Cllrs Jake, Jill and Chris hope that you have had a restful and enjoyable Christmas. As we begin to approach the New Year, they want to update residents on their work over the past few months, looking ahead to 2021. You can find information on a variety of local issues that the three councillors have been working on, raised by residents.

Covid 19 update

Sutton is now in Tier 4 which means households cannot mix indoors, and that non- essential shops, cafes and pubs (indoor services),  hairdressers, libraries, gyms, and indoor leisure services are now closed.

Please keep a look out for any neighbours who may be elderly, infirm or disabled, or who may have other issues related to Covid 19. Help can be provided, if needed – please contact the council at www.sutton.gov.uk. There is a dedicated page on the Council website that you can view here.

Vaccinations: Vaccinations have started for the over 80’s at the local centre which is Nonsuch Mansion House in Cheam. Those eligible will receive a direct invitation from their local doctor’s surgery to attend the vaccination centre at Nonsuch. Please note that parking is at the Cheam Rd end, and patients are expected to reach the mansion on foot from the car park. You should advise your doctor if you need help to get to Nonsuch or to reach the Mansion from the car park. If you have a specialist buggy you normally use for pavement travel, you may find this helpful for travelling from the Cheam Rd car park to Nonsuch Mansion House.  

The Council is in discussions with the local doctors group to try and set up more local vaccination centres in other parts of the borough, which are easier to get to for most residents

Parking Strategy Consultation

The third and final consultation as part of the Parking Strategy has been live for several weeks now. It is seeking comments on three proposed Parking Permit Areas in Carshalton Central- CA1, covering Wallace Crescent, Wilmot Road and the northern end of Carshalton park Road; CA2 covering Talbot Road, The Square, Brookside, Carshalton Place, Cator Road and Seymour Road; and CB, covering the southern end of Carshalton Park Road and Gordon Road in the neighbouring Carshalton South & Clockhouse Ward.

Residents living in the proposed zones have received a letter from the Council, and one from the three Lib Dem councillors directly advertising the consultation dates. This consultation will run until 4th January. Please see the dedicated post on this website for more detailed information.

Kings Lane Low Traffic Neighbourhood

Jake, Jill and Chris have been receiving, and feeding back, comments and suggestions from residents regarding the experimental Low Traffic Neighbourhood in the Kings Lane area. Strong feedback from residents in the Harrow Road area around increased congestion and motor traffic, confirmed by data, have been taken on board by officers. Council officers have been working on specific remedies to try to combat these issues. If you live in the area, you will have received a letter from the three councillors asking for your views on a set of potential options. Feedback from those letters will really help the three Lib Dem councillors, and provide additional information that they can feed back to officers to improve the scheme.

Council wins full funding to rejuvenate Sutton Town Centre

Jake, Jill and Chris are extremely pleased to see that Sutton Council’s bid to the Future High Streets Fund has not only been accepted, but has received the full £11.3 million in funding that the Council requested. This programme of works is a Council initiative focusing on rejuvenating the Town Centre in Sutton. Thanks to the extremely hard work of Council officers, and the Lib Dem administration, we have received the funding to proceed with this game-changing project. You can find out more about these exciting developments here.

Road Marking Improvements

The council will shortly be repainting the faded double yellow lines and white road signage at the junctions of Florian Avenue and Orchard Way with Erskine Road.  

Erskine Road is due to be resurfaced in 2021/22, including the roundabout at the Florian Avenue junction.  Part of Florian Avenue, close to the junction and by the shops, will also be resurfaced next year. This work will be welcome to stop the anti- social parking on this dangerous junction, and improve sight lines.

New Friends of Warren Park group

A local resident in Kings Lane is setting up a new Friends of Warren Park Group to take advantage of the increased use of parks during Covid 19. Two priorities are to improve the children’s play area and to revitalise the important nature reserve at the back of the park, which has become degraded recently due to vandalism, littering and dogs not being kept on leads.  The nature reserve used to be fenced off, and we will need to look at ways it can be protected, as it is a vital grasslands habitat with rare butterflies.  The new Friends of Warren Park have applied to become community representatives on Carshalton and Clockhouse Local Cttee. If you are interested in joining the Friends please let Jake, Jill and Chris know, and they will pass your name onto the Chair of the group.

Tree pruning survey and replacing dead trees

In November the Council undertook its four yearly survey of trees in Carshalton Central Ward, looking at those which need pruning, or other required works such as root work or crown lifting, and removing diseased or dying  trees.

Of 568 trees examined, 42 trees were found to be diseased or dying (that is 7%), and these are currently being removed. We hope to replace some of these trees through funding from Carshalton and Clockhouse Local Cttee in 2021/22, subject to budget being available. They will be replaced by climate resistant and easy to maintain species which take into consideration the changes in our weather and climate.   Residents can help by sponsoring a new tree in their road, and help to maintain it by regular watering. Details are on the Council’s website www.sutton.gov.uk.

The pruning survey and work, which was originally due to take place in 2020, but which has been delayed due to Covid 19, will now take place in 2021.  

Carshalton Buildings Update

The Lodge: Work on The Lodge is almost complete, and we look forward to Ecolocal opening up part of the ground floor for community use. The building is now looking much improved with attention paid to period detail for this important 19th century heritage building in Carshalton.

The Grove: Plans for conversion of the building by Sutton Living are well advanced now. We understand the scheme will be for ten two or three bed maisonettes which will be let at market rent. Parking will be in the council car park adjacent. We are waiting for an imminent planning application, and attention is once again being paid to the important period detail in this 1840’s vintage  building.

Stonecourt: Discussions are taking place with a developer for the sensitive conversion of this building into apartments.

The Old Rectory:  The property has been checked for condition and some repairs have been carried out and it continues to be inspected regularly to ensure there is no further deterioration.  Further decisions will be taken around the future of the building, following its recent Grade 2 * listing.

There will be further more detailed information available over the next few months.