POOR ATTENDANCE AT POLICE PANEL MEETING

SUTTON SOUTH WARD PANEL MEETING, 5 DECEMBER 2012

The panel is the consultative mechanism by which the police discuss with the local community crime trends and policing priorities.

The most alarming aspect of this meeting was that only 3 panel members, plus the police, turned up – the Reverend Mark Pullinger, Heather and Richard.

The crime figures indicate South Sutton continues to be a low crime area. They showed crime down 19% on the figures for the same period in 2011 – burglary down, theft much the same. There were increases in assault and in harrassment (in this context, this being an umbrella term for a variety of forms of anti-social behaviour) but some of this is close to the station and, while in the Ward, not involving our residents.

Anti-social behaviour in the Ward is, overall, down. Other matters discussed included incidents involving dogs, pizza delivery drivers, proposals we made for use of “Community Payback”, the pressure from the “centre” in London for more action on drug enforcement (which is stretching local resources), and the reasons for the decline in anti-social behaviour incidents in the Ward.

It was agreed that the priorities would continue to be burglary and motor vehicle crime.

FREE GRIT SCHEME AGAIN A MASSIVE SUCCESS

 

 
 

 

Our gritting lorries are prepared

All the evidence is that Sutton’s free grit scheme has been, for a third year, a massive success.

 

Residents of South Sutton Ward have been able to obtain a supply of free grit for the third year running.

Many households took up the offer of 10kg of grit to use on footpaths, pavements or roads in front of their homes, preparing for the cold weather predicted to come before the end of the year. Many householders also collected free grit for elderly neighbours and residents who do not have a car.

The Council successfully pioneered the scheme , which has been copied by other authorities around the country. In previous years the Council gave out grit to more than 10,000 residents.

The free grit is the most practical way of helping residents, though there are in addition over 40 grit bins in our Ward and the Council has a number of gritting lorries fully equipped and ready to hit the roads if a cold snap makes conditions difficult. 

Following an analysis of take up after the two weekends that he grit was on offer, there was a further weekend when grit was available.

The grit bins are everywhere

LEAFY SUTTON STILL SURVIVING THE RECESSION

The quarterly “Economy Watch” analysis of economic trends for the London Borough of Sutton, presented to the Housing, Economy and Business Committee’s meeting on 27 November, again shows a generally encouraging picture in terms of the local economy.

The price of an average house in Sutton is now £250 531, up 5.1% on a year previously.

Encouraging signs are:

* the proportion of the working age population that is economically active in Sutton, at 78.8%, is higher than the London average of 75.0%

* the number of unfilled job vacancies in Sutton is rising, at 1217 up almost 80% on the year previously.

Sutton is also in line for significant local development, with proposals to develop the site at the bottom of the High Street (by the Zurich building), the South Point building close to Sutton station, the Felnex site and the area within the Hackbridge neighbourhood plan. The High Street is doing well with a new Metrobank opening shortly. 

Speaking at the meeting, Richard commented that he often tells people of the benefits of living in Sutton – low crime, good schools, a healthy local economy surviving the recession well, voted the best place in London to bring up children, good travel links and with its open spaces and 20 000 street trees giving it its green, pleasant, suburban local character.

THAMESLINK DECISION TO BE REVIEWED

Richard presenting the Petition

Our campaign to save the Thameslink loop line and ensure trains from Sutton continue to run direct to the north of London took a step forward when Sutton Councillors were involved in a delegation that met Simon Burns, Minister of State for Transport, on 26 November.  

During the meeting Mr Burns said that he had told the Department for Transport to review the decision to cut the line at Blackfriars and report back to him early in 2013.

The current plan would see the service – which links Sutton to Luton and St Albans through central and north London, calling at key stops such as the City, Farringdon and St Pancras International – severed at Blackfriars from 2018. But it transpired during the meeting that keeping the Loop Line intact would add only 28 seconds to average train times from Blackfriars, and Mr Burns told the meeting the engineering issues at Blackfriars were not insurmountable.

