Jill and Hamish attended the all-party Council’s Development Control Committee meeting held at the Civic Offices in Sutton on Wednesday, 22nd February.

All Saints' School Carshalton

The planning application to extend the school on Rotherfield Road by the junction with Talbot Road to provide much needed additional accommodation was granted planning permission. The decision was made unanimously by all councillors of both parties for an extension to provide additional classrooms and alterations to the car park and play areas. To make room for these changes the planning approval includes the demolition of the now-empty caretaker’s house to the north of the school. The Rev. John Thewlis, Rector of All Saints’ Church, Carshalton, and chairman of the School Governors, addressed the committee in strong support of the application.  Jill is a school governor.

It was felt by the whole committee that the approved scheme would not adversely affect the amenities of adjoining residential premises or result in a detrimental impact on highway safety or on-street parking in the vicinity such that a reason for refusal could be sustained on those grounds.  There were a small number of local residents present at the meeting, one of whom spoke in strong opposition to the application.

The planning application details are as follows:  no. C2011/65284/3FR   Detailed description: Erection of a two storey extension to provide additional classrooms and associated accommodation, provision of three canopies, a single storey plant room, new boiler flue , extension to play area including new steps and retaining wall together with play area, enlargement of car park to provide a total of 23 spaces with new gates and vehicular access and car park works to include the demolition of existing dwelling within site boundaries.

Westmead Business Centre frontage

   Cllr. Hamish Pollock says: “A planning application has been submitted by Java Asset Management to demolish Westmead House (Westmead Business Centre) and replace it with a private 74-bedroom care home over three floors plus a mezzanine and lower ground floor.  This would include a roof garden, ancillary staff and resident facilities, plant and laundry, and 20 car parking spaces to be accessed from Kingsley Avenue.   The developers also propose 325 sq metres of retail floor space on the ground floor with provision of 8 car parking spaces fronting Cowper Avenue.
   Local resident Cllr. Jill Whitehead says “Many neighbours have told me how concerned they are with this new development, which we understand is intended by the developers to partly replace the much smaller publicly-owned Oakleigh Home in Benhill Avenue which could only accommodate 35 residents.  The new proposal will result in over-development, overlook homes in Kingsley Avenue and intrude on their privacy, and will create severe parking problems in an area already known for parking stress to the extent that residents in recent years called for a Controlled Parking Zone to be set up.”
   Cllr. Alan Salter adds: “We understand that Sutton has a surplus of care home places and that a development of this size would be unnecessary, particularly bearing in mind that there are also plans to build a residential development on the same site behind the care home, in the area bounded by Kingsley Avenue, Byron Avenue East and Cowper Avenue. As none of the homes in Byron Avenue East and Cowper Avenue have garages and already suffer from problem parking, the area could not really cope with this extra pressure on resources.”
    Jill, Hamish and Alan have asked for this planning application to be brought to the Development Control Committee for full discussion and decision.

You can view the plans C2012/65431/FUL at the Council Offices at 24 Denmark Rd, Carshalton or at:-http://213.122.180.105/FASTWEB/detail/asp?AltREf=C2012/65431

     More news in a future posting…

London Olympics 2012

The Summer of 2012

During the fourteen weeks from the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee on 5^th June until the end of the Paralympic Games on 9^th September Sutton will be buzzing with activity. We hope everyone will feel inspired by the progress of our Olympians and Paralympians in 2012 and be keen to take part in more sport and cultural activities. To meet expected demand we will be offering opportunities to take part in a whole host of sporting and cultural activities. Plans include:

Sutton Arena Activity Weekend

This will be a festival of sport and physical activity for all the family, which will take place at the Arena in July.

Sports Club Festival

There will be six weeks of ‘open club’ sessions at various sports clubs across the Borough during June and July, together with some larger events aimed at encouraging people who have perhaps not taken part in sport since they were at school to try something new or return to a sport they enjoyed in the past.

