening the bridge or building a second bridge, are either too expensive or would be too inconvenient for drivers.

Richard said “This is a useful safety improvement. I live locally and walk across the bridge almost every day. I am glad we have finally got an improvement to slow the traffic and assist pedestrians.”

The photo below is of the bridge viewed from the Hillcroome Road end before the works. The photo above is of Richard and Heather with the workteam.

On Friday 25 January Richard presented certificates to a number of young people who had completed training organised by a local company, Synergy Personnel Solution. The awards ceremony was held in The Ivory Lounge in Sutton town centre. 

Synergy Personnel Solutions are one of the few major businesses in Sutton South Ward and have premises just south of Sutton Station. They provide a number of services of value to the local economy. They provide training, to City and Guilds standards, towards the Diploma in Health and Social Care (Adults) and in Retail Knowledge. Many of their clients are unemployed, and this training helps them find their way into employment in the social care and retail distribution industries, both major local employers. Synergy UK arranges placements for their clients, and also operates a service to provide staff to local employers in these sectors.

Richard, as vice-chair of the Council’s Housing, Economy and Business Committee, has a major interest in the “Opportunity Sutton” programme, which includes a project on the theme of matching skills to jobs. 

Richard said “I think the work of this company is helping match skills to jobs, getting people trained, getting people out of unemployment and meeting the labour force needs of local employers. I was very pleased to be invited to present these certificates.”