Richard says “We have not yet won, But I think we can take heart from the fact that the Minister is now well aware of the issue and our strong views. He has agreed that the case must be reviewed. I hope the petition I was involved in presenting at the department for Transport has added to the pressure.”

LARGEST EVER SPEED SURVEY IN SUTTON SOUTH NOW UNDERWAY

The largest scale survey of traffic speed and direction ever undertaken in Sutton South Ward is now underway.

Wires linked to computer boxes, like this instalation in Devonshire Road, have been set up at 15 different locations in the Ward, with cameras at six locations. The equipment measures the speed of a vehicle and its direction of movement.

The survey has developed from the petition relating to speeding that we presented to Sutton Council last July, signed by 77 residents of Cavendish Road. We successfully pressed for the survey to be extended from Cavendish Road to cover other local roads where speeding is a problem. The study will cover:

Cavendish Road

Christchurch Park

Cedar Road

Cumnor Road

Devonshire Road

Devonshire Avenue.

We will keep residents advised of the outcome.

BID TO OPEN SIDE ENTRANCE TO SUTTON STATION ENTERS NEW PHASE

The latest phase of our long-running campaign to open the side entrance to Sutton station has entered a new phase with the Council’s submission to Transport for London of a bid for funding under the TfL Major Projects scheme.

Sutton station is the 5th busiest in South London, and the 27th busiest in the whole of Greater London, with almost 6 million passenger movements every year. It is one of 18 stations in London identified by TfL as suffering significant congestion problems.

The main elements in the scheme would not only include opening the side entrance but extensive landscaping to improve the appearance of what would in effect be a new entrance from The Quadrant. The main elements include:

* Opening up the side entrance to the station to improve station access and egress, improve the streetscape and improve pedestrian access to the station
 * Public realm and footway improvements in The Quadrant and at the front of the station
 * Bus stop improvements at the front of the station to improve passenger experience
 * “De-cluttering” and harmonisation of street furniture and materials
* Junction and crossing improvements on walking routes to the station
 * Road safety improvements
 * Additional cycle parking and cycle lanes, and
  * Improved street lighting.

Benefits of the scheme will include reduced pedestrian journey times between the station and The Quadrant, the station car park and the Langley Park Road area, as well as reduced congestion within the station main entrance and at the barriers.

 
 
 
 

Opening the side entrance at Sutton Station would cater for the considerable demand for direct access to the station from the Quadrant House office block, which houses Reed Business Information (with approximately 2,000 employees, about one third of whom travel to work by train) and a number of other expanding companies, together with Tudor Court office block, which houses Synergy UK. The new entrance would also serve the large station car park (which Network Rail wish to expand), and the motorcycle and cycle parking areas, which generate considerable demand for access from that side of the station. There is also direct footpath access between The Quadrant and Langley Park Road and surrounding residential streets, well-used by rail passengers. These station users currently have to walk around the side to the front of the station on a convoluted route and negotiate busy footways, bus stops and the station entrance. Most of these passengers are likely to have season tickets, and opening up the side entrance would significantly reduce their journey times and congestion outside and in the entrance hall of the main station entrance.
The Council has been lobbying for the opening up of the side entrance since it was created over ten years ago with a retractable shutter. The entrance is opened up when rail replacement buses are used during engineering work, as the buses stop in The Quadrant. This demonstrates that it is possible to open up and allow passengers to use this entrance in principle. Southern support the opening in principle, subject to funding being available to provide the barriers etc. Network Rail also supports the scheme in principle and has assisted with initial business case work.
We will keep you advised of progress. 

 

DECISION ON KINGS LANE BRIDGE SAFETY PROPOSAL

We have consulted residents on our wish to see action to improve safety for pedestrians using the bridge. Given the difficulties with more radical proposals, the traffic engineers proposed building out the kerb on both sides at the intersection with Hillcroome Road. This would ensure that cars crossing from that end would start their journey across the bridge from a more central position. They would be more visible, earlier, to cars coming from the other end and to pedestrians on the bridge. The road has for some time been marked out to show where the kerb would be built out to. 

