Sutton Council will be holding a special Scrutiny Meeting on Monday 11th June in the Europa Gallery, Civic Offices, St. Nicholas Way, in Sutton.  The meeting will start at 7.00pm.

At this meeting councillors will be quizing the NHS’s so-called “Better Services, Better Value” team on why they want to close St. Helier Hospital’s A&E, Maternity, Intensive Care, Queen Mary’s Hospital (Paediatrics) and the Maternity Unit.

Cllr. Mary Burstow will be chairing the meeting and she is keen to start getting some answers, to questions which both residents and councillors feel have just not been answered so far…

Why is there no evidence that the NHS “powers-that-be” have so far consulted the London Ambulance Service?  Closing St Helier’s A&E means ambulances will obviously have to travel much further.  That means that especially on the return journey from St George’s Hospital back to Sutton, they are doing nothing for over half an hour.  What a dreadful waste of resources!

Please attend this meeting and support St Helier Hospital.  The more people who come to this meeting, the more clearly the BSBV team will see public opinion.

By Oliver Wright in The Independent

Fairness, encouraging work and keeping homes occupied are at the heart of Sutton Council’s proposals for changes to council tax.

National changes to council tax benefits are set to leave Sutton Council with a £1.4million hole in its budget. The cut will strip local authorities of 10% of the expected funding for council tax benefits – leaving councils with the choice of either cutting frontline services or changing the amount of support offered to council tax benefit claimants.

Cllr Jayne McCoy, Chair of the Housing, Economy and Business Committee, said: “The Government has made the cut and local authorities have to deliver the pain.

“This cut has forced councils to make yet more difficult decisions about how to find the money to protect frontline services and make sure our most vulnerable residents are looked after.”

The council has looked at ways to raise the money without impacting on frontline services or raising council tax, and now it is asking local people what they think of their ideas – which include changes to council tax discounts and exemptions.

The proposals would see current exemptions on empty properties – which include allowing landlords with unlet homes to enjoy months without paying council tax – being scrapped.

At a time when there is a shortage of homes, these exemptions create incentives to keep properties empty, and the consultation process will determine whether residents support the council’s proposals to sweep them away.

These changes, if approved, could add up to £678,000 a year to plug the gap, and also encourage homeowners to get properties reoccupied as quickly as possible.

Other ideas will ensure those with the greatest needs are protected, and pensioners, disabled residents and households with children under the age of five will not see any changes to the way their council tax benefits are paid.

Further proposals out for consultation include a £3.55 a week council tax contribution from the unemployed, and small increases for working people to raise a further £789,000.

The proposals have been carefully calculated to spread the costs fairly across residents and not discourage people from getting into employment.

Cllr. McCoy added: “Preparing this document has involved some really tough decisions, but we have a responsibility to be fair to all people, to protect important frontline services, and to look after our most vulnerable residents.

“The ideas we’ve outlined make sure that only those who can afford to pay more will be asked to do so. It is very important to us that hard-working families are not penalised and that people who unfortunately find themselves out of work are not discouraged from taking a job.”

The proposals will be considered by Sutton Council’s Housing, Economy and Business Committee on June 12 and will then go out to public consultation.

Wilderness Island, a beautiful local nature reserve, is hosting guided walks, river dipping and scavenger hunts for children over the Jubilee Weekend.

Wilderness Island is a local nature reserve situated at the kissing gate at the junction of Mill Lane and Strawberry Lane. The reserve is maintained by volunteers who have recently improved the paths and built new bridges. Wildlife on the Island include the Tawny Owl and Sparrrowhawk and it is hoped that the reserve will provide a suitable habitat for a variety of dragonfly.

Local MP, Tom Brake, said ‘It is great that so many local people volunteer their time to preserve this beautiful space in the heart of our town. I am really looking forward to taking part in activities during the Jubilee weekend.’

This year, the Jubilee Weekend festivals take place on the 2/3 and 9/10 June. On Sunday 10^th June, the Island will be open from 10:30 until 13:00, with guided walks taking place at 11:00 and 12:00.

According to the web site of Tom Brake MP, the Blue Bengal in the High Street, Carshalton has been nominated to take part in Tiffin Cup, a competition run by the Tiffin Club of MPs, to find the best South East Asian Restaurant in the country.

Local MP, Tom Brake nominated the Blue Bengal after asking local residents to name their favourite Asian restaurant on Facebook. A restaurant from every region will be shortlisted and invited to participate in the Grand Final cook-off event held in the House of Commons, which will be judged by MPs and guest celebrities, with the proceeds going to a selected charity.

The Blue Bengal made it to the Grand Final in 2010 as the representative for Greater London.

Local Cllr. Hamish Pollock says: “I thoroughly agree with this nomination. My family and I have always had excellent food and service at this restaurant.”

Commenting on the nomination, Tom Brake said, “There are many great restaurants in Carshalton and Wallington but clearly the Blue Bengal is a big hit with local residents. I only hope that they can improve on the 2010 result and win the Tiffin Cup”.

‘H’ and the team at the Blue Bengal, said, “It is a great honour to be nominated for the competition. We work hard to provide great tasting food and an excellent atmosphere – I only hope the judges enjoy it as much as the locals do.”

According to Tom Brake MP’s web site, more than a 1000 people have signed a petition calling on the Secretary of State for Health to abandon the “Better Services Better Value” review that has recommended the closure of the A&E department and the maternity unit at St Helier Hospital.

Local MP, Tom Brake, has described the process that led to the recommendation as ‘flawed’ and has called on the Secretary of State for Health to meet with him and local Councillors urgently to discuss the concerns of local residents and health professionals.

Tom Brake said, ‘This recommendation has been made without the necessary data, without sufficient and accurate reference to travel times and is based upon expanded community health services that are not yet in place. The public response has been staggering and it is clear that local people overwhelmingly want vital healthcare services to remain at St Helier Hospital’.

To sign the petition to ‘Save St Helier hospital’s A&E Department and Maternity Unit’ visit www.tombrake.co.uk/en/petition

Download this Save Our St Helier petition and encourage your friends and neighbours to sign in support of local healthcare services

• Download “Save Our St Helier Petition”