The Forge on Saturday 14th January

Jill, Alan and Hamish have recently sent  the following letter to the Sutton Borough Guardian. Let us hope they print it in next week’s edition… We feel strongly about this building in Carshalton’s Conservation Area. 

Dear Editor,

We are writing to thank the residents of Carshalton who alerted us to the demolition work that was being carried out illegally by the owners of The Forge in Carshalton High Street. We immediately informed the Council’s enforcement officers who put a stop to the works, served an enforcement order and threatened prosecution if it continues.

We have also ensured that the proposed planning application will be heard in public at the Planning Committee so that we can have the opportunity to raise our concerns. We have been talking to local residents and have been able to reassure them that no decision has been made yet.

This site is in the heart of the Carshalton Conservation Area which gives it a degree of protection against unsuitable development.  Like our residents, we value our local heritage and believe that a car wash would be wholly unsuitable, as well as causing unacceptable traffic and parking problems. The local police team are now also involved and are keeping an eye on the site. We are all very concerned about the recent turn of events and want to maintain the historic nature of the area. The Forge was once owned by the grandparents of the wife of one of our former councillors, Anne Dodwell nee Haydon. The Haydons played a big part in the history of Carshalton and were the local butchers. We do not want to lose that history.

Yours Sincerely,

Cllr. Hamish Pollock, Cllr. Alan Salter, Cllr. Jill Whitehead
Carshalton Central Ward

Kingsley Avenue Street Sign Repainted

Jill, Alan and Hamish reported the Kingsley Avenue road name sign at the junction with Westmead Road being in some need of paint and before long it has been repainted. Thank you Environmental Services of Sutton Council.  If you are aware of any street name plates or other street furniture that is in some need of a repaint please do let us know.

The cleared site for nine new homes in Rotherfield Road

The redevelopment of this site for nine new houses is getting under way at long last. We took some progress photos in the sunshine on Saturday, 14th January 2012. The new site is to be called Rotherfield Place (changed to Lakin Close) containing 3, 4 and 5 bedroomed houses. Bairstow Eves Estate Agents have apprently advertised locally a pre-launch event of the development plans  by Martin Grant Homes from 6pm-8pm on Thursday 19th January 2012 at their nearby premises at 92 High Street, Carshalton.

The View of the Hoardings and Flags in Rotherfield Road

Carshalton Methodist Church's Stained Glass South Window

Hamish reports: “On Sunday 15th January  I visited this very smart and attractive Church in Ruskin Road next to the road called The Park in my capacity as Deputy Mayor of Sutton. Personally it was a great honour for me to be invited to attend and take a small part in a Centenary Service of the church.   We were impressed by the lovely members of the congregation and their impressive building. Fellow councillors Jill and Alan were also present so that residents could meet their local councillors, even on a Sunday morning!”  Attached are a couple of photos of the church interior taken with the consent of the Church.

Carshalton Methodist Church's Organ

The former old public lavatories block and changing rooms at Wrythe Recreation Ground in Brookfield Avenue have now been demolished, following the decision at a recent Carshalton and Clockhouse Local Committee. The concrete plinths have now had soil laid over them and grass seed planted to return them to green land again. Local resident Cllr. Jill Whitehead says “The removal of the eyesore buildings should remove problems with grafitti and vandalism and will provide much needed extra green space in the park again.”

Sutton Council has at last received a planning application no. C2011/65284/FUL which became valid only in the last few days. As previously advised on our local councillors’ web site and via our FOCUS newsletters the school expansion was recently approved by the Executive Committee of Sutton Council.

The new planning application description says:- “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.” Residents may wish to view the plans at 24 Denmark Road, Carshalton SM5 2JG during normal office hours or on line via www.sutton.gov.uk quoting the above reference number.

It is likely that this application would be heard by the council’s Development Control Committee as it is a major application and it is in our experience likely to attract many residents’ representations/ letters to the planning department about it.

Both Cllrs. Jill Whitehead and Hamish Pollock sit on this particular committee but not at all meetings of it as it has a rotating panels of members.  There will an opportunity for the planning applicant (we believe  this would be either Sutton Council’s officers or their agents or even the school head), for the representatives of local residents to speak either in favour or against this application, and for the relevant ward councillors to also to have a chance to represent residents’ views.  There are always set time limits for these speeches which are of the order of 4 minutes per above-mentioned group. Residents may recall that local councillor Hamish Pollock had indeed represented residents’ views on the 4 planning applications relating to the redevelopment plans at nos. 2, 2A, 4 and 4A Rotherfield Road in recent years. As usual we expect that we would represent residents’ views when this application is decided upon at committee.    Jill, Alan and Hamish as your three local ward councillors have asked officers if the area of the statutory notification could be extended to cover at least the three roads that surround the school namely Rotherfield Road, Talbot Road and Carshalton Place and as we went to press we await the officers’ response on this request. These roads are where parents mostly seem to park and drop off the children for this school. We hope to have a further update soon…

A232 Pound Street/High Street – Railing Replacement Works

Transport for London has appointed EnterpriseMouchel to carry out works on the A232 Pound Street/High Street adjacent to Carshalton Ponds. The works will begin on Monday 23 January 2012 and, weather permitting, will be completed by mid March 2012.  The works involve replacing the old heritage-style posts and railings around the ponds and resurfacing of the A232 Pound Street and part of Carshalton Road.