Sutton Celebrating Sport and Cultural Achievement Awards

This will be a high profile celebration of and recognition of the achievements and dedication of Sutton’s sportspeople, teams, schools, sports clubs, volunteers and coaches.

The first Cultural Medals will be also be awarded to local people and groups for outstanding cultural contributions in the Borough.

Torch Relay

The Olympic Torch will pass through our borough on or around Monday 23rd July 2012 and we will be hosting a sports and cultural programme to coincide with this along the route the torch takes through our Borough.

Imagine Arts Network

Local arts groups and artists will run a programme of arts workshops over the summer holiday period, based on a theme linked to the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The culmination will be a collaborative arts event as part of the visit by the Olympic Torch Relay to Sutton in July.

The New Westcroft Swimming Pool

This is the first look at Carshalton‘s new state-of-the-art swimming pool. The main pool at Westcroft Leisure Centre next door to The Grove Park will have eight lanes and be 25m in length to allow local swimming clubs to take part in competitions and galas, while there will also be a larger teaching pool. They form the centrepiece of the new Westcroft, which is currently undergoing a multi-million pound refurbishment. Since the centre closed in October 2011 to allow the revamp to get under way, a team of up to 50 workers have been busy on the project. Hundreds of tonnes of rubble have been removed, the old pools have been demolished and asbestos from the 1970s building has been carefully disposed of. Sports, gym and office equipment have also been dismantled to use in the new centre. Cllr Graham Tope, Sutton Council’s Executive Member for Community Safety, Leisure and Libraries, said: “It’s a major undertaking but the old Westcroft was tired and jaded and this revamp will create a facility which the whole community can use and be proud of. “The borough has needed a competition length pool like this for a long time and it will help our swimming clubs build on the considerable success they have achieved in the past.” The 600,000 users who visit Westcroft every year have transferred to the borough’s three other leisure centres, Cheam, Sutton Arena and the Phoenix Centre, as well as to Carshalton College, Sutton Junior Tennis Centre and Sutton High School. Cheam and Sutton Arena have received a £950,000 refurbishment at no cost to the taxpayer to help them cope with the extra demand while Westcroft is shut Next month the shell of the new Westcroft will begin to take shape as work steps up ahead of the completion of the project early next year. Sutton Council and its leisure contractor, Everyone Active, say the refurbishment is necessary after a condition report revealed millions would have to be spent just to keep it running. Other improvements include an eight badminton court-sized sports hall, a 170 workout station gym, a creche, café, IT facilities and a new library replacing the current Carshalton Library. Carshalton Library in The Square will remain open in its present building until the new library is ready to open. Jill, Alan and Hamish welcome this refurbishment/development scheme!

The Council’s next Carshalton & Clockhouse Local Committee will be held on Tuesday 21^st February at 7.30pm at Carshalton Beeches Baptist Free Church, Banstead Road, Carshalton Beeches quite near the Banstead Road shopping parades. 

Carshalton Beeches Baptist Free Church

Chairman Cllr. Hamish Pollock says:  “A report back will be given on the plans for the new Carshalton Library, as well as the findings from the Council’s new MORI research survey on residents’ views of services.”

All residents are very welcome indeed- do come along and participate. We hope it will be an interesting meeting.

Officers from Sutton’s Safer Parks police teams were out and about in the borough on Tuesday (14th February) to issue £50 on-the-spot, fixed penalty fines to dog owners who fail to pick up after their pets.

The officers in plain clothes were in Carshalton Park and Grove Park, Carshalton. The previous week officers were patrolling the long alleyway by St. Philomena’s School, between Shorts Road and West Street, Carshalton.

The police action follows concerns raised by members of the public and indeed your Lib Dem FOCUS team councillors about dog fouling.

Safer Parks Sgt Gavin Weldon said: “Over the last few months we have worked with dog walkers to make sure they are aware that members of the public expect them to pick up after their pets.

