Local authorities are not legally obliged to provide pest control services, and many nearby boroughs either charge residents or do not offer any services at all. However councillors thought it was important to maintain the current service in order to support hard-pressed families who might not be able to afford to treat pests.

Cllr. Jill Whitehead, Chair of the Environment and Neighbourhood Committee at Sutton Council, said: “Like any responsible council, we’re carefully scrutinising every penny of residents’ money we spend, but all the councillors on the committee felt that this was a step too far.

“We were concerned about the impact this could have on some of our residents, and of course there’s the fear that it could lead to an increase in pests across the borough.”

Cllr. Hamish Pollock took up a local resident’s recent concerns about the amount of parked cars and speeding traffic in Orchard Way, Sutton in our local neighbourhood. 

The reported problem of getting out of a driveway because of the speed of traffic coming off of Erskine Road.  There was a reported need to look at the best way to either improve the safety at the junction or to make easier to get out of the drive.  Also parking in the road makes it difficult to get out.

The response from the Council’s highways officers was received on Tuesday, 19th June 2012 as follows:-

“Dear Councillor Pollock,

I refer to your enquiry of the 31 May 2012, concerning the above road. I apologise for the delay in my response.

Having reviewed the accident record for Orchard Way, it has become apparent that there have been no reported personal injury accidents, since our records began on the 1 January 1999.

As you are probably aware, Orchard Way is not unlike many residential roads within the borough, where demand for parking is evident. Due to its location, I assume that most the vehicles parked along the road are either the residents themselves or their visitors. Hence, the introduction of parking restrictions is likely to be unpopular.

In respect of the above, it would be difficult to justify any remedial measures at the current time.

I am sorry that I am not in a position to be of further assistance.

Yours sincerely,

Paul Tugwell – Principal Traffic Engineer

London Borough of Sutton, Traffic & Highway Works, 24 Denmark Road, Carshalton, SM5 2JG 

Tel: 0208 770 4122; Fax: 0208 770 6556; E-mail: paul.tugwell@sutton.gov.uk; website: http://www.sutton.gov.uk“

Proposed Plan of the new Cedar Close, Carshalton

A planning application no. C2012/65994 has been received for the complete redevelopment of Cedar Close, a cul-de-sac off Salisbury Road (adjacent to nos. 43, 45 and 51 Salisbury Road) in Carshalton.  The partly-wooded site also backs on to the developments in The Park (former War Memorial Hospital site).

Nine new houses are proposed.  The proposals include the demolition of existing residential buildings and erection of eight 4 – bedroomed and one 5 – bedroomed houses (eight with roof accommodation) in a mix of detached, semi detached and terraced houses together with garages, car and cycle facilities and alterations to existing access road.  You can write if you wish to the council’s planning department with your views on the proposals at 24 Denmark Road, Carshalton SM5 2JG or you can comment on-line by clicking on the link below:-

http://213.122.180.105/FASTWEB/detail.asp?AltRef=C2012/65994&ApplicationNumber=&AddressPrefix=cedar+close&submit1=Go

We are told that the consultation period will currently expire on 29th June 2012.

Today 17th June 2012 saw the annual London to Brighton cycle which passes through Carshalton Village.

More than 27,000 cyclists are taking part in the 54-mile London to Brighton bike ride in aid of the British Heart Foundation.

Riders set off from Clapham Common from 06:00 BST, with the first arriving at the finish just before 09:00.

The toughest part of the ride is the climb up 813ft (247m) Ditchling Beacon just outside Brighton, which takes an average of 15 minutes to scale.

The event, which is now in its 37th year, has raised more than £50m.

Cycle Route

The FOCUS team have asked the Council whether the very overgrown hedge by the road in front of nos. 1-45 Banstead Road be heavily clipped back.  Also the hedges on the north side of the north pavement near the junction with Park Hill. Hopefully these works will be done soon!

Olympic Banner

The Olympics 2012 banners have been erected along the A232 Carshalton Road and elsewhere.

They look quite smart.  Here is a picture of one taken near Dunbar Court, Carshalton Road, near the junction with Carshalton Grove.

