Bins and benches and things…………
We are currently asking the Neighbourhood to make provision for more bins for litter around our wayside gardens. On Wednesday last we secured a wayside bench for the triangle at the Ellerton Road – Ditton Road junction. We have also secured some funding for additional litter bins in strategic places. However, as Janet pointed out, it is very important to ensure that all our litter bins are regularly emptied!
In recent years Paul Johnston has already secured two benches for use by residents. One in Victoria Road near Sainsbury’s after he was approached by a Lovelace Gardens resident and one at the Oakhill – Oakhill Road junction, facing the bird sanctuary.
Surbiton Library building works
Building work will be taking place at Surbiton Library from 5th October, details as follows.
Beginning on Monday 5th October, demolition work on the disused huts located in the car park will commence. This will mean that access to the car park will be limited for visitors and users of the library, disabled car parking will still be available. This last for a few weeks, dependant on how long the work takes to complete.
From Monday 2nd November work will take place in the main library to install new self service equipment and at the same install new flooring and some redecoration. This will mean that the building will be closed to the public from that date for 4 weeks, with scheduled re-opening on Monday 30th November.
Axe to fall on western extension zone
Letter just in from the Mayor of London. I thought you might be interested:
Dear Paul,
You may have heard the scurrilous rumour that I have reneged on my promise to remove the Western Extension of the congestion charge. I am writing now to tell you that is emphatically not true.
When I was elected, I promised to give Londoners the consultation they never got. Londoners expressed the overwhelming view that it should be removed, and I promised to honour that judgement. I maintain that promise today, and to make it absolutely crystal clear; we will be removing the Western Extension next year.
We have to jump through a number of tedious bureaucratic hoops before the axe can fall, but fall it will. The extended zone will be no more. It will be an ex-zone, the area formerly known as. It will be a dead zone!
Regards,
This month’s surgery
Sunrise setting at last?
The marathon, three part Sunrise enquiry resumed at the Guildhall at 10 this morning. There was quite a good turn out from Southborough RA and two ward councillors spent part of the day there.
The Council had a good morning and the SRA put up a very professional performance cross questioning witnesses as well. One of the planning officers told me as I left that the hearings might be over tomorrow morning as the last witnesses were being heard this afternoon.
On everyone’s behalf I do hope so – and I hope the Council and SRA will carry the day. Certainly, there can be nothing but praise for the way SRA have gone about this issue – and it must be remembered that matters have taken about three years all told. So well done Suzie and Owen, Ken, Richard, David, Jeremy and Isobel and all the others. I hope your fellow residents really appreciate all you’ve done on their behalf!
Out of FOCUS II
Another Focus leaflet has appeared in parts of Southborough. There’s not much in it that is relevant directly to any part of Surbiton Hill. Mostly it’s regurgitated stuff from other campaigns plus claims that these unseen people have been working with and for local residents for years.
They congratulate Owen Palmer on his civic award last year. He deserves to be congratulated but not to have his name used in an attempt to con the public into thinking that this ‘Focus Team’ had something to do with the award. They didn’t. The Chair of Southborough RA did and she was supported by the local Councillors, especially this writer.
Their claim to have been helpful in opposing Sunrise is all just flim-flam. Southborough residents know that their councillors have been there for them 24/7 throughout this whole process. Today Nick spent time at the enquiry and I spent most of the afternoon there, supporting the residents as always. And the Lib Dem Focus Team? Nowhere to be seen – as always!!
One thing they DON’T do is tell the residents about their wonderful new wheeze for a ‘Mansion Tax’, that could slap an extra bill for as much as £2500 on their houses – they who are already paying the highest Council Tax in London!
There is nothing wrong in aspiring to represent the people of Surbiton Hill. It’s a noble ambition and I have felt it a privilege to do so, alongside Janet for 12 years and Nick for 4.
One piece of advice I’ll give this ‘Team’: the electors of the ward are intelligent people and used to being well and truthfully served. Please don’t insult their intelligence with b******* of this sort.
Would residents please remember to recycle the paper.
Surbiton Forum 