SOUTH SUTTON NEIGHBOURHOOD ASSOCIATION GARDEN PARTY

On Sunday 4 August the South Sutton Neighbourhood Association held its 2013 garden party, hosted by Richard and Gloria in their garden, in The Ridgway.

Richard and Gloria have been members of the SSNA since moving to The Ridgway, exactly a quarter of a century ago this year. Heather is also a longstanding member, and was among those who came to the party.

About 30 SSNA members came, and enjoyed cakes, tea, soft drinks or a glass of wine. Richard’s courgettes were much admired, though his runner beans are suffering badly from blackfly.

 

SSNA party

STAGGERING WORKLOAD INCREASE CHALLENGES CASE FOR CLOSURE

paul at St Helier

A staggering increase in the workload of the St. Helier hospital Accident and Emergency Department, during the hot weather, has again challenged the case for closure of this important facility.

The hot weather has led to the busiest July in six years at St Helier and Epsom’s Accident and Emergency departments.

The threatened A&E departments saw an increase of 19 per cent – which is around 1,420 extra patients between July 1 and 22.

Overall 8,917 patients were seen during that period compared to 7,496 in 2008.

An average of 405 patients came in to A&E each day and on July 15 a staggering 468 patients attended A&E.

Our photo above shows Heather and Richard at St. Helier hospital protesting against the closure of the A & E and maternity departments.

STUDY CONFIRMS PARKING REVENUE IN SUTTON AMONGST LOWEST IN SOUTH LONDON

A study by the RAC Foundation of the revenue Councils make from on-street parking permits, off-street parking charges and parking penalties in 2011-12 found that Sutton had the smallest net revenue of any London Borough Council in south London except Bexley.

Sutton ranked 92 in the listing produced by the Foundation. Bexley, ranked 93, was just below Sutton. All other London Boroughs in south London came above Sutton, with higher net revenue figures.

The study, based on annual returns to the Department of Communities and Local Government, examined gross figures for revenue offset against the cost of running parking operations (excluding capital costs).

Richard said “While I have criticisms of the value of this study in terms of the way statistics are used, the study is consistent with something we already knew. Parking charges in Sutton are very reasonable to the motorist and to local residents.”

WHAT TO DO IN SUTTON THIS SUMMER

Now that summer has arrived, we have put together some information that might help you to enjoy the sunny weather (hopefully) over the next 6 weeks, particularly those of you who are looking after children during the school holidays.

Whatever your plans over the summer, we do hope you will have an opportunity to spend sometime relaxing with friends and family. We also hope to see many of you at the Environmental Fair on the August Bank Holiday  in Carshalton Park.

Children and Family Activities

Take up the Reading Challenge with your local library and make sure your child or children’s reading doesn’t dip over the summer. Sutton Library will also be organising a range of reading events and  the Phoenix Centre a range of craft and leisure activities.

Sutton Ecology Centre will be running nature classes for families and children, including how to become a camouflage expert (some fees apply).  Kickz, cake decorating and street dancing are just some of the range of activities being put on at the Sutton Life Centre.

The Honey wood Museum will be hosting crafty activities throughout the holidays, as well as a puppet-making course and a Wild About Wildlife afternoon.

The new Westcroft leisure centre will be running a summer school in tandem with ‘fit for sport’ throughout August for all children, ages 5-12. Carshalton Athletic is also running football training camps for all abilities from ages 4-11. While The David Weir Centre is also offering professional sports coaching for those aged 5-15.

In the Capital

Ride London will see cycling events taking place in London and Surrey between Aug 1-4th. The Scoop next to City Hall will be hosting a range of free events throughout the summer. Why not take advantage of the wide range of London’s excellent museums.

The start of September will see The Mayor’s Thames Festival return to the capital to celebrate London’s iconic river through art, music, and educational events both on the water and along its banks and bridges.

Heather and Richard

OPENING THE SIDE ENTRANCE TO SUTTON STATION

side entrance

Ever since we were elected in2010 we have been pursuing an objective to get the side entrance to Sutton station opened as a second entrance.

There are several reasons for this, and it is a particular passion for Richard who for over 20 years of his life commuted from his home in The Ridgway to central London for work, running (as he was usually late for his train) past the shuttered and barricaded side entrance to the station to enter by the front, then in the evening shuffling (as the station is officially classified as overcrowded) to get out the front, when he could have left by the side. There are many residents of our Ward who commute to central London for work and approach the station from the Wellesley Road direction, so have the same experience every working day as Richard had. But opening the side entrance will also make The Quadrant and the bike rack more accessible.

Today, 25 July, is likely to be seen as the day we were able to be sure the side entrance will open next year.

Today there was the first meeting of the Sutton Gateway project board, of which Richard is a member. There were discussions involving the Council, Network Rail and Transport for London. It was confirmed that the firm intention, now, is to open the side entrance. The project is more complex than simply putting a row of entrance gates where the shutter closing the side entrance is currently situated. There will be some re-building of the side entrance, a canopy, gates and the very steep flight of stairs (too steep to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act) will be replaced by a flight at right angles to the current flight of stairs, at a more gradual gradient.

Richard said “This is exciting news for Sutton South residents. The campaign we started in 2010 has succeeded.”

