Talking about Carshalton

When I was elected, I promised to "Make Carshalton Central". It's nice to know that there are others doing the same thing. I came across a new website, Sutton Forum, where people share their thoughts and concerns about Sutton and Carshalton.

Any way of discussing the issues can only be a good thing. I've added a permanent link on the sidebar.

A Note on Grammar Schools

Many people will have been left scratching their head after the reporting of a speech by Conservative Shadow Education Spokesman, David Willetts MP. Sutton is one of the top performing Education Authorities in the country and is one of the few with a Grammar School system.

I am fortunate to have touched on all parts of the education system, having gone to an independent school myself, sent my children to both Comprehensive and Grammar Schools in Sutton and being a governor at a Primary and Secondary school in Carshalton.

We should be proud of our schools in the Borough, selective and non-selective alike. The Grammar Schools continue to achieve the very best results that stand up to comparison with any other. The non-selective schools perform admirably and continue to improve. Stanley Park High School is a case in point where their achievements would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. They were recognised as one of the most improved schools in the country this year. The rebuilding of the school is an opportunity to capitalise and build on this record.

I'll leave it to our Parliamentary candidates to consider the national education system, but locally, I retain my commitment to protect our Grammar Schools whilst seeking to give every child the tailored education that they require to have every opportunity in the future. The system works in Sutton, let's leave the decision to those who involve themselves directly in Sutton education not Whitehall.

Parliamo Politico? Part 2

Gordon Brown claims that he will reinstate the importance of Parliament. He has a job on his hands. The current PM has no appetite for debate when he can be off on a foreign jolly or quizzed gently on a television sofa. Today, Tony's representative on Earth, John Prescott drowned in word soup as he put on another embarrasing performance in his valedictory PMQs.

He seemed to know nothing of the problems with the online system for junior doctors' jobs and little about the problems with Home Information Packs.

When asked who would take responsibility for the latest chaos in the NHS, Prescott said "I'll tell you who is to blame... medical students." This was an interesting take on the situation and one that I don't think that Patricia Hewitt would be wise to continue with when trying to save her job.

The rest of the exchange with William Hague was Prescott blaming the Tories for the Dome, for losing the election in 2001 and the baggage retrieval situation at Heathrow. OK, I made the last one up but he knows what he needs to do if he wants the Conservative Leader to be the one answering the questions at PMQs. The Speaker was incredibly lenient allowing him to start on the Conservative position on Grammar Schools even though this was as far removed from the topic as Tony is from Parliament.

My rant is over: normal service will be resumed.

Rotherfield Rejected Again

The latest proposals to develop this site was decisively rejected by the committee tonight after my colleague Richard Butt explained that the 11.5% increase in the size of the proposed building was the equivalent floorspace of a 3 bed semi.

The planning report did not see the increase in size as a reason to reject the application but the stark reminder of what effect this would have on neighbouring properties concentrated the minds of committee members. The previous plan won on appeal can still be built by the developers but we kept a consistent line on our approach to this site and the outlook in Rotherfield Road.

Rotherfield Road returns to DC

Residents were pretty happy when this picture was taken. They're less so now. Wren Homes appealed against the refusal and won. They have submitted amended plans which will be determined on Wednesday 9th May at the Development Control Committee which starts at 7.30pm.

I sit on this committee and the role rightly calls for me to decide on the application with all of the information to hand, including representations made on the night so, as ever I go in with an open mind.

You are all welcome to come and make your feelings known. I have seen the many letters that have been sent to the Planning Department. If you want to see the officer's report recommending that permission can be given, you can see the agenda and download the report here. See you next week.

Update:-

Here is the Report from the Planning Inspectorate allowing the appeal.

New Consultation for Stanley Park

I'm a governor at Stanley Park High School and have got very involved with the rebuilding of the school. The Council have rejected the allotment site and favour the Orchard Hill site, though have retained the possibility of rebuilding the school in its current position if feasibility studies show that relocation is not possible.

Part of the proposals are to increase the number of forms of entry by one and to provide a 56 place moderate autistic spectrum disorder base on the site in addition to the existing mild spectrum base. This would only be possible if Orchard Hill was the chosen site. The Council is currently consulting on this particular aspect of the proposal. Consultations about plans etc. will come further down the line.