The following message was recently received from Sutton branch of the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.  As Deputy Mayor in 2011-2, Cllr. Hamish Pollock had the privilege of attending and chairing the AGM of the local NSPCC branch meeting.

Dear Cllr. Pollock

It’s been a little while since our last newsletter.  We’re bringing you some brief details of our local fund-raising and more emphasis on the national work and campaigning of the NSPCC.  Sutton NSPCC volunteers manned a stall at the Cheam Charter Fair which raised some valuable funds.  We would like to thank all those people who took the time to stop at our stall, buy something or play the tombolas and for supporting the Fair in general.  It was a good day.  You can see more about this on our website. 

The past week has seen the magnificent Diamond Jubilee celebrations.  The NSPCC would like to congratulate the Queen during this landmark week, so we’ve been joining the nation and getting into Jubilee fever.

The NSPCC AGM in 2011

Shorts Road Entrance to the Building Site - as seen a few weeks' ago!

Last Thursday, 7th June 2012, Cllr. Jill Whitehead reported to Sutton Council’s planning enforcement officers that yet again the developers of 229-245 Carshalton Road are breaking the terms of their planning conditions.

She last notified them of another transgression only a few weeks ago. 

However on last Thursday morning, just before 11am she drove down Shorts Road when she found that she had come to a complete stop. The reason for this was a large cement mixer from Brett’s Concrete which was parked at the Shorts Road entrance to the building site opposite St. Philomena’s School’s exit. It was not only parked there but was parked at an 45 degree angle jutting out into the road preventing other vehicles from passing.

In particular a London Borough of Sutton waste collection vehicle was trying to pass the cement mixer but could not owing to the space it was taking up.  Not until the mixer moved closer to the site entrance and removed its parking angle, could other vehicles pass.

This constant transgression of the planning conditions on a seemingly almost daily basis is not very pleasant for the residents of Shorts Road.  Jill rightly says “One gets the impression that the developers think they can get away with it, because no enforcement action is taken. Could the developers please be warned about this happening?”

The enforcement officer Michael Lowe at Sutton Council has on Monday 11th June confirmed to us that he has e-mailed the developer about this breach and that he will respond to us further shortly. 

More in a future posting!

On Monday 23rd July 2012 the Olympic Torch Relay will pass Carshalton Ponds at around 2.15pm. For the day a stage (approximately 6 metres x 4 metres) will be erected in the Pond adjacent to the Honeywood Museum and decorated by the experienced set-builders of Carshalton Pantomime Company as a Swan, which is one of the symbols of Carshalton Village and on its crest.  The stage will be used for local bands to play live music throughout the afternoon from before the relay passes (12:30pm) until the early evening (7pm).

The organisers also want to have stalls and entertainment in the War Memorial Gardens next to the Ponds and elsewhere around the Pond area. Can you help? (And benefit yourself or your organisation at the same time.)

• Would you like to set out a stall in the Memorial Gardens or elsewhere near the Pond? If so, what do you plan to do? You may just want to promote your organisation but, if you want to sell things, we’ll have to check on the licence situation, especially if it’s food.
• Can you provide some of the music or other entertainment? The organisers are very keen to get street musicians, magicians, dancers, acrobats, jugglers and so on to perform during the event.
• Can you help with activities that would appeal to children or adults? Face-painting, craft lessons and so on.
• Would you like to perform on the stage? Do you have a band or a choir that would be willing to play for us (at no cost)?
• Do you have any other ideas that you think would help the party go with a swing?
• The organisers are working on getting a carousel or a bouncy castle for the kids.

If you want to take part, please let the organisers know what you have in mind to do by replying to Dick Bower, who is the Chairman of Sutton Arts & Cutlure Sub-Group, Sutton Olympic and Paralympic Forum.  His E-mail is dick.bower@btinternet.com.

Please copy Teresa DeAtouguia (teresa.deatouguia@sutton.gov.uk), who has kindly agreed to coordinate the responses, of which it is hoped there will be a huge number!!