What is being done to improve Carshalton High Street?

Carshalton Galleries

Carshalton Galleries in Carshalton High Street – a typical small local business

Well, we are often asked this question!

The local councillors Alan, Jill and Hamish are trying to improve Carshalton High Street and its environs and we have a long-held passion in so doing…

In the early 1990s, the Liberal Democrat councillors at the time (which included Hamish) got new “conservation” style street lights, new pavements, new litter bins, and new benches and new “flag post” signs directing people to The Grove Park, The Heritage Centre, The Ecology Centre and so on.

All these features enhancing the conservation area are still there and we councillors do get officers to try to maintain them within cash-limited budgets.

More recently we have safeguarded Carshalton local Library’s own future by creating a brand new and upto date library at Westcroft which is at one end of the High Street (at the east end to be precise). The recent refurbishment of Westcroft Centre itself will stimulate the local economy for years to come along side the recent refurbishment of the Heritage Centre, as a local tourist hot spot bringing shoppers and visitors to Carshalton High Street.

The job of Alan, Jill and Hamish as ward councillors has been to enhance and protect the Carshalton Village Conservation Area as a whole, the heart of which is the Village High Street, the first ever conservation area established in the London Borough of Sutton in 1968.

There are, from any standpoint, very few empty shops in Carshalton High Street compared to other local shopping areas – a testament of a thriving business community which has supported the idea of Christmas lights installed by the council last autumn for the very first time ever.

The first ever Frost Fair started at the launch of these first Christmas lights! The Frost Fair is likely to be repeated…

The maintenance and upkeep of planters and trees in the High Street is the responsibility of their owners, Transport for London, and as councillors we do ask TfL to maintain them well to ensure that the High Street is kept in good condition.

Our local parks such as The Grove are prize winning – Green Flag Award – won for several years on the trot by this ancient park. This park is right on the doorstep of the High Street of course providing a green lung for visitors and shoppers, schoolchildren and older citizens.

The parks entertain the local population with Carshalton Carnival, the Environmental Fair, Fireworks Display each year bringing thousands to the High Street shops, stimulating local employment.

Crooked street sign, West Street opposite Sycamore Close

Cllr. Hamish Pollock recently reported to Sutton Council the street sign that had been bashed over on the pavement opposite the junction with Sycamore Close in West Street, making it awkward for pedestrians to pass by.

Since then the Highways Inspector for the area has visited the location and has arranged for the Council Contractor to attend and straighten up the post. This is a small job and should be completed by the end of next week.

Tom Brake MP drives a campaign for better local transport

A keen cyclist, train and bus user, local MP Tom Brake has launched a new campaign to improve transport in Carshalton and Wallington.

The campaign to make the local area better connected includes four main steps: bring back the night bus, protect vital train services, extend the tram link to Sutton, and improve cyclist and pedestrian facilities.

Tom said: “Improved transport can make our local area a more convenient and attractive place to live, work, and do business. Whatever your preferred way of travelling and commuting is, as your local MP I want to get Carshalton and Wallington moving and see reliable and accessible transport links for everyone.”

“I would encourage anyone who cares about the local community, transport and the environment, to ‘jump on this bandwagon’ and join the campaign.”

Tom Brake used the Sutton Town Centre Business Briefing event, held on Thursday 23 May, to mark the launch of the campaign. During the event, attended by the Under Secretary of State for Transport Norman Baker MP, Sutton’s Councillors officially launched the campaign to extend the tram network to Sutton.

This is not the first campaign by Tom Brake MP focusing on local transport. Earlier this year, Tom joined local residents, Councillors and Sutton and Cheam MP, Paul Burstow, and successfully fought the campaign to save the direct link between south London and north London, commonly known as the ‘Wimbledon loop’.

Please sign up to the campaign at http://tombrake.co.uk/p5rq

Tom Brake MP with Norman Baker and Paul Burstow MP

Jill, Alan and Hamish help on the FOCUS Bookstall

Cllr. Alan Salter on the FOCUS bookstall  Carshalton Central ward councillors Jill, Alan and Hamish regularly help out serving on the FOCUS second-hand Bookstall in Sutton High Street quite near Waterstones Bookshop (appropriately enough).

The last bookstall was held on Saturday 25th May 2013. The stall sells fiction and non-fiction books, jams, DVDs, CDs, children’s books etc.  Most of the books are very reasonably priced at around 40-50p each, and are in very good condition, so you can get a real bargain!

The next one will be on August Bank Holiday Monday 26th August at the Environmental Fair, Carshalton Park, Ruskin Road, Carshalton. 

There will be stalls next in Sutton High Street on Saturday 19th October 2013 and again on Saturday 17th November 2013. 

If you have any books going spare please let Hamish know on 020-8647 8202 and he can collect them or please phone Michael Baldwin on 020-8642 1274.