In the meantime, if you are interested, there are two public meetings, both at the School Hall on Wednesday 9th May between 7pm and 9pm and Saturday 12th May between 10am and 12pm. Further details of the consultation can be found here.

Recycling Jokes

Beau B'Dor getting to the nub of the problem.

Rubbish Press Statement

In a recent press release, LibDem Council Leader, Sean Brennan rightly said that the Government should not force fortnightly waste collection on local authorities through the introduction of Joint Waste Authorities. What he failed to go on to say was that Sutton will not reintroduce fortnightly collections by its own volition.

During a campaign between 1999-2001, led by David Pickles, 22,000 residents signed their name to a petition calling for the reintroduction of a weekly collection forcing the council into a U-turn.

I'm sure that Cllr Brennan will want to correct this omission.

Hat tip for graphic: Robin Sharp

Parliamo Politico? Part 1

"I have expressed a degree of regret that can be equated with an apology."
Des Browne mumbling some words of regret over the naval captives' stories fiasco.

Hat Tip: Picture from Beau B'Dor

Poles Telegraphed across London

Let's hope that the totem poles aren't simply a farewell present to MPs Brake & Burstow and carved in their vision. Anyway, the Evening Standard read this blog and did an excellent job in finding out a little more about the project. Since the £600,000 bus stop was getting a little old hat, it's nice to have another permanent fixture reminding us of the spending habits of this Council.

EVENING STANDARD, MONDAY 16th APRIL
Totem poles in, parks police out
KATHARINE BARNEY

A Council is to spend an estimated £20,000 erecting two giant totem poles in public parks. Sutton council has been granted planning permission to put up the 18ft carved oak sculptures, which it says are intended to make “a notable visual impact”. It comes as the Liberal Democrat-controlled council has disbanded its parks police service, leading to accusations that the totem poles are a waste of money and will encourage vandalism.

Councillor Paul Scully, leader of council’s Conservative Opposition group, said: “It’s an absolute waste of money These things are going to cost tens of thousands of pounds which could be put to a much better use.”

“We applaud the project to improve our open spaces, but why on earth do we need to top it off with these pieces of abstract art? It’s laying down a challenge to the anti-social element of society like a red rag to a bull.” The totem poles are part of a £490,000-scheme to improve open spaces across Sutton, including footpaths and play facilities such as a skateboarding park for teenagers.

The poles will be made by Sussex sculptor Walter Bailey, who has sold 11 similar pieces to Surrey County Council for £75,000. One will be located on the highest part of St Holier Open Space, next to a path and visible from St Helier Hospital. The other will be on Middleton Open Space so that it can be seen by passing drivers and pedestrians. It is intended to “balance” with neighbouring mature oak trees. Until this month, eight police officers in 4x4s patrolled parks across Sutton to deter vandals and prevent anti-social behaviour.

Pushing for Properly Policed Parks

I've outdone myself on my alliterative title. Anyway, the Sutton Guardian published letters from me and Eric in response to a letter from the lead councillor Graham Tope which was somewhat short on explanations as to why we won't have our parks policed properly over the summer despite the new scheme having been discussed since last year.

Extract from my letter:-
Additional funding for our Safer Neighbourhood Teams is always welcome in the long term, of course, but unless this extra money can sprout legs, drive cars and nick antisocial yobs within days - what additional reassurance will this give to users of our parks and open spaces over the summer? Very little, I imagine.
The charge of scaremongering that the Liberal Democrats hurl at anyone who might question their decisions has now lost any credibility. When will they just swallow their pride and say, "we were wrong, we are sorry"?

Extract from Eric's letter:-
The gap between the Parks Police finishing on March 31 and the Met Police being trained to cover the park duties could be up to six months, which would take us to the end of the summer.
It was a senior police officer that gave this timetable, not a scaremongering politician.
We should not be increasing the workload on the Safer Neighbourhood Teams, who at this time of the year are fully committed with their own duties.

A Totem to Brussels

Just returned from a Development Control Committee meeting. Two items of note. Firstly we rejected a back garden infill development that followed the "John West" school of design, ie squeezed in like sardines. It was proposed that two houses shared a single parking space! Hmm.

