Road Closures in the London Borough of Sutton have been notified as follows (BOLD type denotes road closure in Carshalton Central ward):- 

ROAD CLOSURES ON SATURDAY 2ND June 2012

ROAD CLOSURES ON SUNDAY 3rd June 2012

ROAD CLOSURES ON MONDAY, 4th June 2012

ROAD CLOSURES ON TUESDAY, 5th June 2012

Throughout the capital a total of 1,768 road closures have been granted by councils.

The snapshot survey was conducted on 3 May – exactly one month before the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant takes place.

Councils were asked for the number of road closures they have given permission for on 2, 3, 4 and 5 June.

Sutton borough has so far given permission for 110, and next-door Croydon borough with roughly double the population has 86.

Sutton’s Museum and Heritage Service exists to preserve and promote Sutton’s heritage, ensuring it is accessible, informative, creative and inspirational for local people, and recognising that it is a unique and valuable resource which fosters citizenship, civic pride and a sense of belonging.

Sutton has three Accredited Museums – Honeywood in Carshalton, Little Holland House in Carshalton Beeches and Whitehall in Cheam. Every year Sutton Museum and Heritage Service organises around a hundred activities including exhibitions, schools visits, birthday parties, local history walks and talks to increase interest in local heritage and educate and inform people.

Honeywood Museum

At Honeywood and elsewhere the Museum staff look after the Council’s museum collection and are responsible for the care and opening to the public of five historic buildings: Whitehall in the heart of Cheam Village; Honeywood, next to the ponds in Carshalton; Little Holland House – an Arts & Crafts style house in Carshalton Beeches; the Upper Mill in The Grove Park, Carshalton; and the Dovecote in Beddington Park. 

Honeywood Museum was officially reopened by the Mayor Cllr. Sean Brennan on Tuesday 29th May 2012 following intensive refurbishment supported by money from the Heritage Lottery Fund.   Cllrs. Jill Whitehead and Hamish Pollock attended the opening which was also witnessed by dozens of local residents.

Local ward Cllr. Jill Whitehead says: “It is free to get in the Museum now, and well worth a look inside!”

On 28th May 2012, the councillors received a notice and a plan of the latest planned road closure for Rotherfield Road.

Dear Councillor,

In order to facilitate utility connection works in Rotherfield Road, Carshalton, and because of the likelihood of danger to the public arising from the said works, a Temporary Traffic Management Order will be made.

Please see attached, for your information, a copy of the public notice and a plan in relation to temporary restrictions.

Further information on the temporary restrictions / prohibitions which will come into operation on Monday 25 June 2012 can be obtained from David Waugh (tel. 020 8770 6431). It is anticipated that the works will be complete within 14 weeks

Kind regards

Wendy Groves, Smarter Travel Sutton, London Borough of Sutton

24 Denmark Road, Carshalton, Surrey SM5 2JG

On 28th May 2012, the Carshalton Central ward councillors received a notice and a plan of the latest planned road closure for Shorts Road.

Dear Councillor,

In order to remove a tower crane from a new development on the corner of Carshalton Road (nos. 229-245) and Shorts Road, Carshalton, and because of the likelihood of danger to the public arising from the said works, a Temporary Traffic Management Order will be made.

Please see attached, for your information, a copy of the public notice and a plan in relation to temporary restrictions / prohibitions.

Further information on the temporary restrictions / prohibitions which will come into operation on 23/06/2012 can be obtained from David Waugh (tel. 020 8770 6431). It is anticipated that the works will be complete within 1 day

Kind regards,

Denise Thompson, Administration Assistant

Smarter Travel Sutton, London Borough of Sutton

24 Denmark Road, Carshalton SM5 2JG

Tel: 0208 770 6452

We received this message today 28th May 2012, following our recent concerns as ward councillors over health and safety matters in connection with the on-going building works at Wentworth Hall, 80 Ruskin Road at the junction with Woodstock Road.

Wentworth Hall - with some long-needed protection around it!

“Dear Councillor,

I write in response to your email of the 14th May regarding your health and safety concerns at the above site.

