This is a golden opportunity for visitors and commuters to and from London to feedback on the proposals either online, by post, or face to face. Public exhibitions are to be held in areas along the proposed Northern line extension route from 15 November 2012. Transport for London are really keen to hear what Greater London residents and business have to say

Transport benefits would include; creating Tube access for thousands of people, cutting journey times from this part of London to the West End and the City to around 15 minutes; reduced pressure on Vauxhall station and relief to the existing Northern line south of Kennington, and wider access to leisure and employment opportunities for local people. This latest consultation aims to provide more detailed information about the proposed sites for the two new stations, two permanent shafts and two temporary shafts required to build the extension.

Have your say

Local people are encouraged to come and talk to representatives from TfL at the following locations:

• Market Towers, 1 Nine Elms Lane, SW8 5NQ on Thursday 15 November at 15:00 to 20:00 and Friday 16 November at 8:00 to 18:00
• Sainsbury’s, 62 Wandsworth Road, SW8 2LF on Friday 23 November at 12:00 to 19:00 and Saturday 24 November at 9:30 to 13:00
• Gallery on the Corner, 155 Battersea Park Road, SW8 4BU on Thursday 29 November at 15:00 to 20:00
• The Kia Oval, Executive Box 56, Kennington, SE11 5SS on Friday 7 December at 12:00 to 19:00 and Saturday 8 December at 9:30 to 13:00

In addition to these events, over 40,000 households along the route of the proposed extension will receive a detailed leaflet about the proposals.

If planning approval is obtained and a funding package is in place then construction of the Northern line extension could begin in 2015.

Go to tfl.gov.uk/nle  to provide feedback on the proposals, view and download further information about each of the sites and complete the feedback form.

The Consultation will close on 16th December 2012.

A few days’ ago,  Hamish took some pictures of Honeywood Museum (NOW FREE ENTRY!) and the ford chain/railings almost immediately outside it.

Both features are part of Carshalton’s historic past. Both have been improved recently – the chain/railings were were recently repainted by the Council in time for the Olympic Torch relay on 23rd July 2012, using money from the Council’s Carshalton & Clockhouse Local Committee’s Public Realm fund.

 The Frost Fair will of course be happening here on Saturday, 1st December 2012 the day after the magic day when the Carshalton Christmas Lights are due to be switched on for the very first time on Friday, 30th November 2012 !

The Ford with repainted chain/railings

Cllr Ruth Dombey, Leader of Sutton Council, hailed the borough’s first-ever Question Time ‘a huge success’ following a lively debate on Wednesday 7th November.

Not the BBC's Question Time but Carshalton's...

Scores of residents visited the Charles Cryer Theatre in Carshalton to quiz a panel featuring Cllr Dombey, Guy Ferguson, Police Borough Commander; Susanna Bennett, Chief Executive Sutton Centre for the Voluntary Sector; Cllr. Colin Hall, Deputy Leader of Sutton Council and Niall Bolger, Chief Executive of Sutton Council. And the panellists were interrogated on topics ranging from their ambitions for 2013 to whether the borough needs more youth clubs and from domestic violence to their recent reading habits.

Cllr. Dombey said: “I have to admit I was nervous before we started but once we got going, it was great fun and a huge success. “It’s vital we offer as many ways as we can to listen to residents, find out what they think and explain the tough choices we’re going to have to make.”

On the night Cllr Dombey reaffirmed her commitment to fighting inequality in the borough and encouraging economic growth and prosperity. Answering a question about what the local authority is doing to encourage business in the area, Cllr. Dombey told the audience: “We ran an event called Opportunity Sutton earlier this year which attracted a lot of interest from businesses and developers inside and outside the borough. Some of those companies have now worked up concrete offers which mean jobs and economic growth for Sutton.” Another questioner asked about parking and the Leader agreed: “Parking is a growing problem. We have some of the highest car ownership in London and not enough space on 1930s’ roads.” But she went on: “We are one of the few boroughs to offer free visitor parking” and her Deputy, Cllr. Hall, added: “The question of parking divides communities and we have to be sure that what we do support businesses.” He continued: “In Wallington we introduced free parking for less than 30 minutes and 90 minutes for 90p. That has proved a success. We ticket responsibly and we have to keep the streets safe. But we are never going to please all the people all the time.”

The borough’s future plans for providing sufficient school places, law and order and the planning application to build an energy recovery facility were also dealt with before the meeting came to a close. Following its successful conclusion, Cllr. Dombey told the audience that further similar meetings will be held in 2013.

Two sessions of bulb planting have taken place recently by the Friends of Carshalton Park, of which Hamish Pollock is the newly-elected chairman. A lovely sunny day earlier today, Sunday, 18th November saw about 11 people turn up, young and old alike!   Once again, Carolyn the hard-working Secretary of the Friends organised the bulb planting and thousands of bulbs, provided by the Council’s parks department, have been planted by volunteers in this park over the last five years or so.

