We occasionally post Wallington-related items where there is bound to be wider interest.  Residents have raised concerns after plans were submitted for a McDonald’s “drive-through” in Wallington Town Centre.

The plans include a two-storey restaurant, a drive-through, external seating and 44 car parking spaces in Stafford Road – on a site which used to hold a car-wash and backs on to a residential area. The consultation officially closed on Friday 7th June 2013 but you can still write in and object (if you wish!) and some residents have written to Sutton’s development and control committee objecting to the proposals with multiple concerns.

A council spokesman said: “The application is currently being examined and any representations received will be carefully considered by officers. No date has yet been set for the formal determination of the application by the council’s Development Control Committee.”

To let the council know your views on building a McDonald’s in Stafford Road visit the online planning register, email developmentcontrol@sutton.gov.uk, or write to Development Services, Environment and Leisure, 24 Denmark Road, Carshalton, SM5 2JG.

Source: this is Local London

Link to the post: http://wallingtonresidents.info/mcdonalds-plans-to-open-in-wallington/2150/

Link to Wallington Residents Information: http://wallingtonresidents.info

Cllr. Alan Salter reports: “Local councillors agreed at the Carshalton & Clockhouse Local Committee last night to spend some Public Realm funds in cleaning and repairing the (originally) honey-coloured square paving slabs etc. to the pavements by the shops in Westmead Road at the western end. 

The paviours were installed by the Council about 20 years ago and have since got a bit grimey. We hope this work will help smarten up this well-used shopping area and encourage footfall and customers to local shops.”

Local committee chairman, Cllr. Hamish Pollock says: “Today’s Carshalton & Clockhouse Local Committee meeting is being held from 7.30pm at Carshalton Beeches Baptist Church, Banstead Road, Carshalton Beeches, quite near the shops.  The meeting is held in public and you are most welcome to attend and to take part.”

We will be discussing Tramlink (the proposals for connecting Sutton to the Tram system from Wimbledon), the local health services scheme called “Better Services Better Value”, local public realm improvements and local neighbourhood grants, some reports from the police’s safer neighbourhood teams, and quite a number of highways and safety improvement schemes.

Topics affecting the Carshalton Central ward in particular include updates on the Butter Hill traffic scheme near Mill Lane, the pedestrian crossing scheme at the traffic lights at Ruskin Road/Park Lane, and the proposed traffic calming/safety measures in Grosvenor Avenue.

Carshalton Beeches Baptist Church

Local ward councillors Alan, Jill and Hamish received this E-mail recently about the critically important topic of meeting local housing needs and issues surrounding its supply.

Housing Supply

Thank you for your e mail of 30 May 2013 regarding the above.

The Council’s Development Plan sets out policies and proposals to ensure it will meet housing targets set by the London Plan (currently a minimum of 210 additional homes per annum for Sutton) as well as policies specifying the mix of housing needed and the split between private market units and affordable housing.

The Council seeks to ensure that 50% of all new housing built in the borough is affordable to those people who find it difficult to access market housing. Each year, the council is also required by the government to produce a document setting out a 5 year supply of sites that are considered available for housing within the next 5 years. This comprises sites which already have planning permission, but where development has not yet commenced, or sites that have been identified as being suitable (and are likely to come forward) for development within that period.

Despite the fact that the number of homes built each year in the borough has almost exceeded the targets set for the borough, the Council has no control over whether a developer chooses to develop a site. The choice to bring forward sites for development is affected by the developer’s view on the viability of the development and whether there are potential buyers with access to sufficient funds to acquire those properties. Therefore whilst the council can play its part in ensuring sufficient sites are made available it cannot ensure that they are actually built.

I hope this explains the council’s planning role in relation to the provision of new housing.

Regards

Jay Judge

Interim Executive Head of Planning & Transportation, London Borough of Sutton

24 Denmark Road, Carshalton Surrey  SM5 2JG

Tel: 0208 770 6208

Cllr. Hamish Pollock reports: “A message has been recently received from Sutton Council highways and transportation officer about the road safety improvement works at the junction of Grosvenor Avenue and Park Lane. These works were agreed at the April meeting of the Carshalton & Clockhouse Local Committee.”

Dear Councillors

I am writing to inform you that our contractor RJ Dance is programmed to start construction of this scheme tomorrow and the works will last for approximately 8 to 10 days.I will be delivering letters to residents who may directly be affected by the works today, to provide a point of contact should any problems arise during construction. Should you have any queries please let me know.

Kind regards,

Martin Goble

Highways, Transport & Smarter Travel, Environment & Neighbourhoods Directorate

Tel 020 8770 4361

Local Cllr. Alan Salter reports: “The Council should be removing the basal growth to the larger street trees very shortly in Ruskin Road, Carshalton following recent requests by Liberal Democrat local councillors.” 

This is an annual problem with street trees of this age, which were planted in many cases upto 100 years ago in Ruskin Road and many surrounding roads as Carshalton Village developed quite rapidly at that time.

Local Councillors Jill Whitehead and Hamish Pollock spent a very enjoyable hour or two exploring the huge variety of features in the grounds of the Ecology Centre, Festival Walk off Honeywood Walk, Carshalton on Sunday 2nd June 2013 with Barbara O’Keeffe and Angela Baughan, who are both on the committee of the Friends of the Sutton Ecology Centre and Carshalton residents.

There is indeed a lot to explore at the Ecology Centre and a visit at any time is highly recommended!  Afterwards why not have a refreshment at the tea rooms of the Heritage Centre almost next door.

Please click on: https://www.sutton.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1627  and https://sites.google.com/site/friendsofsuttonecologycentre/ for information about the grounds and the Friends group respectively.

Hamish and Jill having a sit-down in the grounds of the Ecology Centre

The Pond at the Ecology Centre