Some recent improvements have been carried out by the council with redecorations at the little bridge and a row of new plain bollards to stop the vehicles constantly churning up the grass bank between the footpath and the Upper Pond.
The Bridge in front of Honeywood
The Bollards
Cllr. Hamish Pollock took these photos of more of our local heritage plaques that were refurbished recently in the council’s Environmental Improvements Programme masterminded by Carshalton Central ward Cllr. Jill Whitehead in her role as Chair of the Environment and Neighbourhoods Committee and council officers.…
Before the work started on refurbishment Cllr Jill Whitehead, Chair of Sutton Council’s Environment and Neighbourhoods Committee, said (in March 2014):
“Sutton has a rich history and it’s important that we preserve it. We are committed to promoting our borough’s heritage and ensuring that it is accessible and inspirational for local people, and fosters citizenship, civic pride and a sense of belonging. The plaques are tributes and reminders of Sutton’s past and I look forward to seeing them returned to their former glory.”
For others in this series of articles see our 25th May 2014 and 21st March articles.
The Refurbished Honeywood Museum Plaque
Old Carshalton Post Offices (old bank building)
This week is Food Safety Week and Sutton Council is saying to consumers: ‘Don’t wash your chicken’.
During the campaign, we will share a number of tips about what consumers can do to protect themselves and their family from food poisoning in their own home, particularly when handling chicken.
This will include information about the food bug called campylobacter.
Campylobacter: a concern for us all
www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/publication/campylobacter-factsheet-a-concern-for-us-all.pdf
Campylobacter: from farm to fork
www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/publication/campylobacter-factsheet-from-farm-to-fork.pdf
Campylobacter: how it affects you
www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/publication/campylobacter-factsheet-how-it-affects-you.pdf
Campylobacter: the science
www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/publication/campylobacter-factsheet-the-science.pdf
The Council’s Planning Committee met on Wednesday, 11th June 2014 and approved a planning application (no. C2013/68638/FUL) for the erection of a detached 4-bedroomed bungalow with roof accommodation, with refuse and cycle stores, two car parking spaces and access on to Hill Road.
There were concerns expressed by residents who addressed the committee in terms of the narrowness of the access onto Hill Road (some 73 metres long), alleged over-development and worries about waste collection arrangements. The committee were advised that the bulk of the amended planning application had been reduced so that the roof ridge line was about 6 metres above ground level. The proposed building was more than 40 metres from the rear wall of theproperties to the east in Park Hill, more than 50 metres from the rear wall of properties in Hill Road and at least 27 metres from properties to the west and north in Banstead Road. It was felt however by the planning committee that there no sustainable reasons for refusal at any planning appeal should the planning application have ever been refused permission.
The proposed dwelling would be finished with rendered walls, brick detailing and some hanging tiles, white uPVC windows, with a plain tiled roof.
There will be loads going on from fairs and carnivals, shows and sports events to community picnics and exhibitions. Many of them will be great for all the family, and many of them will also be free.
Keep a look out on this website for more details about events as they come up. Take Part Take Pride lasts the whole summer from May to September.
Take Part Take Pride 2014 booklet [2Mb]
You may want to organize your own events to get to know your neighbours, or provide fun activities for the kids in your street, and two easy ways to do that are ‘Playing Out’ and ‘The Big Lunch’. You can hold a big lunch or street party, or organise a playing out session any time over the summer providing you give at least six weeks notice for a road closure.
Guidance Notes – Road Closure Order [284kb]
You will need to contact your neighbours first and explain to them what you are intending to do.
The application form includes a letter template that you can use to help you notify everyone in your street.
Although the road may be closed, people who live there must still be allowed access to drive to and from their properties. As a result, you will need to have people at each end of the street warn cars so you will need to recruit friends or neighbours to help on the day.
When you have read the guidance notes and completed the application form please email it to traffic.postbook@sutton.gov.uk
We can loan you Road Closure signs to use on the day once your application is approved.
The Playing Out web site has lots of information about reclaiming the streets for children and ideas for games and activities you can organise.
If you have any queries, please contact Highway, Transport and Smarter Travel, telephone 020 8770 5070
email traffic.postbook@sutton.gov.uk
If you don’t want to organize your street party on Sunday 1 June, but would like to hold one over the summer, you can do it as a ‘Take Part Take Pride’ event. The same advice applies regarding contacting your neighbours and organizing to close your road. You will need to give at least six weeks notice if you need a road closure.
The council will waive the usual £50 fee for road closures for agreed Take Part Take Pride street parties, The Big Lunch events and Playing Out providing the correct application is made and processes followed.We can loan you Road Closure signs to use on the day once your application is approved, where a deposit is required (£25). There are no other fees associated with making the application.
As the warmer weather starts Sutton’s residents will be making the most of the summer – but are asked to spare a thought for their neighbours.Complaints to Sutton Council’s Environmental Health team traditionally rise during the summer months as people hold barbeques and outdoor parties.
Now the team has called on residents to enjoy the sunny weather but be considerate of their neighbours. The team is asking residents to follow its simple guide:
If you have a party, warn your neighbours in advance and consider inviting them. Keep windows and doors shut and if someone complains, turn it down. If you are using the garden for your party, then make sure the music is in the house with the volume turned down, and not in the garden.