Richard, tackling bulb planting under the trees by the entrance

Today, we planted masses and masses of bulbs in the grassland by the main entrance gates area to the park for future visitors to enjoy for many years to come.

Last weekend on Saturday,10th November, we did a very similar exercise along the narrow strip of the open space between Talbot Road and Ruskin Road called the “Ornamental Garden” although the weather then was rather damp…

Ernie, a very keen advocate of bulb planting

Bulb planting in Carshalton Park

The Mayor of London, who is the chair of the new London Legacy Development Corporation, was this week held to account over his promises to deliver affordable housing within the Olympic Park.
 
At a full meeting of the London Assembly the Mayor was questioned by Caroline Pidgeon over whether he plans to dilute his target of delivering 35% affordable housing across the whole Olympic Park, as already the first planning application only has a target of 28% affordable housing.
 
Caroline highlighted the unique opportunities that the Mayor has, as he not only owns the land, but is also responsible for setting the affordable housing targets and determining local planning applications as chair of the London Development Legacy Corporation.
 
With over 800,000 people now waiting for affordable housing in London Caroline told the Mayor:
 
“If you can’t or won’t build affordable homes to meet your own targets, then surely you are giving the green light to every other developer in London to simply abandon any attempts to build the affordable homes we need?”
 
Caroline also challenged the Mayor to stand by his repeated commitment to transparency at City Hall by publishing the financial viability studies for each site where his affordable housing target is not met.

B&Q in Sutton,

Christmas shoppers will be eased into the festive spirit when twinkling lights go on over the borough in the next few weeks.

Sutton Town Centre will get the party started on Saturday 24 November when the Mayor, Cllr. Sean Brennan, will turn on the lights, accompanied by Father Christmas himself.

The lights will go on at 6pm marking the climax of the day’s entertainment which will start at noon and include music, dance and extracts from theatrical festive favourites.

Cllr Jayne McCoy, Chair of Sutton’s Housing, Economy and Business Committee, said: “It is always very special when the Christmas lights go on.

“From a practical point of view it attracts much-needed business for local traders, but it also helps bring that little bit of magic which makes Christmas such a special time.”

Meanwhile Rose Hill is planning to turn on its lights on Friday 30 November, followed by Carshalton Village the next day, 1st December 2012 for the first time. Olympic Gold medallist Joanna Rowsell will get in on the act on 7 December when she will flick the switch to light up Cheam.

Worcester Park will be getting in on the fun with special lighting-up events on 6 and 13 December and North Cheam will get lighter and brighter for Christmas when it switches on its display on 15 December.

Carshalton’s event will run alongside the Frost Fair which will centre on Carshalton Ponds and Honeywood Museum from 2-6pm. Both Carshalton’s Christmas lights and the Frost Fair are entirely new events intended to build on the huge success of the Carshalton Swan on the Pond event which celebrated the Olympic torch relay and brought the local community together in the summer.

At the Frost Fair Father Christmas will take his place in a grotto to entertain the children as visitors can enjoy live music and entertainment, including traditional carol singing.

Visitors will also be able to stock up for the yuletide fun ahead at a variety of farmers’ market-style stalls and get the present shopping started at a variety of craft stalls before reviving themselves by tucking into a hog roast or sampling the excellent food and drink available from the museum cafe.

London’s Lib Dems welcomed the announcement earlier this week that London’s living wage will rise from £8.30 to £8.55 and that nearly 200 employers in London are committed to paying it.
 
One leading Lib Dem said: “This is a welcome announcement by the Mayor.  This is one issue where the Mayor is certainly doing the right thing. The arguments for the London living wage of reducing staff turnover and increasing motivation and loyalty are now well proven. However there is still so much that can be done in both the public and private sector to end the scandal of so many Londoners receiving poverty wages.
 
“At City Hall the Mayor also needs to ensure that TfL and the London Fire Brigade move towards being fully accredited employers.  It is time the Metropolitan Police Service also signed up to the London living wage.  However, the biggest progress by far needs to be made in the private sector.  It is time major hoteliers and high street chains signed up and played their role in tackling the scourge of poverty pay.”

Last week many people’s attention was being devoted to the US Presidential result the Mayor of London decided to release details of fares rises for 2013, a decision described by Lib Dem GLA member Caroline Pidgeon as an attempt to “bury bad news”. 
 
Despite being granted a £96 million grant from central Government to keep fares down the overall fare rise is 4.2 per cent, including a 5 pence increase on an Oyster pay as you go bus fare and a 10 pence increase in single Zone 1 pay as you go fare on the tube.  A Zone 1- 6 singe fare will increase by 20 pence during peak times.
 
In addition to the fare rises the Mayor has also hiked up the costs of using the bike hire scheme.  From January, 24 hour access will increase from £1 to £2 and weekly access from £5 to £10.  Yearly membership is also being doubled increasing from £45 to £90.
 
Full details of all the fare increases, covering every zone and all forms of transport, can be seen here.