SLOWING TRAFFIC IN FARM ROAD AND GRANGE VALE

At the South Sutton, Cheam and Belmont Local Committee meeting on 7 September our main decision was to install a vehicle operated sign in Farm Road to reduce speeding. Richard lives round the corner from Farm Road and vehicles certainly speed down it. This complements other measures in the Ward to reduce speeding, in particular in Cavendish Road and Cedar Road.

We also agreed to install a width restriction at the point in Grange Vale where the road passes under the bridge. The speed of vehicles has a safety implication for pedestrians walking west to east on the narrow pathway, particularly if pushing a buggy. We also agreed to plant a replacement for the vandalised tree in Willis Avenue. The committee also agreed Richard’s proposal to purchase from the Royal British Legion a “Silent Soldier” and install it in the flower beds in front of Northumberland House. These are large silhouettes of soldiers, designed to be installed through 2018 in prominent places to remind us that this is the centenary of the conclusion of the Great War.

We hope the parking consultation will now take place much earlier than anticipated.

PROTECTING OUR ENVIRONMENT

 

 

The concern of Sutton Council to protect the green and pleasant environment in our Ward has again been demonstrated in Cavendish Road, though the threat to sensible and informed local decision taking from the remote Planning Inspectorate, based in Bristol, remains.

A planning application was submitted for the buildings at 7-9 Cavendish Road, previously a care home, for demolition of the buildings and erection of a three storey block of flats, with roof accommodation, comprising 16 flats (three 1-bedroomed, seven 2-bedroomed and six 3-bedroomed), 9 car parking spaces, secure cycle parking, provision of a refuse store, with access to the rear.

The Council has turned the application down. The Council considered that the proposed development, by reason of its height, bulk, mass and detailed design, would constitute an unsympathetic form of development that would have a negative visual impact on the Cavendish Road street scene. The proposed development would therefore have a detrimental impact on the character and appearance of the area.

The Council also turned the application down because it considered that at least some affordable housing ought to be provided as part of an acceptable development on this site and, as such, the proposal would cause significant harm to the promotion of mixed and balanced communities.

An earlier application was also turned down but is now the subject of an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. This is a threat we cannot control. We will let residents know the outcome and if further applications are made.

A proposal for a house extension in Downside Road was also rejected as it would close the visual gap between houses, causing harm to the spacious and open character of the road and result in a visual terracing impact on the street scene.

REDUCING VEHICLE CO2 EMISSIONS IN SUTTON SOUTH

A significant part of the northernmost section of Sutton South Ward is in the central Sutton Controlled Parking Zone. Sutton Council is consulting on a scheme to alter charges for parking permits in the Controlled Parking Zone so that charges relate to the CO2 emissions of vehicles. It is also introducing special provisions to help carers and those undertaking childcare who are regular visitors.

The general nature of the Order is, to support the Council’s Parking Strategy and policy to cut carbon emissions in the Borough, to link the charges for parking permits in the controlled parking zones to the CO2 emissions of the vehicle for which the permit is issued; and also to introduce the facility to purchase carer and childcare permits for use in the zones. The impact will be to reduce charges for the least polluting vehicles and increase them for some others, and facilitate carers and those with regular childcare responsibilities to park in the zone.

You can find the proposals at

www.sutton.gov.uk/trafficpublicnotices

clicking on “view our Permanent Traffic Order Consultations” and “Notices of Proposals”

Reference PP1035 – CPZ permit charge changes linked to CO2 emissions and carer permits

Comments are invited by 31 August.

Richard has commented on the proposals that he would like to see a differential scheme imposed for diesel vehicles as they do not emit excessive CO2 compared to other vehicles but do emit other harmful particulates.

 

CONSULTATION ON CHANGES TO TRAIN SERVICES FROM SUTTON

Many of those who live in Sutton South Ward travel up to London by train, those who travel for work doing so most days.
So we all may be interested in a consultation exercise being conducted by Govia Thameslink Railway, incorporating Southern and Thameslink, on changes to the rail timetable from Sutton from May 2018. Most organisations publicise consultation exercises but this seems to be almost like a secret exercise that you only find out about by accident.
The changes are considerable and helpful – a new all day service between Sutton and London Bridge via Norwood Junction (currently it is peak hours only) and a doubling of the frequency of the service from Sutton to Epsom Downs.

To find the consultation, and make comments, you need to click on this link, then go to “Be Part of It” and click on “Read More”, then click on information sheet 4 to discover what is proposed for our area.

[NOTE: The information above was correct when this post was posted. As of 30 July, they seem to have removed information sheet 4 and are promising it will be restored, with an invitation to comment, in the autumn. We are trying to find out what is happening. It is still worthwhile visiting the site. ]

CHANGES TO OUR POLICE TEAM

Our police station in Carshalton Road

At the Sutton South Ward consultative meeting with the local police on 11 June we learned that our long serving PC, Mark Towler, is moving to other duties. There is a new policing model being adopted and our Ward will be under Sergeant Anna Smith – who also covers Cheam, Belmont and Sutton West – but with two dedicated Ward officers – Kelly Heath and Andy Peak – plus a PCSO (Laura Jagoe, who has been with us a long time but is currently on maternity leave).

