COUNCIL CHALLENGES BORIS ON TRANSPORT

 

The Mayor of London has been accused of short-changing Sutton after the borough was given the capital’s lowest transport grant. 

Each year, every London borough receives Local Implementation Plan (LIP) funding from Transport for London (TfL) to invest in local projects which support the Mayor’s plan for transport in the capital. For the second year in a row, Sutton has been given the least in London, leaving the council with less money to invest in the transport infrastructure.

frustrated councillors have criticised the Mayor for failing to invest in Sutton, despite the borough’s track record in delivering innovative transport plans.

Cllr Simon Wales, Executive Member for Communities, Transport and Voluntary Sector on Sutton Council, said: “Sutton has a great track record in running innovative and successful transport schemes, but we need money to make them work. The council and members of the local community work together to make sure the transport system keeps getting better and better but the fact remains that we could do even more if we had more funding.

“I’m disappointed that the Mayor and TfL won’t give Sutton the same kind of grant that it awards to other boroughs. This means that some of the improvements that we have planned will have to be cut back, or even shelved completely. We think that Sutton’s residents deserve better, and will continue working hard to carry out transport improvements that the local community wants to see.”

As well as schemes to boost traffic flow and make travel more sustainable, LIP funding is used to make the borough’s roads safer.  Maintenance works are financed through a separate budget, but improvements to reduce the number of road accidents often come out of LIP resources. Transport investment is particularly important in the current economic climate, as good accessibility is one of the factors that help town centres and local shops to thrive.

In Sutton, LIP money has been used to continue the successful initiatives on sustainable transport under the scheme known as Smarter Travel Sutton, which increased cycling by 75 per cent and is now used as example by other councils, after the initial project came to an end.

 

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ONE STOP SHOP

The Safer Sutton Partnership is pleased to announce the launch of Sutton’s Domestic Violence One Stop Shop. It will take place every Wednesday morning, starting July 13th, between 9:30 – 11:30 at Sutton Baptist Church, across from the Civic Centre.

Anyone who comes along will recieve advice and support from the Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) from Victim Support, Police, a Lawyer and Citizens Advice Bureau.

So if you or anyone you know is suffering from physical, sexual or emotional abuse come along to the DV One Stop Shop, on Wednesdays 9:30am – 11:30 am at Sutton Baptist Church, 21 Cheam Road, Sutton. SM1 1SN. For more information dial 020 8685 1637.

COUNCILLORS HONOUR AND CLIFTON SUPPORT MAINTENANCE OF IMPORTANT LOCAL BUS SERVICES

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[ A 280 bus approaches the bus stop at the end of Cavendish Road in Sutton South Ward ]

Your Sutton South Liberal Democrat Councillors have recently responded to the Transport for London Autumn 2010 Bus Service Review Programme, for services with contracts that are due to end in 2012.The services of relevance to Sutton South residents included in this review are:

  • The X26 Croydon to Heathrow service
  • The 280 Tooting to Belmont service.

This is part of formal consultation process. We have responded to point out that these services are of value to those living in south Sutton, the Belmont to Tooting service being an important south-north link and the Heathrow service providing a means of getting to the airport at reasonable speed by bus without having to go in to central London. We would not want to see these services withdrawn or reduced.

In support of the points we have raised, the Council has written formally to Transport for London to set out the concerns of local people. The council has recorded that the X26 is a highly valued service providing an orbital bus link through the Borough and a speedy route to Heathrow. The Council has sought an extension of the frequency of the service, which is half hourly during the day but only hourly after 7pm, to be half hourly during the evening. The Council has pointed out that the service is often crowded during the day and has sought an increase in the frequency of the service to once every 20 minutes.

The Council has also stressed the importance of the 280 route, connecting local people to Mitcham and Tooting. It has commented that the timetabling of the service could be improved.

As your local Councillors, we will closely follow this consultation process and seek to ensure these services are retained and, if that can be justified, improved.