![Parent Pressure On Cheam Park Farm Junior School]()
by Paul Scully | Feb 8, 2010 | News |
I joined concerned parents and grandparents outside the Civic Offices in Sutton this morning who are protesting against changes to the admissions to Cheam Park Farm Junior School. Eliza Philippidis (pictured), one of our excellent Stonecot ward candidates for the local elections on May 6th showed her support as well holding one of the many signs designed by the children.
Philippa Stroud and the local MP have worked with parents on a cross-party basis seeking to get the school to reverse their decision to reduce their intake to 90 from 105. The junior school works closely with Cheam Park Farm Infant School but the reduction in numbers means that children now in the infant school are not guaranteed a place and with massive pressure on school places, they may need to travel some distance to get to school in the future.
I am glad to say that the pressure opened a small chink of hope. We went into the Schools Admission Forum which had this as a topic of discussion. The Forum is only an advisory body as the school, as a foundation school, is in charge of its own admissions.The Chair of Governors told the Forum that she was calling an extraordinary meeting of the governors to consider taking in all children from the infant school who wanted a place, at least for this year. Hopefully they will see sense and go back to the higher number permanently. Smaller class sizes are all very well but if your child can’t get into that school, they are not much good to you.
by Paul Scully | Feb 3, 2010 | News |
Public services are in a bit of flux at the moment. With the political debate in Westminster being about how deep cuts are going to have to be rather than whether they will happen, the various public bodies are running around looking busy.
Here in Sutton is no different. We are slowly grinding to a point that we might be able to put a spade in the ground and build a new school. We are still waiting to buy the land from the NHS Primary Care Trust. The Epsom & St Helier NHS Trust are seeking planning permission to build a new wing on the St Helier hospital site. Sutton Housing Partnership, having acheived a two star rating from a government inspector, are looking to start a major repair plan for the social housing in the Borough. All of this is to be done using government money, £38m, £220m and £112m respectively. What’s the common link, they’re all competing in trying to push the projects forward to demonstrate progress before Whitehall comes a-knockin’ and looking to see who’s is the first budget to cut. It seems to be a super version of when roads and parks around the borough get spruced up before the end of the financial year.
The whole process remind me of an old joke when two hunters see a lion eyeballing them. One starts putting on a pair of Nikes. The other explains that they wouldn’t be able to outrun a lion even with a change of shoes. The first hunter says, “That’s fine. As long as I can outrun you.”
by Paul Scully | Jan 27, 2010 | News |
Sutton is the 4th highest of all of the London Boroughs for the development of brownfield sites which includes back gardens. Brownfield sites are those which have been used for another purpose before rather than, say greenbelt. Back gardens are included in this definition. In 2005, 30% of all brownfield development was in fact, on back gardens. In Sutton, this figure soared to 41%.
The Liberal Democrats talk a good game on garden grabbing but have forced through permission against residents’ wishes to build 21 houses on council-owned back garden land in Harcourt Road, Wallington.
There are several policies within the existing local planning framework known as the Unitary Development Policy and its successor, the no more snappily title Local Development Framework to protect our family homes which are being demolished to make way for flats and other high-density developments. We will use those powers to stop inappropriate back garden developments and to protect the suburban nature of our area.
We will also campaign for further powers through central government, asking them to stop including back gardens in their definition of brownfield sites. We have an ally to help campaign in City Hall, in the shape of Conservative Greater London Assembly Member Steve O’Connell who has said that he would “die in a ditch to protect our green spaces.”
Our Commitment: We will use all policies to stop developers from relentless garden grabbing.
by Paul Scully | Jan 26, 2010 | News |
Total Politics carries an interview with UKIP leader, Lord Pearson of Rannoch this month which I read with interest. He explains away some of his more unguarded moments like accusing “the Muslims of breeding ten times faster than us” in an interview that has been replayed by BNP activists to promote their own extreme racist views.
However one part of the interview of particular local interest was when he explained why his main aim is to stop the Conservative Party winning a working majority. He believes a hung parliament would be a first step in a realignment of British politics. When asked how this would benefit UKIP, he explains “We would then be free to join up with decent real people, Liberal Democrats in the south west.”
We have seen in Sutton how local UKIP activists have already aligned themselves alongside the Liberal Democrat establishment. I wonder if the two LibDem MPs and local councillors are happy bedfellows in this new partnership?
by Paul Scully | Jan 22, 2010 | News |
Regular readers will know that I am not a fan of road humps. It is likely that speed tables (brick raised areas on junctions) will be put on the junctions of Ruskin Road/Rotherfield Road, Ruskin Road/ Seymour Road and Talbot Road/ Rotherfield Road after residents voted in favour, both in the official council consultation and extra door-knocking by me and Eric. Nonetheless, as a whole Conservatives believe that they should not be the lazy default option to show that the local authority is doing something about a problem that is not necessarily there. In the first guest post of my blog, Cllr Graham Whitham, Conservative Spokesman on Environment & Transport shares the thoughts of our group and our pledge to residents for the forthcoming local elections:
“Tackling the impact of traffic and speeding vehicles is one of the most controversial jobs in Sutton Council.
Over the last 24 years, the ruling Liberal Democrats have placed many road humps in our roads. Many of the Borough’s road humps have little proven benefits and do no more than annoy motorists. Crude anti-car policies do not help anyone.
In some areas road cushions are necessary for traffic calming and road safety. A Conservative-run Council will only introduce traffic calming measures if residents want them and proven benefits outweigh negatives.
We will be straight with people, offering choice with the various options available. When a road is resurfaced we will confirm with local residents whether they want to keep road humps or not – existing traffic calming schemes can be removed.
We believe in really listening. It’s as simple as that.”
Our Commitment: We will ballot residents about removing unpopular road humps as roads are resurfaced.
I joined concerned parents and grandparents outside the Civic Offices in Sutton this morning who are protesting against changes to the admissions to Cheam Park Farm Junior School. Eliza Philippidis (pictured), one of our excellent Stonecot ward candidates for the local elections on May 6th showed her support as well holding one of the many signs designed by the children.