Coincidentally, I emailed Pauline Storey and Paul Thompson from the Health and Safety Executive on the 17th May 2012 with the concerns I had identified with the case officer, Noel Mollen, during our site visit earlier that day. I have copied that email for your below but have not yet heard back from either Pauline or Paul.

I attach a couple of photographs taken this morning which show that some of the side scaffolding has now been screened. However, I’m afraid that site safety is essentially a HSE responsibility and at this stage I’m afraid I can’t assist you further in this regard.

Regarding the structural stability of the site, I have a fairly strong recollection that Noel, the case officer, did discuss this aspect with Building Control and that they were not worried about the removal of soil from the bottom of the buildings fronting Ruskin Road, although I’m sure Noel can confirm this upon his return from leave on Wednesday.

I hope this provides you with a useful update. Please contact either Noel or myself if you would like an update on any other aspect of this site.

Regards,

Michael Lowe”

More in a future posting….

We understand from the Council’s parks officers that the travellers have now left the High Street car park site at lunchtime today 25th May 2012 and that it is now being cleaned up by the Council staff.

Cllr. Jill Whitehead, Chair of Environment and Neighbourhood Committee on Sutton Council, said:

“At this time of year Sutton’s 80 parks and open spaces are a place for families to relax in peace and quiet.  We respect the travellers’ way of life but nobody wants to see illegal camps, litter, noise or intimidation.  

“Accordingly we take this issue very seriously and we’ve been working with the Police & the Courts so illegally camped travellers leave public land via the proper legal process.  Our staff have also been making sure that everything’s left clean and tidy.

 “The legalities take a few days so prevention is better than cure.  But in this instance padlocks have been broken and although additional bollards are part of the solution, we need to balance security with heritage and beauty.”

On Monday 21st May 2012, at the Annual Council Meeting, Cllr. Ruth Dombey was elected as the new Leader of Sutton Council in place of Cllr. Sean Brennan who in turn becomes the new Mayor. 

This follows a major change in the Council’s structure aimed at ensuring that decision making is a  more open and transparent process, and also importantly saving council tax payers’ money.

Cllr. Jill Whitehead is the Chair of the Council’s new Environment and Neighbourhoods Committee and she will also sit on the Council’s Strategy and Resources Committee.

Cllr. Jill Whitehead at the Water Tower, Carshalton

Cllr. Alan Salter is the new Vice-Chair of the Scrutiny Committee.

Cllr. Hamish Pollock continues to be Chair of Carshalton and Clockhouse Local Committee which covers Carshalton Central and Carshalton South & Clockhouse wards, and he is a member of  the Environment and Neighbourhoods Committee, chaired by Jill.

Local residents have raised with the Council and indeed Jill, Alan and Hamish as the ward councillors for Carshalton Central, their very understandable concerns about a number of so-called travellers who have set up an encampment in the rear of the car park off the High Street, Carshalton.

The Council has to follow an established legal procedure which is exactly the same for all councils. This is explained below :-

1) Social services must visit the encampments to establish the health and welfare of any children present, and if any of them attend school. If caravans in another group arrive after the first group (as in this case) the procedure has to be repeated for each group of travellers that arrive. Some of the Carshalton High Street group appear to be part of the group that was asked to leave Beddington Park a few days ago, and they may have been aiming for the Westcroft Centre car park, which is of course closed for refurbishment.

2) Once early years’ reports have been received for the children, the Council can serve a Section 77(1) notice. This was served at lunchtime today, 23rd May 2012 asking the travellers to leave by 5pm on Thursday 24th May 2012.

3) If they do not then leave, the council has to seek a Court Order, which may be granted this Friday or on Monday or Tuesday of next week, depending when the Court can hear the Council’s application.

4) If the Council does not follow this procedure, it will be harder for the Council to remove the travellers as they could point to non compliance of the legal procedures.

We have to dot the I’s and cross the T’s.

In the meantime, the Council is of course losing money because residents cannot use the rear of Carshalton High Street car park, and so we are anxious to bring it back into normal use again as soon as possible, notwithstanding the legal procedures that need to be followed to gain the removal of the traveller group.

We hope this explains the legal requirements.  More in a future posting!