“Most dog owners do clear up but there is a small minority of dog owners who refuse to do so – and we want this operation to send out a strong message that this behaviour won’t be tolerated.”

During the operation on Tuesday (14th February), all the dog owners picked up after their pets.

Tackling dog fouling has become a policing priority in a number wards across the borough – priorities which are set at Ward Panel Meetings, which are made up of representatives of local communities.

Cllr Colin Hall, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Change on Sutton Council, said: “Dog fouling is unhygienic, anti-social and can be a serious health threat. There’s no excuse for leaving dog mess littering public areas. Most owners are responsible and pick up after their pets, but there’s a small minority who still let their animals use our parks and pavements as a sewer. These patrols serve as a reminder that dog owners have a duty to clean up after their pets.”

Encouraging responsible dog ownership
Police in Sutton have launched a multi-agency partnership initiative to encourage responsible dog ownership of all breeds of dog called Local Environmental Awareness on Dogs (LEAD). Key partners include Sutton Council, Sutton Housing Partnership, Registered Social Landlords, the Riverside Animal Centre and the RSPCA. The LEAD initiative was prompted by the fatal dog attack in Demesne Road, Wallington, on 23 December 2010, when a 52-year-old woman died after being attacked by a dog.

Seeking support from residents
Police are urging members of the public to report any dog related issues in their neighbourhood: for example, where dogs are being bred, about any welfare or mistreatment issues and about dangerous dogs and illegal breeds. Safer Neighbourhoods officers will then make contact with owners to offer support or advice to help them look after their dog with information from organisations like the RSPCA, Kennel Club and Battersea Dogs Home. The aim is to make owners aware of their responsibilities to their pet and the wider community. Police are working closely with Registered Social Landlords who have signed up to share information with police about dog related anti-social behaviour.

Taking action
Whilst encouraging responsible dog ownership, dog owners are advised that continued anti-social behaviour by them and their pet could lead to them being invited to sign an Acceptable Behaviour Contract. This may require owners to undergo dog training and their dog having to be walked on a lead and muzzled in public places. It is also likely to mean that their dog will be monitored by the local Safer Neighbourhoods Team. For tenants any dog anti-social behaviour issues may have implications for their tenancy.

Roger Roberts won the Worcester Park by-election for the Liberal Democrats with a swing of 3% from the Tories to the LibDems. . . . . . . . . The votes cast were as follows:

Liberal Democrat 1367

Conservatives 977

Labour 315

UKIP 190

Green 46

33.5% Turnout. 

And for those who like statistics (!) here is a comparison with the 2010 local election for the Ward:

Cllr. Roger Roberts is a former councillor for the Nonsuch ward until May 2010 and, before that, Worcester Park South ward, which covered most of the present Nonsuch ward.

Cllr. Roger Roberts

Sutton Council’s make up is once again Lib Dem 43 councillors, Conservatives 11, and again there are no Labour, no Green and no UKIP councillors at all.

New Steps and Ramps at Carshalton Station

Alan, Jill and Hamish welcome the improvements being undertaken at Carshalton Railway Station at the moment.

The works are seemingly nearly finished to provide accessible access for wheelchair users on the south side of the station and a space being formed for a bike rack area. 

Works in progress at Carshalton Station

Hamish took a few progress photos on Wednesday morning.

Once a common sight across the UK, hedgehog numbers have declined by a quarter in the past ten years alone. Sutton is one of just a few areas in London where the animals live, and members of the centre’s Eco Experts club learned how they can help them to thrive.

Children learned what hedgehogs eat, where they hibernate and how they can make their back gardens more welcoming for the animals, which can travel up to a mile in a night in search of food.

Cllr Colin Hall, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Change on Sutton Council, said: “Sutton residents are lucky enough to be able to see hedgehogs right in their back yards. It’s very unusual for Londoners to be able to see these rare creatures, so I’d encourage all residents to do what they can to make their gardens more welcoming for the animals.”