In addition, warning signs alerting drivers to the road narrowing and the presence of pedestrians will be upgraded and repositioned to make them more prominent.  

Reaction to the proposal has been generally positive but there is also support for limiting the build out to the left hand side of the road, as you face Kings Lane from Hillcroome Road. A safety study was commissioned and suggested that either option would improve the safety of the bridge.

We have decided to proceed with the reduced scheme, building out on just the left hand side. The improvement will be funded by Transport for London as a small, low-cost but helpful safety measure.

MAJOR STEP FORWARD AS LIBERAL DEMOCRATS CONTINUE BATTLE TO SAVE St. HELIER

Local campaigners have won a victory in the ongoing battle to save St Helier Hospital.

Liberal Democrat campaigners are celebrating the announcement that the immediate threat to St Helier Hospital’s Accident and Emergency, maternity and children’s wards has passed – although the future remains very uncertain.

The Better Services Better Value (BSBV) review, which in May recommended the cuts to these hospital services, has now recommended delaying going out to consultation on the plans saying, ‘This is because NHS Surrey wish to more fully understand the impact of BSBV on their residents who use NHS services in south west London, and implications for the NHS in Surrey, before public consultation begins. 

‘This means that the BSBV programme and NHS Surrey now need more time to carry out further detailed analysis of the impact of the proposals.’

In May,  BSBV recommended that St George’s, Croydon and Kingston hospitals remain as they are while St Helier should lose these crucial services, and instead become a centre for planned surgery across south west London.

The Liberal Democrat campaign to save St Helier immediately swung into action and months of effort reached a climax on 8 September when a Fun Day outside the hospital attracted protesters from across the area, who presented petitions carrying thousands of names to health service representatives.

The proposals were due to go out to a three-month consultation period at the beginning of October and we were preparing to continue the fight.

Heather Honour is one of two Sutton Councillors sitting on the pan-South West London committee investigating the proposals.

She said: “From the start we have made it clear that this was a deeply flawed process. What a pity that so much taxpayers’ money has been wasted by the BSBV team before they came to their senses.”

Councillor Mary Burstow, Chair of Sutton’s Scrutiny Committee, said: “Of course this is a reason to celebrate, but now we must work to secure the future of St Helier Hospital for generations of Sutton residents to come.

“This is now a real opportunity for residents, politicians and medical staff to work out exactly how we want to see healthcare delivered in years to come.

“And it is crucial that that discussion covers the entire capital. London’s health services need to be looked at as a whole and decisions need to be reached that meet the needs of all Londoners.”

However, the uncertainty remains for hospital staff and patients, who are still unclear about what the future holds.

WE CALL FOR RE-THINK ON WEAKENING PLANNING LAW

"Protect our green, pleasant, suburban character"

At Sutton Council’s “Bonfire night” meeting on 5 November, Richard moved a motion criticising the Government proposals annnounced on 5 September to weaken planning law. The Council agreed a motion directed to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government calling for a re-think. The motion criticised the proposed extension of permitted development rights and the envisaged interference of the Planning Inspectorate in local decisions on planning applications, affordable housing and section 106 contributions.

Here is the full text of Richard’s Speech:

“It is right that the London Borough of Sutton, which has been at the intellectual vanguard of so many policies in local Government, should be at the forefront in leading a campaign against the proposals of the Government to weaken planning law.

The motion is a balanced motion in that we are complimenting the Government on aspects of the announcement made on 6 September that we support, but we are making clear what we oppose.

We support proposals concerning the funding of new affordable housing, the refurbishment of empty homes, support for the FirstBuy shared equity scheme and support for housing associations.

But we are critical of the extension of permitted development rights, and the envisaged interference of the Planning Inspectorate in local decisions on planning applications, affordable housing and section 106 contributions.

What we are saying tonight is entirely consistent with our actions and our words on planning issues.