Rossdale, Sutton – Potholes and Yellow Line Repairs Reported

Local Cllr. Jill Whitehead has reported numerous potholes in Rossdale having inspected the road surface recently. She said:

 “I have received a lot of complaints about potholes and the state of the road surface in Rossdale (a cul de sac) from a number of residents. They believe some of these to be dangerous to pedestrians in this road where a lot of elderly people live. This school is also next to Shorts Road and suffers from a lot of overflow parking from people travelling to and from St. Philomena’s school and the car boot sales there.  The road is also used by railway Carshalton station commuters and Carshalton football club users.”

On inspection, she found pot holes in the road outside nos 4, 6, 10, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22 and 26. There are also a number of different road surfaces which does not help, and a number of pothole cracks have arisen between these different surfaces (e.g. outside nos 10 and 12 and outside nos 6, and 17/19).
 
The double yellow lines also need repainting at the entrance to Rossdale and in particular outside no 4 Rossdale which is a slight cul de sac off a cul de sac. The residents are petitioning their neighbours for something to be done, and have asked for a new road surface rather than more infilling of potholes.
 
Jill has asked officers if they will be doing works soon in Rossdale either to repair the potholes or put in a new road surface? This road has also had problems with drains and water soakaways which have probably made the potholes worse.  More in a future posting…
Rossdale road name sign repainted as requested by local councillors

Rossdale road name sign repainted as requested by local councillors

Tom Brake and the “food not fuel” campaign

Tom Brake MP for Carshalton and Wallington joined charity campaigners to call for an end to converting food crops to fuel for our cars.

Food Not Fuel Action Campaign

ActionAid has collected thousands of petition signatures from around the UK on symbolic ‘grains of wheat’, which were combined to create a ‘field’ of wheat outside the Houses of Parliament on Tuesday 14 May.  Tom Brake MP said:

“Biofuels were introduced in good faith as a ‘renewable’ fuel. However, despite the best of intentions, there is increasing evidence that growing reliance on sustainable liquid fuels drives food prices higher.  Growing crops to make fuel instead of food drives up global food prices, hitting those who can least afford it. When 1 in 8 on our planet goes hungry every day, plants should be grown to feed people not fuel cars.”

ActionAid has been campaigning for a ban on food-based biofuels, arguing that their use drives global hunger worldwide. Turning food into fuel reduces the amount available to eat, causing global prices to rise. Policies and targets around the world are encouraging international investors to grab land cheaply in poor countries to create biofuel plantations, meaning people are forced off the land which they rely on for their food, water and livelihoods.

Furthermore, there is growing evidence that certain types of biofuel produce more greenhouse gas emissions than the fossil fuels they were designed to replace. Some scientist warn that biofuels produce more carbon emissions than they save and that increasing their use could actually make the problem of global warming worse.

The call for Food not Fuel is part of the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign, a coalition of over 180 organisations, including Action Aid, Oxfam and Christian Aid, calling for the UK and world leaders to act on hunger.

Find out more by clicking here: http://www.actionaid.org.uk/foodnotfuel

Friends of Sutton Ecology Centre – Volunteers needed

Mrs. Angela Baughan, Chair of the Friends of Sutton Ecology Centre and the former Lib Dem councillor for Carshalton Central (from 1994 to 2006) says:

“If you want to support a wonderful community asset, why not join the Friends of Sutton Ecology Centre. The Friends are local people who help the Centre on Festival Walk, Carshalton through volunteering and organising fundraising events. The grounds, situated close to Carshalton Ponds, are open to the public all year.”

Come and visit the Friends’ – their next event is on Saturday 8th June, 11am to 4pm.

Join the Friends Group for only £3 a year. To find out more phone 020 8647-3858.

See the Friends on Facebook: www.facebook.com/FriendsOfSuttonEcologyCentre

Tom Brake’s Wine Tasting Event

A message from Tom Brake MP for the constituency of Carshalton & Wallington:-

Dear friend,
 
I would like to invite you to my Wine Tasting event themed ‘Old World versus New World’. If you haven’t attended before, this is a relaxed event, providing an opportunity to mingle in like-minded company whilst enjoying good wine. There will be an opportunity for questions and discussions with leading councillors, other local businesses and me.
 
The event is on Friday 21st June, at Carshalton Water Tower (West Street, Carshalton SM5 3PN). It will start at 18h30 and end at 20h00. The nearest parking is the car-park off Carshalton High Street. Access to the Water Tower is via the black gate on West Street, opposite Festival Walk.
 

Florian Avenue/Erskine Road junction: Yellow Lines & Rossdale Street Name Plate

Jill, Hamish and Alan regularly report to council officers about things that need mending or repainting as part of the so-called Street Scene.

For example: Cllr. Jill Whitehead has reported to council officers that the yellow lines outside the even numbered house at the northern end of Florian Avenue and at the junction with Erskine Road are badly eroded and need repainting. 

She has also reported to the officers about the street sign for “Rossdale” off Westmead Road which needs repainting.

Hopefully both of these matters will be attended to soon.