A hedgehog in search of food

One of the young visitors said “I really enjoyed seeing the hedgehogs in real life. We learned a lot about what they eat – lots of people think that you should feed them bread and milk, but this is actually bad for them. Now I know what hedgehogs like, I’m going to put out food to try and get them to come and live in my garden.” 

One of the best ways you can help hedgehogs is to make your garden an easier environment for them to travel around by leaving small gaps in your garden wall or fence. Avoiding the use of pesticides such as slug pellets and keeping your garden natural will allow hedgehogs to find worms and beetles to eat. They will seek shelter to hibernate in compost heaps and log piles, and you could provide food in cold winters and even buy a hedgehog home.  

If you want to leave out food for hedgehogs then it is important to feed them the right things. Hedgehogs can’t digest milk, so leaving out bread and milk can make them seriously ill. Instead, put out cat or dog food (not fish flavoured), mild cheddar cheese, sultanas or cooked meat scraps, chopped up small enough for hedgehogs to manage. For more ideas on what you could do to help hedgehogs, visit www.hedgehogstreet.org

If you see a hedgehog in your garden, please support national recording projects by submitting your records to biodiversity@sutton.org.uk and taking part in the People’s Trust for Endangered Species hibernation survey.

The Eco Experts club runs every school holiday, and over Easter children will have an opportunity to learn about have frogs, toads and newts. To find out more, contact the Sutton Ecology Centre, Festival Walk, Carshalton on 02087 705822 or e-mail sec@sutton.gov.uk.

Jill, Hamish and Alan have been advised about the existence of a range of services offered by South West London Law Centres, which provide free legal advice to people who cannot afford to pay for legal services.

Casework Service South West London Law Centres offer a casework service, delivered under legal aid, from five outlets in South West London. They employ friendly and knowledgeable caseworkers who provide full advice and representation for Debt, Employment, Housing, Immigration and Welfare Benefits.

Please note, residents must be eligible for legal aid and this service operates by appointment only.

The nearest branches are as follows:-

Croydon and Sutton Law Centre 79 Park Lane, Croydon, Surrey, CR0 1JG DX: 144264 Croydon 24 Tel: 020 8667 9226 Fax: 020 8662 8079. Areas of Law: Debt, Housing, Immigration. Click on:  http://www.lawcentres.org.uk/directory/detail/croydon-and-sutton-law-centre-part-of-south-west-london-law-centres/

Kingston & Richmond Law Centre Siddeley House 50 Canbury Park Rd Kingston, KT2 6LX DX: 31506 Kingston upon Thames Tel: 020 8547 2882 Fax: 020 8547 2350. Areas of Law: Employment, Housing, Welfare Benefits, Immigration.

Merton Law Centre 112 London Road Morden, SM4 5AX DX: 41658 Morden Tel: 020 8543 4069 Fax: 020 8542 3814. Areas of Law: Housing, Immigration.

Wandsworth and Merton Law Centre 101a Tooting High St SW17 0SU DX: 58853 Tooting South Tel: 020 8767 2777 Fax: 020 8767 2711. Areas of Law: Housing, Welfare Benefits.

South West London Law Centres organise 12 Evening Advice Clinics each week, which are intended to provide up to 30 minutes of initial one-off advice as well as signposting and referral where necessary. Advice is delivered by volunteer lawyers who are on hand to diagnose whether a client has a legal case and to advise on what the next steps should be.

Their Evening Advice Clinics operate on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 7.00pm (except Kingston, which starts at 6.30pm). There are no eligibility criteria to access this service (although it is intended for those who cannot afford to pay for legal services.) Their Evening Advice Clinics cover a wide range of areas of law.

We recommend that residents ring the law centre on the day they wish to attend an Evening Advice Clinic to confirm that the session is going ahead and to arrive early to avoid disappointment. There are a number of daytime clinics, which are organized by appointment and provide up to 30 minutes of free initial legal advice. As with the Evening Advice Clinics, there are no eligibility criteria to access the service.