The second item was for two totem poles to be erected either side of the St Helier Open Space. Yes, totem poles. I applaud the overall initiative of Groundwork Merton who have worked with residents in St Helier to improve the open spaces in the area. The new skateboard park will be well received. However, I still ask myself, when funding comes from the EU, why do the ensuing projects have to be accompanied by odd pieces of abstract art. Strange sculptures litter the roadsides of France, Belgium and Holland. Now we are to have two poles apropos of nothing. Several councillors tonight asked the rather relevant question as to what thought had been given to the risk of fire. The answer was given that the sculptures were designed with vandalism in mind. I hope that the unfortunate reply isn't prophetic. They might just present a new challenge to the antisocial element. The design in the photo isn't from St Helier, although CCTV in the eyes and a loud speaker in the mouth might just run alongside Government thinking to ward off those seeking a fresh pyromaniacal challenge.

Others will judge whether I am a Philistine. I'll just keep asking how much the poles cost to erect and maintain.

Breaking the Code

Councillors seem to be hemmed into a Code as fantastical and as faintly ridiculous as Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code with more immediate ramifications even if they don't resonate across quite such a wide area.

The Code of Conduct that each councillor has to sign was introduced for some valid reasons, ensuring that councillors put their own interests aside whilst discharging their duties. As ever, the actual wording of the code ties up elected officials in more red tape than Gordon Brown's cassette collection. There have been examples of councillors being elected on the back of a single issue and then gagged citing the fact that they have a "predetermined position".

Many residents will be aware of the impending decision of the location for the rebuilding of Stanley Park High School. I have explained on every occasion that I am a Governor at the School and so have a favoured site where I would like to see the school rebuilt.

Councillors and residents had the opportunity at last week's Carshalton & Clockhouse Area Committee to contribute to the debate minuting their thoughts for the benefit of the Strategy Committee that would make the decision as to the location...That is, all councillors except me! I contribute to the project team for the rebuilding of the school so there is no doubt that I have a predetermined position. The Head of Legal Services gave me the only advice that she could; I not only couldn't contribute to the debate but had to leave the room while the matter was being discussed.

Since most of the time that was allocated to questions from the public was taken up by questions about the school, I sat in an empty room for the best part of an hour twiddling my thumbs whilst the most controversial subject to affect Carshalton in the last five years was discussed. I certainly have no argument about the advice given. Indeed, we both rolled our eyes when we realised that the situation would be different after the 3rd of May (after this decision will have been made) when the Code is changed.

As usual, my argument is with the Labour Government whose sticky fingers intrude on every aspect of our lives, in this case neutering the already limited effect that locally elected politicians can have in their own areas. It is local politicians that know best not some pontificating tubby from Westminster who is looking for his next promotion. I have long been a fan of localism as embodied by the group of MPs and politicians that developed the Direct Democracy agenda.

Summertime and the trouble is easy

The Sutton Guardian has covered a vital issue that we raised

last year. The LibDem Council has in their wisdom scrapped the Parks' Police in order to make sufficient cuts to limit the increase in Council Tax to only the second highest in London!

In doing so, they neglected the fact that the replacement units supplied by the Met wouldn't be up and running for six months whilst training is completed. This leaves the parks unpoliced throughout the summer when the majority of the trouble occurs.

Eric and Barry Russell have tackled the Lead Councillor Graham Tope about this, predicting problems with the introduction of a new scheme only to be told that there was nothing to worry about. Their fears have proved to be correct. I'm sure that there isn't a single resident in the Borough that would mind saving money if the parks are policed effectively. It was not clear exactly how the savings would stack up. I guess that scrapping the service entirely for half the financial year is clear enough.

Leave a comment here to share your thoughts but also let others know. Why not respond to the article in the Guardian by emailing them?

Why LibDems really don't want Dispersal Orders

We've being getting it wrong all of these years. It's not more bobbies on the beat that is required, just fewer LibDems on the streets. Not long to go before you have an opportunity to put that right!

Hat-tip: Tory Radio

Sweet result for Paynes Neighbours

A BMW car dealership and 27 light industrial units have been given the green light after a unanimous decision by Sutton Council’s Development Control Committee.

Two local residents spoke very well sharing their reservations over the detail of the application whilst welcoming the regeneration of the site which has been empty for two years. They addressed issues such as construction materials, noise, security and sewage

Alongside my colleague Tony Shields I pushed Officers to tackle these and other issues, receiving assurances that the site would not be able to be accessed via Willoughby Avenue without a further planning application being heard and approved by the Council.