Cllr. Jill Whitehead in summertime by the railings

Railing Replacement Works

The old railings will be replaced with new identical posts and rails installed at a uniform height and set into a concrete foundation. In the event of further vehicle impacts, the new posts are designed to shear at the base helping to reduce the damage to the brick wall surrounding the ponds. Damaged sections of post and rail can then be replaced promptly resulting in less disruption to those travelling in the area.   

 In order to undertake the railing replacement works it will be necessary to close the westbound lane of the A232 between the junctions with The Square and West Street. Traffic will be directed to use Park Lane, Ruskin Road, Carshalton Park Road and Beynon Road but access will still be permitted to Carshalton High Street as far as The Square.  Temporary traffic signals will be used to control eastbound A232 traffic and traffic exiting from North Street.  The traffic management arrangement will remain in place 24 hours a day and 7 days a week until the works are completed.

Please note that it may also be necessary for TFL to completely close the A232 Pound Street/ High Street and North Street (at its junction with the A232) between the hours of 20.30 and 05.00 for 2-3 nights during the works. Temporary signs will be put out on site at the appropriate times to show the local diversions.  A232 traffic will be directed to use Park Lane/ Ruskin Road/ Carshalton Park Road/ Beynon Road and North Street traffic will be directed to use Nightingale Road/ Hackbridge Road/ London Road and Manor Road North Road as a diversion.

The railing replacement works are, weather permitting, due to be completed on Friday 2 March 2012.

Carriageway Works

The A232 Pound Street and Carshalton Road are to be resurfaced between the junctions of North Street and Alma Road.  The works will be undertaken at night under road closures and will follow the completion of the railing replacement works.  A separate letter with details of the dates and traffic management arrangements will be sent out to local residents and traders nearer the time

TfL say that it is firmly committed to minimising disruption. We appreciate that a certain level of disruption is inevitable and they have worked closely with EnterpriseMouchel and Sutton Council in order to reduce the impact of these works on road users and local people as far as possible.

TfL apologise in advance for any inconvenience that these essential works may cause. Should you require any further information or an update during the delivery of these works please contact TfL’s Streets Customer Services department on 0845 305 1234 or via their website at www.tfl.gov.uk/contact

The above information was received from Peter Fletcher, MQT & Information Co-Ordinator | Strategic Relationship Management Centre, Surface Transport Communications, Transport for London, Zone Y7, 11th Floor, Palestra, 197 Blackfriars Road, London, SE1 8NJ.  Tel: 0203 054 2060 (int 82060) E-mail: peter.fletcher@tfl.gov.uk  Web site: www.tfl.gov.uk

The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will have an impact on those who live, work and travel in London. Think about how the Games could affect YOU and make your preparations now.  You can find help and more information at http://www.tfl.gov.uk/2012

The Safety Notice in Carshalton Park above the Air Raid Shelter hole....

Air raid shelters were created just prior to World War Two. The government at the time wanted all local councils to arrange for surveys to be made in their areas to ascertain suitable premises in shopping, business and other aeras where the public were likely to congregate more than seven minutes’ walk from the homes. 

Councils for fairly built-up areas such as the old Carshalton Urban District Council had to provide a system of trenches in their public parks and open spaces such as Carshalton Park to the rear of the even-numbered houses in Ruskin Road between the tennis courts and The Park.   They were built and more or less completed by the end of September 1939 just a few weeks after the outbreak of the war. We’ve been told by the local Council archivist from Sutton Council that the Carshalton Urban District area shelters were built as follows:-

Jill, Alan and Hamish by the fenced off air raid shelter hole in the ground...

The revised proposals for yellow lines in both Beeches Avenue and Park Hill, Carshalton were agreed at the December meeting of the Council’s Carshalton & Clockhouse local committee. Residents in these two roads will shortly be receiving a letter from the Council. The letter will enclose a copy of the proposals for yellow lines and a copy of the Traffic Management Order required to introduce the single yellow line waiting restrictions along various lengths of Beeches Avenue and Park Hill. Please send your comments to traffic.postbook@sutton.gov.uk. or write to:- Mathew Baby, Smarter Travel Sutton, London Borough of Sutton, 24 Denmark Road,Carshalton SM5 2JG Tel: 020-8770 6452.

Alan, Jill and Hamish by one of the newly-rebuilt brick piers by Carshalton Park

December 2011 Carshalton & Clockhouse Local Committee Chairman’s Report:

Cllr. Hamish Pollock, Chair of the Carshalton Local Committee says: “We’re pleased that at last the brick piers supporting the railings at Carshalton Park have been repaired/rebuilt using the Council’s Public Realm funding that was agreed recently. These piers/railings face Ashcombe Road and The Park.”

Local community representatives recently proposed to allocate Public Realm (community improvement) funds of £3,800 to Sutton Ecology Centre in Carshalton for interpretation and notice boards, and £4,800 for fencing to secure the Westmead Allotments off Colston Avenue and repairs to the car park to the same site. Also proposed were some further funding for some new fencing in Warren Park off King’s Lane, in the final distribution of sums for the current financial year. These items were all agreed at the local committee in December.