We recorded our grateful thanks to Mark, who will be missed.

The meeting heard that Sutton South remains a low crime area with just two house burglaries, though four garage burglaries, in the previous twelve weeks. The sector priorities remain tackling burglary, anti-social behaviour and speeding, while for our area we asked the police to continue to keep an eye on drug use at certain addresses, speeding and action to deal with all-day drinking.

PC Towler with Richard, the Mayor, at the 2017 police awards ceremony

COMPLETION OF THE GATEWAY PROJECT

Outside Northumberland House

 

Following the re-vamping of the area around the station, with the opening of the side entrance, new paving and the new clock, the area in front of Northumberland House (previously Sutherland House) has been given a piazza-style treatment, to make it more spacious and to enable the restaurants to have tables outside. We welcome views on further improvements to the area.

REFLECTING A SOMBRE MOOD

There is a sombre mood in society at the moment, with terrorist acts and a mood of Islamophobia in some quarters that threatens to divide our society. For this reason Richard took great pleasure in accepting an invitation from the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association to attend their mosque in Willow Lane in Sutton on the evening of 15 June to break fast with them at sundown, during the holy month of Ramadan. In this photo he is inside the mosque with Nasser Butt, former Liberal Democrat Councillor for this Ward, on the left as you look at the picture, and, to the right, Naseer Dean, President of the London region of the Association.

Trish has also accepted several invitations to attend the Central Mosque in Carshalton Road and took part in the Sutton Peace March on 1 July. She was invited to attend Friday prayers at the mosque the previous day to pass on information about the Peace March.

Trish with the Leader of the Council, the Mayor, Tom Brake MP and others, at the Peace March

NEW WASTE COLLECTION ARRANGEMENTS

 

We are well aware that the new arrangements have not worked as well as they should in some parts of the Ward. We have been working with Veolia to iron out some problems, particularly with bin stores at certain blocks of flats, and pressing them to improve the regularity of the service where it has fallen short.

A PERSONAL STATEMENT FROM RICHARD

Jane with her son Ciaran, born on 22 June 2015

About a week before I was elected Mayor in May 2016 I went to child-mind my grandson, something I have done every week so my daughter and son-in-law could go out to work. I found my daughter ill and took her to the doctor, who told me to take her immediately to the nearby accident and emergency department at St Thomas’s hospital. We arrived at noon and by 5pm they had diagnosed a brain tumour requiring immediate surgery.

If I had known of her illness about a week earlier I would have pulled out of being Mayor. But everything was set up and it was too late. In retrospect, that would have been a bad decision as the work involved in being Mayor was a great distraction over a very difficult twelve months. I stood down as Mayor on 22 May 2017 and the following day Jane was taken in by St Christopher’s hospice in Sydenham, where she died on 9 June.

Gloria and I have been overwhelmed by the expressions of condolence and support we have received, from so many local residents. Can I thank you all.

RICHARD

TACKLING SPEEDING ON THE ROADS OF SUTTON SOUTH

20mph on lampost sign
Since we were elected as Councillors for Sutton South Ward we have been concerned about speeding in the Ward. Following the speeding survey we promoted in 2011 new traffic islands in Cavendish Road have had an impact on the speed of vehicles using the road. The new zebra crossing with the re-distribution of parking bays along the road – so there is more parking along the road, which generally does slow the speed of traffic – in Cedar Road (between Brighton Road and Langley Park Road) has had some impact on speeds there.
We have also sought to deal with the specific problem of the speed of vehicles approaching the right turn from The Ridgway into Chalgrove Road with better signage on the road and on lamp-posts as your approach the bend.
A proposal now under consideration and discussed by the local committee on May 25 concerns the area of the Ward west of Brighton Road. If fully implemented this would introduce a 20 mile per hour limit in the area east of Overton Road (including Overton Road) as far as the Sutton to Belmont railway line, so including these parts of Worcester Road, Grange Road, Camborne Road and Stanley Road. There would be signage to indicate the speed limit and some raised junctions, and road humps, where roads crossed. This follows a speeding survey indicating some vehicles travel too fast along these roads. There will, of course, be extensive consultation with residents before such a proposal is implemented and, given current funding restrictions and other priorities, action on this proposal – which is a proposal for Transport for London funding – cannot be guaranteed even if supported in consultation.
We would welcome any reactions, particularly from residents who live in the area.
We have also previously floated, in the list of bids to Transport for London, consultation of residents on the inclusion of Christchurch Park in the Sutton South 20mph speed limit area.