It is consistent with our words in that we had an excellent debate on planning policy at the Council meeting on 17 October last year. I remember speaking in that debate and noting what we have achieved in Sutton in adopting and refining a planning policy that has secured the green, pleasant, suburban character of Sutton that we all treasure. But we noted in that debate threats and concerns that arose from national policy. We welcomed many aspects of the National Planning Policy Framework but saw four difficulties with the planning system that should be addressed – and for each of these I could cite specific examples in Sutton South Ward:

1. that what is permitted development is already quite permissive and is leading to people building large and intrusive structures that should be brought within planning controls

2. that the planning system is slow moving in dealing with developers who are recalcitrant and play the system

3. the decisions of the Planning Inspectorate are sometimes inconsistent and unhelpful

4. the Courts do not always seem to take breaches of planning law seriously.

These problems remain but, sadly, the Government has not taken our advice set out in the motion we passed. Indeed, it has moved in an opposite direction in what is now proposed.

What is proposed seems to abandon the National Planning Policy Framework, does not address any of the problems that concerned us, and loosens further permitted development law.

I do not believe for one second that the relaxation of requirements to seek planning permission for extensions to domestic properties is going to unleash an avalanche of building work, thus creating jobs. To the extent that this happens, it follows that this will be through the erection of buildings that would not be permitted under current arrangements. So this is a recipe for neighbourhood disputes and the erection of ugly buildings that society does not want, and that we certainly do not want in Sutton.   

I also particularly object to the way the package deals with affordable housing and section 106 contributions. Like most of you, I find that quite a lot of my casework as a Councillor involves families that are living in poor circumstances, often because they cannot find and afford accommodation that fits their needs. We desperately need more affordable housing. There are already “get out” clauses for developers who present financial analyses seemingly proving their development is unviable if they have to provide affordable housing. I am deeply suspicious of those processes and now there are to be further “get out” routes involving the Planning Inspectorate.

What we say in this motion is also consistent with our actions. We have adopted stringent controls on development to ensure it meets the local needs of Sutton, particularly on the development of major sites and on back garden development. We do not want these interfered with by remote bodies in Whitehall and Bristol.

We have worked hard to control development in Sutton in a way that meets what local people want. And so much flows from the way the character of the area is preserved by our planning policies, making it an attractive environment for businesses and families. I never tire of telling people of the virtues of Sutton – low crime, good schools, attractive leafy streets, good transport connections, voted the best place in London to bring up children, a local economy that is surviving the recession well. All these things, to my mind, hinge crucially on having an attractive local environment and street scene.

I hope these proposals will be re-thought.

I strongly believe, in the words of the motion, that it is local people, through democratically elected local authorities, who are the best judges of what development is acceptable in an area.

I commend this motion to Council.”

SUCCESSFUL PROGRESS ON PARKING AND TRAFFIC ISSUES

Blackbush Close

Following an important meeting with officers on 5 November, progress is now being made on a number of parking and traffic management schemes we have been progressing on behalf of residents.

BLACKBUSH CLOSE – residents approached us about the shortage of parking spaces on the Blackbush Close / Bonchurch Close estate. Following a meeting with residents last January, we agreed to pursue proposals to remove yellow lines on one side of a stretch of Blackbush Close to provide more parking spaces. This is now likely to go ahead in the New Year.

EASTLEIGH CLOSE – residents have been concerned at the difficulty of parking in their own cul-de-sac, as it is often parked up with the vehicles of people who do not live in the Close. The concerns of residents led to a major survey of views on parking across the whole of the west end of our Ward, in early 2012. The results indicate a desire for parking controls in Eastleigh Close but not elsewhere. It is proposed to hold a final consultation on a proposal to extend the Controlled Parking Zone from its current boundary at the east end of Camborne Road as far as the junction with Stanley Road, taking in Eastleigh Close.

LORRAINE COURT, CAMBORNE ROAD – some residents were concerned at the difficulty of exiting into Camborne Road if cars were parked close to and thus narrowing the entrance. We have obtained agreement for yellow lines to be put across the entrance.

We are also continuing to pursue action on the KINGS LAND BRIDGE safety improvements and speeding in CAVENDISH ROAD.