Charles Cryer reopens!

Councillors Jake, Jill and Chris were very pleased to attend a gala at the Charles Cryer Centre on Friday evening, signifying the formal reopening of the theatre in the heart of Carshalton.

The event featured many local artists including young musicians from Sutton Music Service, Kazoom, The Brook Choir and Wayne Woodward. It was an incredible evening showcasing local talent, in the borough’s newly opened cultural hub.

The Lib Dem Councillors for Carshalton Central are extremely proud that Carshalton is now the focalpoint for culture and the arts in Sutton borough.

They were delighted to see the theatre was full throughout the evening, with Councillors and other individuals from across the borough coming together to support the newly reopened theatre.

Now that the Cryer is official back up and running, it is incumbent on us all to support the new theatre by going to events and shows there!

Jake, Jill and Chris would like to extend their thanks to CryerArts for running such a marvellous evening. CryerArts have their full support and wish them the best of luck with the venture in the coming weeks, months and years.

Cllrs Jake Short, Jill Whitehead and Chris Williams outside the Cryer for the opening gala on Friday evening

Holocaust Memorial Day 2020

All three of us were humbled to attend the Holocaust Memorial Day event this morning at Sutton Grammar School. At the event, we heard from Mrs Eve Gill, a survivor of the Holocaust who told us her story from living in Vienna up to the present day with details of her traumatic experience in Nazi-occupied Austria.

We also saw performances from local school children expressing their interpretation of this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day theme ‘Stand Together’.

This event is run every year through the Sutton and District United Synagogue, and Sutton Grammar School, involving schools from across the borough. Through this yearly commemoration, we show that we cannot allow the evils of the past to become our present or future.

-Cllrs Jake Short, Jill Whitehead and Chris Williams

Charles Cryer Update

Jake, Jill and Chris are very pleased to be able to announce that following productive discussions between the Council and CryerArts, the Charles Cryer Theatre aims to open in early November now that the lease has been agreed. 

CryerArts are a locally-based collective bringing different cultural activities together. Works can now visibly be seen to be taking place on the exterior of the building as CryerArts complete the necessary works to bring the building up to standard before opening in the next few weeks.

While the process may have taken longer than some had hoped, both the Council and CryerArts have been working tirelessly to provide a major cultural space in the heart of Carshalton. 

This ambition, which is now very nearly a reality, is also backed up by Sutton Council’s ambitious bid to be the London Borough of Culture for 2023. With the exciting news about the Charles Cryer, Jake, Jill and Chris hope that residents can show their support for the Council’s bid. More information can be found by going to https://www.sutton.gov.uk/news/article/427/our_bid_to_become_london_borough_of_culture_2023

Councillors Join Better Buses Campaign

Carshalton Central Liberal Democrat Councillors Jake Short, Jill Whitehead and Chris Williams have today joined Tom Brake’s Better Buses for Sutton campaign. This campaign aimed at improving local transport in Sutton has already received hundreds of responses in support and has already chalked up some big wins for local residents.

Two key demands of the Better Buses campaign have already been met with approval from Transport for London. Starting at the end of this month, the 407 route will run with increased capacity as a double decker bus, and the 127 will run with increased frequency, easing the extreme congestion the routes see particularly during the school run.

Commenting on the new campaign, Cllrs Short, Whitehead and Williams said:

“We’re very pleased to see the Better Buses campaign has gotten off to a really good start. Improving transport in Carshalton is a key pledge that we made at the last local elections. Alongside the new Lime e-bike scheme and the GoSutton trial, improving our local bus routes in Carshalton is clear evidence we’re well on our way to meeting this pledge. We are particularly pleased to hear that the campaign is already being met with success- increasing frequency and capacity on the 127 and 407 routes will help residents in Carshalton immeasurably.”

GoSutton has expanded!

Sutton’s new Demand Responsive Bus trial- GoSutton- has expanded! From today onwards for the rest of the trial, you will now be able to use the service anywhere between Cheam and Beddington.

This new announcement is excellent news for local transport in our area, opening up a new accessible means of getting around for residents right across the borough. To celebrate, GoSutton have announced that for the rest of August the price of a ride has been reduced to £2. To start using this trial service, click here to find out more.

Dominos Licensing Application: Have Your Say

Recently, Dominos were allowed under the Conservative Government’s permitted development regulations to take on the former Siam Orchid site on Carshalton High Street.

Unfortunately, as this was a permitted development, Sutton Council had no input into the decision.

Now, the new Dominos have applied for a new premises license.

This new license would allow for the sale of Late Night Refreshment (hot food and drink) from 11pm to midnight Monday to Thursday and Sunday, with an additional hour until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays. The application also states they will not be serving alcohol.