R and H at side entrance

RESIDENTS SAY “NO” TO DEMOLITION PLANS

 richard sharples court petiton
Residents at Richard Sharples Court, a South Sutton block of sheltered housing for the elderly, are protesting at plans to knock down a long-established family house opposite their homes.
Richard and Heather called in on residents of Richard Sharples Court this week to collect the residents’ petition, which they presented to Sutton Council at its meeting on 22 July. The petition, signed by 47 residents, seeks reassurance about possible disruption caused by the demolition and building work in an area with several blocks of sheltered housing for the elderly, the possible disruption of bus services in the road, and the lack of sufficient car park spaces in the proposed block.
Heather said “”Many of the older residents in Cavendish Road already find it difficult to cross the road because of speeding traffic.  We will do all we can to keep the road safe and pleasant for them”.
Richard said “The demolition of family homes in our Ward and their replacement with blocks of small flats is leading to a shortage of larger family homes at a time that lots of people want to move to Sutton thanks to our excellent schools, low crime and green spaces. In an area of parking pressure we also need more parking spaces than the developer proposes here.”
The photograph shows Richard and Heather receiving the petition.
 

PROTECTING THE AREA AGAINST UNWANTED DEVELOPMENT

cotoneasters
The Highfields Residents’ Association has, with the support of Heather and Richard, adopted a strong policy to resist any development in its area that will alter the character of their area.
Richard, a former Chair of the Association, who spoke in favour of the policy at the Association’s meeting, said “This is a sensible policy, consistent with the policies of Sutton Council, that will be helpful to local Councillors in our work to protect the area against unwanted development.”
The policy sets out the circumstances in which the Association will object to a planning proposal in its area. It reminds residents that it is best to talk to your neighbours before proposing changes to your property that might affect them. It generally opposes developments in back gardens and those that alter the street scene, and developments inconsistent with the neighbourhood’s designation as an Area of Special Local Character.
The Highfields Residents’ Association covers the Highfields Area of Special Local Character in South Sutton, and includes The Ridgway, Mayfield Road, Hillcroome Road and Chalgrove Road. Richard is a former Chair of the Association and organises their annual Safari Supper.
The policy was adopted at a special meeting of members held by the Association on 15 July.

39A EATON ROAD: PLANNING LAW MUST BE RESPECTED

39A DURING DEMOLITION

39A DURING DEMOLITION

At Sutton Council’s Development Control meeting on 17 July Richard persuaded Councillors to reject a retrospective application relating to the house built at 39A Eaton Road.
The building at 39a Eaton Road has already had two applications rejected by Sutton Council, but the developer had won on appeal.  When a second developer finally started building, he decided to amend the design, thus departing from the design for which he had permission.  Window bays were wider, the height of the building had increased by half a metre, with roof lights projecting above the ridge of the roof by a further half a metre.
Letters of objection had been received from 62 properties.
Richard said: “Local people were unhappy that the developer had failed to understand the principle that, if you have Planning Approval, that is what you build to, and not something else.  Builders know this.  Architects know this, so why didn’t the developer?”

Councillor Mary Burstow said: “When I saw the plans for the first time, I was surprised by how the amendments had increased the buildings size and bulk.  The building no longer looked like a large house, trying to blend in with its neighbours, it looked like an ugly block of flats.”

Should the applicant appeal to the Planning Inspectorate and be unsuccessful he will have to lower the roof height and reduce the width of the window bays.  The cost of doing this will be significant.  Richard said “It is very important the developers understand that Sutton Council is not a soft touch when it comes to planning permission.”

 

RICHARD WARNS OF SHORTAGE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING

Sutherland House

Sutherland House

 
Sutton is facing a major shortage of homes at prices people can afford, Richard told the public enquiry into the latest planning application for Sutherland House, on 18 July.
He called on the Planning Inspectorate to make it a condition of granting the application that at least some of the 160 luxury flats to be included in plans to renovate the block be “affordable homes”, to enable Housing Associations to make them available to people in real need.
He told the enquiry of examples from his casework as a local Councillor where people were living in cramped conditions, including one case where parents, grown up children and their children were all living in a two bedroom flat, yet this family were still some way down the priority list on the Council’s housing register. There was a crying need for more homes at prices people can afford.
He said “These flats, close to Sutton station, will be worth a bomb. I cannot believe that the economics of this project make it impossible to provide some affordable homes without the developer still making sufficient profit to make the conversion worthwhile.”
He criticised Government plans to make it possible to convert offices to housing without providing affordable homes, in the future.
He said “Sutherland House is an eyesore. It is overdue for re-development. But the developers could make this one change, providing some affordable housing, to help the local community.”
Richard was speaking at a Planning Inspectorate enquiry into the most recent planning application for Sutherland House, to convert the property to 160 luxury flats, held at Strawberry Lodge, Denmark Road, on 17 July.
The Council has suggested that up to ten of the flats could be affordable homes without an unacceptable impact on the economics of the project, following an independent study. 

RICHARD SEEKS WIDENING OF GATEWAY PROJECT

side entrance
Consideration should be given to providing more taxi ranks in Sutton town centre.
 
Richard intends to ask the Board considering a programme of development around Sutton railway station (the “Sutton Gateway” project) to look at the case for additional taxi ranks in the town centre, and whether they could be made to work and be of value.
He was speaking after meeting officers from Transport for London and the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association, preliminary to the development of the project to look at the options for improvements to the area around Sutton railway station. 
He said “The only major taxi rank operating all day and night in the town centre is the one at the railway station. It is a long walk from the other end of the town centre. While we are looking at the way buses and taxis operate around the area of the station, as part of the project TfL is funding, we ought to look at the town centre as a whole.” 
Transport for London have provided funding for a project to examine options for improvements to the area around Sutton railway station. This may include the opening of the side entrance to Sutton station, and the project is about to commence.
Sutton South Ward includes the side entrance and many of our residents, commuting to London every day, walk past the shuttered and barricaded side entrance to enter the station from the oftenovercrowded front. Richard is a member of the project Board.