Parliamentary Candidate for the Conservatives, Ken Andrew said afterwards, “I’m pleased that the Tory councillors were able to ensure that the Planning Officers dealt directly to reassure the residents. Of course the proof of the pudding is in the eating but residents will be happier knowing that the site will not lay derelict for much longer.”

The Greater London Authority has had fourteen days to review the decision. The Mayor can direct a refusal but since the GLA have contributed a lot to the report by the planning officers including insisting on a contribution of £90,000 from the developers to improve the road and bus stop approaching the site, he is unlikely to take further steps.

Boris to poison children with ID cards

Calm down, it's symbolic already! I share his views on the viability of ID cards but diverge slightly on his choice of cereal toppings. Watch and enjoy.

Drop the Dead Donkey Gordon.

Yesterday Gordon Brown doubled the tax rate of the poorest to pay for a tax cut for everyone else. He increased the tax burden on the small businesses that make up the majority of companies and employ much of the population in order to cut corporation tax for the biggest City firms. It's worth looking back to Gordon's formative years growing up in the country.

...

Young Gordon bought a donkey from an old farmer for £100.00. The farmer agreed to deliver the donkey the next day, but when the farmer drove up he said, "Sorry son, but I have some bad news... the donkey is on my truck, but unfortunately he's dead." Gordon replied, "Well then, just give me my money back." The farmer said, "I can't do that, because I've spent it already." Gordon said, "OK then, well just unload the donkey anyway." The farmer asked, "What are you going to do with him?" Gordon answered, "I'm going to raffle him off," to which the farmer exclaimed, "Surely you can't raffle off a dead donkey!" But Gordon, with a wicked smile on his face said, "Of course I can, I just won't bother to tell anybody that he's dead."

A month later the farmer met up with Gordon and asked, "What happened with that dead donkey?" Gordon said, "I raffled him off, sold 500 tickets at two pounds a piece, and made a huge, fat profit!!" Totally amazed, the farmer asked, "Didn't anyone complain that you had stolen their money because you lied about the donkey being dead?" Gordon replied, "The only guy who found out about the donkey being dead was the raffle winner when he came to claim his prize. So I gave him his £2 raffle ticket money back plus an extra £200, which as you know is double the going rate for a donkey, so he thought I was a great guy!"

Gordon grew up and eventually became the Chancellor of the Exchequer,and no matter how many times he spun the truth, or how much money he stole from the British voters, as long as he gave them back some of the stolen money, many of them, unfortunately, still thought he was a great guy.

The moral of this story is that, if you think Gordon is playing fair and doing something for the everyday people of the country for once in his life, think again, because you'll be better off flogging a dead donkey.

Scully gets a promotion

Last Monday, I became Conservative Group Leader on Sutton Council and Tony Shields was elected Deputy Leader. I'm grateful for the trust that my colleagues have put in me and know that it'll be a steep learning curve having only been on the Council for 10 months.

I have met with colleagues and officers of the council and will continue to do so over the coming few days, but of course, I am most keen to speak with as many residents as possible. It is you who look to us to put your views across and it is you who will judge us on our performance. I am confident that with the talented group of councillors that we have in the Conservative group, we will be able to build on our success, taking the ruling LibDems to task, detailing the areas where we feel improvements can be made and ultimately taking control in 2010 to implement these changes and acheive better services at a realistic cost to all of us.

Brussels out of step with its tenants

I went to Brussels last weekend with my friend Andy, staying in a hotel just yards (not metres, obviously!) from this building, the Barlaymont, home to the European Commission until it was found to be riddled with asbestos.

Anyway, Andy has an electric wheelchair which is far too heavy to lift. The hotel had a step up to the entrance and could not supply a ramp. Neither Andy or I are precious about access rights (it's all swings and roundabouts since the only wheelchair spaces in Eurotunnel are in first class) but the irony was not lost that despite the fact that we were in the shadow of the building that pumps out oppresive regulation for the whole of Europe, the Belgians ignored them.

We borrowed a couple of planks of wood to make an extra step. The following day the Eurotunnel was cancelled for 24 hours and so they had to put us up in a Hotel Ibis. This was not as salubrious as the first hotel but was easy to access, the rooms were big with an accessible bathroom. So, they'll get any future business. You can regulate to your heart's content. It only builds up resentment and the free market will win through in the end.