A photo was taken recently of the painfully slow building and landscaping works at the front of Wentworth Hall, to comply with the planning requirements as laid down by Sutton Council.  The building is leased by Sutton Council to the Muslim Cultural Welfare Association of Sutton or MCWAS.

The building is at the corner of Woodstock Road with Ruskin Road. You can also see the two newly-installed bollards that the council installed to make the pavement at the  street corner much safer for pedestrians.

Wentworth Hall in early August 2013

A letter is in from Sutton Council following complaints that Jill, Alan and Hamish took up on residents behalf about the alleged lack of parking enforcment in Alam Road and Shorts Road.

Thank you for raising your concerns about parking enforcement in Alma and Shorts Road. We contract parking enforcement to NSL who have a Civil Enforcement Officer (Parking Warden) covering this area as well as the CCTV Vehicle. We have asked NSL to prioritise visits to these roads to ensure effective enforcement of the regulations. We have asked them to provide a weekly summary of enforcement in the area so we can monitor the compliance and hopefully see an improvement. I’m grateful for you bringing the issue to our attention.

Yours sincerely

Ian Kershaw, Head of Planning and Performance, Safer Sutton Partnership Service

Local councillors Alan, Hamish and Jill have received a copy of the highways officers’ recent letter (dated 22nd July 2013) to residents in Grosvenor Avenue and Park Avenue. The officers have confirmed that the letter went to residents last week and that they have not heard any response from any resident since. We have not heard from any resident since either….as yet!

To Residents of Grosvenor Avenue and Park Avenue

Dear Residents/Occupier,

Grosvenor Avenue – Proposed Traffic Islands and Flashing Speed Signs

I would like to thank all local residents for their representations, including two petitions, with respect to the proposed islands in Grosvenor Avenue. It is clear from the responses received that residents are deeply concerned about the proposed islands for various reasons.

Sutton Council officers met with the Chair of the Local Committee and your three local Ward councillors on 16 July to review the proposed measures in the light of residents’ responses. It was agreed to abandon the original proposals for traffic islands as residents have totally rejected them and it was also agreed that residents be informed of this decision at the earliest opportunity to alleviate their concerns.

They also agreed that Sutton Council officers consider alternative ideas including a 20mph speed limit in the road with speed tables at its junction with Park Lane and Glebe Road. The 20mph proposal will be tabled at the next meeting of the Local Committee on 10^th September 2013, to be held at Carshalton Beeches Baptist Church, Banstead Road, from 7.30pm, subject to it being feasible and acceptable to Transport for London. Local residents may wish to attend this meeting. There will be an opportunity for residents to take part and ask questions at the meeting.

Some residents have requested a public meeting to discuss the proposals. However, because of the holiday season it would be difficult to find a date before the next Local Committee meeting

Mohamad Kabash

Highways, Transport and Smarter Travel

Your local councillors have received a number of complaints in recent weeks about the footpath on the east side of Milton Avenue being closed off with the use of temporary barriers, close by the bend and junction of Milton Avenue with Westmead Road. This is due to an extensive area of render on the side of the house on the corner in Westmead Road being in a dangerous condition.

Following our request for action the council’s officers are taking enforcement measures with the owner(s) of the property concerned. A “Dangerous Structures Notice” has now been served on the owner of this property.  This gives the occupier 7 days (this is the minimum length of time specified in the legislation) to comply with the notice which asks for the render to be made safe.

We are hopeful that before long the render will be properly and safely replaced and that the closed footpath will be re-opened. More in a future posting.

We have also raised an enquiry regarding the new street light not working/old light still working in Milton Avenue, at the west side of house number 23 in Shirley Avenue. Regrettably there had been an oversight by council officers in getting the electrical connection works completed at this location. They have just told us that they will arrange for the necessary work to be ordered and completed within the next three weeks.

Butter Hill bridge on a sunny day…!

Sutton Council recently undertook a consultation recently regarding schemes to make the Butter Hill/ London Road junction much safer. 

