We are pleased to see the Wentworth Hall name plate is now back in position after some considerable time.
The building at no. 80 Ruskin Road on the corner with Woodstock Road is owned by Sutton Council and has been extensively refurbished and extended by the current tenant, the Muslim Cultural Welfare Association of Sutton or MCWAS for short.
Wentworth Hall on Saturday 25th January 2014
These applications were for (1) increased use of floodlights; (2) the replacement of the turf pitch with a 3G plastic pitch.
Local residents’ representatives and one of your councillors spoke against both of these planning applications at the meeting.
The reasons for refusal included serious concerns over the loss of amenity and damage to the area’s environment, with a
dditional noise and nuisance caused by the floodlights and the anticipated significantly increased use of the ground, as well as a big impact on parking and traffic in local roads near the ground.
There were also considerable concerns expressed by those present about the possible impact of flooding on nearby residential properties, highlighted by the recent bout of very wet weather. We understand that the Football Club will be appealing against the Council’s decision. The appeal would go to the Planning Inspectorate based in Bristol, a Government agency.
We will be making our objections known to the planning inspector in due course. Unfortunately the planning inspector has the legal powers to overturn the Council’s decision.
MORE in a future posting and edition of FOCUS.
Local councillors Jill, Alan and Hamish have asked council officers to look again into possible solutions of speeding traffic in the West Street area as there some concerns that the traffic intensity in that road has increased with the large increases in the local school population and the local population at large. There are about 5 local schools in or near West Street!
We would also say that Sutton Council has certainly not “passed the buck” and has been active in promoting road safety in West Street for many years with its large number of schools in the vicinity.
There have been the following measures installed in West Street in the last 20 years or so in the southern section between the railway bridge and Pound Street:-
1) Traffic calming measures to encouage speed reduction down to 20 MPH, a scheme of which which was much welcomed at the time of installation by local residents, although its implementation was much delayed by objections from some residents who would have lived next to real humps (“virtual” painted humps being the only compromise solution available at the time). Many old buildings in West Street are timber framed and being close to the road, they might have been vulnerable to collapse from vibration had real humps been installed, hence the understandable objections from some residents. Therefore we would hope that any funding authority such as TfL would wish for the council investigate the installation of other suitable measures.
2) A school crossing many years by the junior school near the junction with Sycamore Close.
3) Flashing 20MPH signs. 20 MPH signage.
In spite of feeling rather gloomy about just how many trees have fallen down in the recent wind and rain, it is also worth remembering just how many trees have been planted across the borough in the last year, not just in parks but in streets as well.
We saw this information on the Woodland Trust Web site and thought it was worth sharing:
· The number of bird species increased by 3 for every additional 20% of tree cover1
· Asthma rates among children aged four and five fell by a quarter for every2 additional 343 trees per square kilometre (one in every garden on an average street)
· Concrete surfaces in tree shade can be up to 20°C cooler than concrete in sun3
· Tree shade can cool people by up to 7°C on hot days3
· Trees have been found to enhance mood, improve self esteem and lower blood pressure4
· Trees can reduce surface water runoff by up to 60 per cent compared to asphalt 5
http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/?gclid=CMaQk53I6bsCFSsKwwodTSgA8Q
The message could not be clearer: Plant a tree in your own garden and you will reap the benefits.
The Council’s Development Control Committee will be meeting on Wednesday 22nd January 2014 to discuss the latest pair of important planning applications submitted by the Carshalton Athletic Football Club (which is a tenant) to Sutton Council (which is also the landlord as well as the planning authority).
This pair of applications will have most potential effect on those residents living in Colston Avenue and the so-called Poets’ Estate area such as Coleridge Avenue, Court Drive, Shirley Avenue, Mead Cresecent and Brookfield Avenue.
Local councillors Jill, Hamish and Alan aim to attend and wish to ensure that the councillors on the committee are kept fully informed of residents’ views about the two interlinked planning applications no. C2013/68432/FUL (increased use of floodlights) and C2013/68433/FUL (new artificial pitch in lieu of grass pitch).
Residents may wish to attend the meeting which is held in public in Meeting Room 1 of the Civic Offices, St. Nicholas Way, Sutton SM1 1EA. The meeting starts at 7.30pm and this item is Agenda Item 2, so it should be heard shortly after 7.30pm.
Details can be viewed online by clicking on:- http://sutton.moderngov.co.uk/documents/s30510/1%20-%20War%20Memorial%20Sports%20Ground%20-%2068432%2068433%20-%20REPORT.pdf
Alan, Jill and Hamish regularly inspect the roads and pavements in the Carshalton Central ward/neighbourhood and report “street care” type items to the council officers for their investigation and repair etc.
Please do let us know of any such matters that you feel need looking into.
Here is a sample selection of recent requests:-
1) Bollards are URGENTLY needed to protect grass being churned up by vehicles manoeuvering outside the important Heritage Centre, Honeywood Walk.
2) West Street, Carshalton. Wonky bollard outside no. 38 West Street. This has been dislodged by accident damage.
3) Old style Road Name plate saying “WEST STREET LANE” needs repainting on north side, junction with West Street. The sign is building-mounted and certainly of “traditional” type.
4) Shorts Road. Please could the road gullies be cleared swept in the area in and around the railway brifge leading to Westmead Corner.
Chairman Councillor Hamish Pollock says: “Do come along to our meeting of the Carshalton & Clockhouse Local Committee on Tuesday 21st January 2014 from 7.30pm.
We’ll be meeting at Carshalton Beeches Baptist Church, Banstead Road, Carshalton, which is quite near the shopping parades.”
Please come and hear about:-
Sutton Residents’ Survey Results.
Healthwatch Sutton.
Sutton Shares.
Environmental Improvements in your area.
Carshalton High Street’s Recycling Centre.
School Expansion Programme Proposals.
Traffic and Parking Schemes in Grosvenor Avenue and elsewhere.
Public Realm Improvements and Neighbourhood Grant Applications.
Plans to merge the High Street post office in the St Nicholas Centre and the Grove Road branch are being put out for a 12-week public consultation. The Post Office wants to cut costs and plans to shut the St Nicholas Centre Crown post office but revamp the Grove Road office to cater for the extra demand.
The proposed merge is set to go ahead from June this year and the Post Office plans to hold a public meeting on the plans in the coming weeks but has yet to confirm where or when.
The consultation is running until April 2. The Post Office wants to know how suitable you think its plans are, whether you would have problems getting to the Grove Road branch and any facilities you would like to see introduced.
To take part visit www.postofficeviews.co.uk, write by FREEPOST to Your Comments Post Office Ltd, send an email to comments@postoffice.co.uk, call 08457 22 33 44 or Textphone 08457 22 33 55.
Read the full story here.
Cllr. Jill Whitehead took some photos last week of the Westmead Allotments under several inches of water.
These allotments are located off Colston Avenue, Carshalton.
Don’t forget the closing date for Primary School Applications is 15th January. https://www.eadmissions.org.uk/eAdmissions/app?component=homeLink&page=GeneralGuidance&service=direct
