Cllr. Alan Salter says: “The Post Office are proposing to move their local Carshalton Beeches branch from no. 15 Gordon Road along to a new location at Beeches Express, 1-3 Station Approach, Gordon Road, Carshalton.  We’re told that if the move goes ahead, subject to consultation, it will change to one of their new ‘local style’ branches.  The move of this branch is part of a programme by the Post Office which will see around half the network converting to new style branches.  Post Office services will be offered from a till on the retail counter in a modern branch.  There are promised longer opening hours.  The majority of Post Office products and services will still be available.”

Cllr. Jill Whitehead says: “The Post Office have started a local public consultation and would like you to tell them what you think about the suitability of the proposed new location.  If you have any comments or questions, please email or write to the Post Office via their Communication and Consultation team, whose contact details are below.  You can share your views on the proposed move through their online questionnaire via the website address: www.postofficeviews.co.uk. When entering the site you will be asked to enter the code for this branch: 17601399. The Local Public Consultation ends 31 January 2014

Cllr. Jill Whitehead reports:

Three photos of Sutton’s parks have been chosen as the winners in the Council’s Snap Happy competition. Some of the winning photos have been taken by residents of Carshalton, children attending Carshalton schools or by those who took their photos in Carshalton’s parks. Over 400 people took part in the competition this year. The winner of the 11 and under competition was Stirling Scott who lives in Carshalton and attends the Harris Junior Academy, Camden Road, Carshalton. He snapped a coot in Beddington Park lake. The runner up in this category attends All Saints Primary School, Rotherfield Road in Carshalton and he snapped some park trees. The winner of the 12 to 17 years group was Ciara Harrison-Gadsby who attends Greenshaw School. She took a photo entitled “Made for Walking” of children playing on Sutton Green (or more specifically their boots!). Finally, the winner of the adult prize was 25 year old Laura Doherty who took a photograph of the mill wheel in The Grove Park. All the winning photos were chosen for their originality, skill and choice of subject.

Copies of all the submitted photos can be found at http://www.flickr.com/photos/39246214@N03/sets/72157634855328311/

The main building of the former Carshalton War Memorial Hospital is now completely redeveloped as 13 houses numbered 2-16 Honours Mead and 16B-16F The Park, Carshalton.  The former eight houses are accessed off Corbould Close and the latter five houses are accessed off the entrance road off Ashcombe Court, The Park. Here is a photo taken by Hamish on Sunday, 15th December 2013, 99 years after the outbreak of the war commemorated by the hospital.

Honours Mead now in residential use again

Sutton is great place to live and work

Cllr. Jill Whitehead says:

“The latest MORI survey shows that Sutton continues to score very highly with its residents. Overall, 91% say they are very or fairly satisfied with Sutton as a place to live. This compares with an average of 79% in Outer London.

When it comes to the Council itself, three in four are satisfied, much higher than in other London boroughs and nationally. A total of 76% are very or fairly satisfied with the way Sutton Council runs things. This compares with 55% in Outer London. Satisfaction with the way Sutton Council runs its services continues to rise – it has grown each year from 66% in 2003 to 76% in 2013, a rise of ten points in ten years.

Looking at the results by Local Committee area, 77% of residents in Carshalton and Clockhouse are satisfied with the way Sutton Council runs things, slightly higher than the cross Borough average.”

Cllr. Hamish Pollock says:

“The MORI survey will be presented in more detail at the next Carshalton and Clockhouse Local Committee on 21st January 2014 which I will be chairing, when residents will be able to see a Local Committee breakdown of results.  The meeting will start at 7.30pm and will take place at Carshalton Beeches Free Baptist Church, Banstead Road quite near the parades of shops. We look forward to seeing you there.”

Cllr. Alan Salter says: “Here is a summary of your Bin Collections over Christmas and New Year…”

As we have previously notified residents, there are two current planning applications:-

1) a new “3G” pitch (no. C2013/68433) and

2) for use of flood lighting for training on Monday to Saturdays up to 21.15 hours and on Sundays up to 18.00 hours, except for weekday games and cup matches up to 22.30 and 23.00 hours (no. C2013/68432), thus changing the current planning conditions for hours of use

Cllr. Jill Whitehead says:

“The planning applications for the proposed 3G pitch and related flood lighting matters will be heard by the Development Control Committee of the Council, probably in January. 