Recently there was a widespread local public consultation about which direction to give priority to in Butter Hill. This consultation included: distributing over 1,300 leaflets to homes and businesses in the Mill Lane and Butter Hill area; a public exhibition in the Westcroft Leisure Centre on 12-13^th June; and a public meeting in Elm Grove Hall on 25^th July.  In addition, all the emergency services, London Buses, organisations with an interest in road safety and cycling and local residents’ associations were consulted.

The consultation resulted in a small majority for option 1 which is to give priority to traffic travelling from west to east through Butter Hill. So this option will now be implemented. 

Butter Hill resident and local Councillor Alan Salter said: “I would like to thank all the residents and businesses that took the time and trouble to express their preferences as to which direction to afford priority to.  While it was a close run thing, there was a majority in favour of the west to east option, so this scheme will be implemented to increase road safety in this narrow and busy road.”

Councillor Jill Whitehead said: “The scheme includes a new sign giving priority to traffic coming from west  to east will be installed opposite the entrance to Caledon Road, with a sign saying traffic coming from the opposite direction has priority will be installed by 1 Butter Hill.  Work on the whole scheme, which includes – improvements to the London Road/Butter Hill junction,  a slight widening of the road by the Rose and Crown car park, as well as giving priority to traffic travelling along Butter Hill from west to east – is expected to start in the second half of October”.

Councillor Hamish Pollock said: “Once the scheme is up and running, the Council  will need to study the impact on the area very carefully.  If giving priority to traffic travelling along Butter Hill from west to east were to result in a back-up of traffic on the busy London Road, then it may be necessary to consider reversing the direction priority is given to. But let’s wait and see what the impact of the preference expressed by local residents is before we start considering any further changes.”      MORE IN A FUTURE POSTING….

Cllr. Hamish Pollock once again reported the rubbish/litter that he spotted recently by the bin store at the western side of Papermill Close near to the fence by The Grove Park.  This seems to be a recurring problem. A response is now in from the officers dealing with it.

Dear Cllr Pollock

Thank you for contacting the waste service and advising us of a fly tip in Papermill close Carshalton. Our ref for this enquire is 304,093I have passed on the details to Tunde Varga at Sutton Housing Partnership (SHP) who manages this estate and who is responsible for the removal of the waste. I have asked her to contact you direct to confirm once this has been cleared.  We will monitor this location and continue to provide any additional support required by SHP to ensure a prompt resolution to this issue. Thank you once again for bringing this to our attention and please don’t hesitate to contact us if you require any further information or clarification.

Regards, Charlie   

Charles Baker, Strategic Business Manager, Environment and Neighbourhoods Directorate, Street Scene Services, London Borough of Sutton. Tel:  07872510125. e mail: charles.baker@sutton.gov.uk.

Our friend Richard, who lives nearby to the site, has very kindly sent us some photos of the new plaques at Honours Mead, The Park, Carshalton commemorating the former Carshalton War Memorial Hospital.  Thanks very much, Richard.

Cllr. Jill Whitehead, chairwoman of the council’s Environment & Neighbourhoods Committee visited Carshalton Lavender on Saturday 27th July. This is at Stanley Road allotments, Carshalton-on-the-Hill.

Local councillors Jill, Hamish and Alan have been advised the designs are almost complete for the Park Lane/Ruskin Road junction signal modification works. These are based on the option agreed by the Carshalton Local Committee after the local consultation earlier this year.

Cllr. Jill Whitehead reports: “Local councillors originally asked for this because All Saints’ Primary School was being expanded from 35 to 60 pupils each year (from last September), and there would be more parents with young children wanting to cross the road. The scheme is being promoted by Transport for London (TfL) for road safety reasons. Also, TfL are putting in a new innovative type of crossing which they are trying out here”.

Cllr. Hamish Pollock adds: “The works are currently planned to take place in August and September this year, and are anticipated to take about 4 to 5 weeks to complete”. 

 Cllr. Alan Salter says: “Residents may have questions regarding these works, so if you wish to discuss further, please contact Sutton Council’s project engineer on 020 8770 6455”.

Sutton Council is also proposing to introduce yellow line restrictions in nearby parts of Park Lane to improve safety near the pedestrian crossing points on Park Lane north and south of its junction with Ruskin Road.  The yellow lines will prevent obstructive parking in Park Lane.