The application can be viewed online here.

If you want to comment on the application, you can do so by filling in the form under the heading ‘Making a Representation’; by sending an email to licensing@sutton.gov.uk or by post at:

Licensing Manager,
Regulatory Service-Licensing,
London Borough of Sutton,
24 Denmark Road,
Carshalton,
Surrey,
SM5 2JG

The closing date for representations is 2nd September.

Please note that if no valid representations are received by then, the application is required by law to be automatically granted.

Parking Strategy Update:

Where We Are Now

Jake, Jill and Chris have spent the past year talking to residents about the parking situation on their road. Late last year, proposals were put forward for roads in half of the ward, stretching from Sutton Grove and Kings Lane in the west, to Mill Lane in the east of the ward, and between Banstead Road in the south and Brookfield Avenue in the north. This was Stage 2 of the Parking Strategy, asking for feedback on proposals ahead of a formal consultation at Stage 3 on final recommendations.

For most roads in this phase of the Parking Strategy, there were no proposed changes- as residents were very clear that they have no major parking issues on their road. This was particularly the case in the Harrow Road/Oxford Road area. In this part of the ward, the only proposed change focused on extending yellow lines on Cambridge Road, near the junction with Carshalton Road to allow greater clearance for buses. Equally, for the areas around Brookfield Avenue, Milton Avenue and Kingsley Avenue no major changes were proposed, except for yellow lining of certain areas at the Milton Avenue/Brookfield Avenue junction to formalise rules that residents said were unofficially being followed. This was proposed here so that enforcement action can be taken in future if those unofficial rules are not followed.

For other parts of the ward, there were several different proposals being put forward to try to deal with issues that residents had raised. These were organised into several different coloured zones.

Green Zone- Paid CPZ.
Roads: Sutton Grove and Waterloo Road
Councillors Recommendation: To NOT go ahead
This proposal was for a full paid Controlled Parking Zone operating from 8am to 6:30pm. This means it would require paid permits for residents to be able to park here. Only residents living in the zone would be eligible for permits to park here.

Based on clear feedback from residents here, Jake, Jill and Chris have recommended to officers that this proposal NOT go forward to the Stage 3 consultation.

Blue Zone Free CPZ.
Roads: Ringstead Road, Carshalton Grove, Byron Avenue, Byron Avenue East, Byron Gardens, Cowper Avenue, Harold Road, Florian Avenue and Orchard Way

Councillors Recommendation: To NOT go ahead

This proposal was for a non-permit parking scheme involving marked bays and single yellow lines. The single yellow lines would have one hour of operation, outside which anyone could park on those lines. Permits would not be required to park in the marked bays at any time. Based on firm feedback from residents in this area, Jake, Jill and Chris have recommended to officers that this proposal NOT go forward to the Stage 3 consultation.

Yellow Zone Paid CPZ
Roads: Rossdale, Alma Road, Shorts Road, Colston Avenue, West Street, West Street Lane, North Street, Rochester Road, Mill Lane, Station Road, Palmerston Road, Gurney Road, Grove Mill Place and Papermill Close

Councillors Recommendation: Alter proposals from a CPZ to a PPA in the Mill Lane area up to West Street for Stage 3 and for the proposal to NOT go ahead on Colston Avenue, Rossdale, Alma Road and Shorts Road.

This proposal was for a full Controlled Parking Zone in the roads listed from 8am to 6:30pm. This means it would require paid permits for residents to be able to park here. Only residents living in the zone would be eligible for permits to park here.

The feedback to Jake, Jill and Chris showed support for this proposal was very mixed, with some roads clearly wanting it and others clearly not wanting it. It also contains roads where, upon reflection, a paid CPZ would not adequately deal with the parking issues presented. This is particularly true in Colston Avenue, Rossdale, Alma Road and Shorts Road. In this area, Jake, Jill and Chris have asked that the proposals be scaled back and changed. We have recommended that the scheme not go ahead on Colston Avenue, Rossdale, Alma Road and Shorts Road for that reason.

Jake, Jill and Chris have spent several months speaking to residents in the Mill Lane area where feedback has been very divided. We took concerns from those who were opposed to the proposal back to Council officers- who have suggested that instead of a Controlled Parking Zone, a Parking Permit Area go forward to Stage 3. This is very different to the CPZ proposal as it is much more time limited- focusing on a two hour period of operation and would not lead to yellow lines being placed in front of dropped kerbs, which was a major cause for concern on Mill Lane. Speaking to residents in the Mill Lane area, Jake, Jill and Chris have found substantial support for this compromise solution and will therefore be recommending it go forward to Stage 3. This new proposed Permit Parking Area would cover roads from West Street to Mill Lane, including the roads coming off of Mill Lane.