Do you really need to shout to be heard? Consider the volume of your voice. In properties with poor sound insulation and outdoors – everyone can hear you! In the garden at night, your voice will carry even further than during the day and you may disturb an entire neighbourhood.
Many of us enjoy using our barbeques; but the cooking odours can be unpleasant for our neighbours. Try to site your barbecue as far away as possible from neighbours to avoid smoke and fumes drifting into their homes.
Councillor Jill Whitehead, Chair for Environment and Neighbourhood Committee said:
“Excessive noise can really ruin people’s quality of life – whether it’s a dog barking, banging from DIY, loud music or burglar alarms going off. We are not asking for people to cancel their summer bbq’s but do ask that they be considerate and think about the impact that their excessive noise could be having on others.Persistent problems of noise can be investigated by the Environmental Health Team.”
Cllr. Jill Whitehead
For further advice or information on noise ring 020 8770 5000.
Cllr. Jill Whitehead says “The planning application for London House, 42 West Street, Carshalton SM5 2PR (C2014/69012 and C2013/69013) has been revised by the applicant. This application seeks to convert existing office space to provide three two-bedroom maisonettes and three three-bedroom terraced houses. The changes involve a reduction in size and scale to a new two-storey building with roof accommodation to be built on the site of the existing car parking space at the rear to provide three two–bedroomed maisonettes together with nine car parking spaces. Jill adds: “The plans involve demolition of a building within the curtilage of a Grade 2 listed building, and alterations to the interior and exterior of the listed building. The new bungalow style stand -alone building on the rear car park site, though reduced in height, would still be close to properties in Sycamore Close, Beechwood Court and West Street Lane, and also West Lodge in West Street Lane, which was built in 1738 and is one of Carshalton’s most historic buildings. The new building would still come right up to its boundary.”
Cllr. Hamish Pollock adds: “West Street is part of the Carshalton Conservation Area, and any new development would need to respect the Grade 2 listing of the building, and protect existing amenities. The revised plans whilst improved still represent over-development and will not provide much amenity space for the residents in the new homes. As the number of units will still be largely same, this will still cause traffic problems with entrances and exits onto West Street. There is still concern over other historic features such as a 17th century boundary wall, which needs to be protected, as well as a mature tree in the car park area (which would not be retained in the new plans).”
Cllr. Alan Salter says: “Sutton Council is very keen to protect its Conservation Areas from inappropriate development. If you wish to view the plans or make comments on them, or lodge an objection, you can visit Sutton Council’s Development Control section at the Environment and Neighbourhoods Dept. at 24 Denmark Road, Carshalton SM5 2JG, tel. 020 8770 5070, or go on line at:
http://gis.sutton.gov.uk/FASTWEB and type in under the planning application number: C2014/69012.”
The ‘Ker-ching! – that’s the sound of you saving your community money by recycling’ campaign will run over June and July. It is being led by the South London Waste Partnership which is a joint initiative between four boroughs – Sutton, Merton, Kingston and Croydon, who are working together to provide improved and more cost-effective waste management services to their residents.
Last year £5m was saved in landfill tax thanks to the 69,621 tonnes of waste recycled by the public in the four boroughs including 6,411 tonnes of mixed plastics. The councils want to increase the amount of recycling and save the community even more money in the process. With council budgets being squeezed, these savings can help support essential services in the four boroughs.
In Sutton, the advertising campaign is being fronted by local volunteer Eve McElhinney. Eve was an Olympic Games-maker and has subsequently become one of Sutton’s Community-makers.
Eve McElhinney said:
“I am passionate about recycling and was very happy to be part of this campaign. It is something I believe in and I think that recycling on an individual basis does make a difference.
“We can all make a difference. When I see how much I recycle every week, I am amazed and I think if one person can make such a difference, then how much of a difference we all could make together.”
“Sutton is a lovely area, full of green spaces and great for shopping and social events. I want it to be a clean place, safe for children to play in without having to worry about dog poo not being picked up or lighted cigarette butts being discarded thoughtlessly.”
Colin Hall, Chairman of the South London Waste Partnership Joint Committee, said:
“We saved our communities £5m last year through recycling. With landfill tax continuing to rise, the money saved by recycling will be even greater.
“Whether it’s plastic, bottles, paper or glass, recycling will help to save your community money that can be spent on other services.”
Last year, Sutton recycled and composted 37 per cent of all domestic waste collected.
Sutton Carers Centre, Benhill House, 1st Floor, 12-14 Benhill Avenue, Sutton, Surrey SM1 4DA. Tel: 020-8296 5611. E-mail: enquiries@suttoncarerscentre.org. Web site: www.carers.org/local-service/sutton or www.suttoncarerscentre.org.
The Carshalton Central neighbourhood has lots of mature street trees and every year we councillors ask the council officers to ensure that they are kept in good shape.
Every fourth year or so a detailed tree inspection and tree pruning takes place over our street trees and the trees in many roads in our area have been pruned in recent weeks. Each year the Council’s staff issue our street tree pruning contractors with the list of lime trees with basal growth issues.
The basal growth is the shoots and stuff that grows out at the base of the tree trunk every spring/early summer and can cause a real nuisance to pedestrians.
As usual, the street tree pruning contractors will be dealing with the basal growth on our street trees in our area over coming weeks.
Please let us know if you have any urgent or not-so-urgent street tree concerns, meanwhile….