Councillors such as myself, Cllr. Alan Salter and Hamish Pollock can represent their local residents at the DCC, if residents so wish. 

Local concerned residents may also wish to speak at DCC yourself (4 minutes are usually allowed for each speaker at the discretion of the committee chair), by letting the Mr. Peter Snow, the committee manager (E-mail: peter.snow@sutton.gov.uk) know when the date of the relevant DCC meeting is announced. Proposed speakers will need to say which body they are representing. The Chair of the Development Control Committee will decide which groups can speak. 

The statutory public consultation for this planning application is currently taking place (6th to 27th December) according to national planning rules, and if residents have objections they can send them into the Council’s Planning Department at Denmark Road or via the Council’s website. 

It is important to note that only planning matters can be considered by the DCC – these include e.g. those things to do with traffic, parking, hours of use, noise, floodlighting, flooding, nature conservation, trees. It is up to the DCC to decide if it wishes to approve, defer (postpone) to another meeting or to reject the planning application.

As the Council abides by national planning rules set by central government, the DCC cannot consider non-planning related matters such as the value of a property, personal views about a planning applicant, or commercial considerations.

As it is the members of the Development Control Committee who will make the decision, residents will need to make their  views known to them at the DCC meeting when it is called, but you can only discuss planning matters. Officers can advise you further.”

Cllr. Alan Salter says:

“We’ve been told that 3 site notices were displayed and letters hand delivered to 338 neighbouring properties on 5^th December 2013. Planning officers have however visited the yesterday afternoon and have noted that the notice displayed on the Colston Avenue entrance is no longer there. The other two notices at the entrance to the recreation ground in Brookfield Avenue and Wrythe Lane are still in place.

The minimum statutory requirements for planning applications of this nature are either the display of site notices OR letters of notification to neighbouring properties. In this case the Council has undertaken both forms of notification and accordingly has met the minimum statutory requirements. Unfortunately notices are often removed by others and the Council does not have the resources to ensure that they always remain in place, hence this Council also sends letters of notification to neighbours.

Planning officers assure us that the Council will not make a decision prior to 21 days from the notification letters of 5^th December, and in practice the Council will accept letters of representation up until the point that it makes a decision. This will be at the 8^th January Development Control Committee at the earliest, but given the Christmas break could be later.Councillors and council planning officers are all aware of the strength of feeling of local residents regarding this site, and we are advised that all comments received prior to a decision being made will be taken into account.

There is also the opportunity for residents to attend the Committee and speak should they so wish.”

I will be applying the chalk from a boat.  The ponds will look whiter and a bit milky for a few days.  This should disappear and there will be no other effects.  The likely day for this work is Wed 18th December although it will depend somewhat on weather conditions.  We will need calm conditions due to the powdery consistency of the chalk.  Work will ideally be completed in one day and will certainly take no longer than two days.  No roads or access around the ponds will be affected.  I have attached a photo to show what this may look like. I will monitor improvements over the coming months.  As the silt is deep in places, it is likely that further applications in following winters will be required.  We have funding to cover this.  This action should also reduce the Council’s costs for managing the ponds in the longer term. I will put up signs around the ponds to explain what is happening to passersby and if anyone has further questions I would be more than happy to answer them.  I hope you will help the project by supporting this activity and pass on the news on as widely as possible.

Click on:- Siltex-image-credit

Environment & Neighbourhoods Committee chair and local councillor Jill Whitehead says:

“Sutton Council is bidding for heritage lottery money for a number of important heritage type projects in our borough and has been successful in a bid for the Ecology Centre, Festival Walk, here in Carshalton, the jewel of the borough’s crown, as it were.”

The project is designed to encourage greater use of local nature sites by creating Nature Explorer backpacks which parents will be able to hire from the Ecology Centre to use with their children. This will benefit a new generation of schoolchildren who will learn more about nature, local sites and associated fauna. Sutton Council was successful in achieving grant funding of £6,500 (“every little helps!”) and Sutton Council itself will provide another £2,000. The preparatory work has been carried out on designing maps and backpacks.

A launch event will take place in early Summer 2014 and we’re told that the backpacks will be in use throughout next summer onwards.

The Old Rectory in times past before it became the Sutton Ecology Centre in the heart of Carshalton Village