Pledge No. 7 – Supporting Our Small Shops

Pledge No. 7 – Supporting Our Small Shops

Businesses and shops play a vital role in breathing life into our local areas. The recession has taken its toll on chains like Woolworths and Threshers, but there are areas in the Borough that have suffered in the good times. Big companies like Canon, Homebase and recently Zurich Insurance have moved out of the borough to go somewhere that offers them more, in their bid to remain competitive. Small shops have also gone, leaving empty shells behind. Wallington Square has had several empty shops for nearly two decades. North Cheam is scarred by the eyesore that is Victoria House. South Sutton has another landmark building, Sutherland House that is gradually crumbling with the retailers below struggling to attract sufficient numbers.

Sutton High Street has been allowed to develop without a tight strategy. You know that the target market of the High Street has changed when Poundland gets undercut by the 99p store. It is not all about Sutton. The Borough is made up of a collection of villages each with their own characteristics, all surrounding the busy town centre. These villages each need a solid plan to make the most of their features.

A Conservative Council will not be satisfied with a strategic plan for the borough. We will aggressively market the borough to businesses and retailers, actively encouraging the businesses that residents want to see and use, to come to the Borough. We will tackle the landmark buildings that are falling into disrepair. They are the first view of the Borough that many visitors see. We will ensure that easy and affordable ‘stop & shop’ parking is available in our smaller High Streets to attract passing trade for smaller shops, working with local businesses to involve them in a sustainable solution to parking issues. Finally, we will use planned changes to Business Rates under a Conservative Government as a marketing tool to give incentives to businesses to relocate and send a clear signal that Sutton is open for business.

Our Commitment: We will actively approach and encourage businesses to come to Sutton and will ensure that affordable ‘stop & shop’ parking is available in our smaller High Streets.

Pledge No. 6 – Putting Sutton Residents First

Pledge No. 6 – Putting Sutton Residents First


We need to ensure that Sutton residents get the highest priority from the Council and its partners in the services that they provide. With 40% of residents commuting to London, it is important to encourage the use of local shops, businesses and services in order to ensure their long term viability.

We will explore a priority card, allowing residents discounts for some council services and more convenient access to services. Uses can include reduced parking costs, access to leisure centres and libraries and proof of residency for access to the council dump.

The card will always remain voluntary with the privacy of residents being at the forefront of our thinking. Beyond council services, we will work with local businesses to provide discounts and other offers to help boost the local economy, especially in the smaller shopping areas such as Cheam, Carshalton, Wallington and Worcester Park.

Succesful projects in Hillingdon, Camden and Kensington & Chelsea have demonstrated the benefits in both promoting local enterprises and ensuring residents get the best deal from the very services that they help pay for through their Council Tax. Oyster card and micropayment technology can be added at a later date when appropriate, affordable and reliable should residents agree.

Our Commitment: We will put residents first by giving them a priority card, placing them at the front of the queue for council services and work with local businesses to provide discounts and benefits.

Pledge No. 5 – Transparency

Pledge No. 5 – Transparency

Trust in politics is low. We will make a start in changing this by being open and transparent, publishing every item of council spending over £500. It’s your money; we’ll be straight with you. We should be accountable when spending your money.

I’ve seen this work in other authorities. People consider their actions more carefully when they are laid open to wider scrutiny. The very act of publishing the figures is likely to help drive down costs. Looking back at a list of items of council spending from the previous year might also be an enlightening experience for residents who are paying their council tax without much idea where their money is going.

Our Commitment: We will publish all council spending over £500 on Sutton’s website.

Pledge No. 6 – Putting Sutton Residents First

Pledge No. 4 – Zero Tolerance Policing

Crime remains at the top of residents’ concerns in Sutton. We will give no-nonsense political leadership to get police officers back onto our streets, doing the job that they want to do and making the arrests to end anti-social behaviour.

We will work shoulder to shoulder with our local police by giving them extra powers to do their job properly including ‘dispersal orders’ to break up and move on intimidating gangs and groups of youths.

We will also extensively use the ‘Community Payback’ scheme to make convicted offenders repay the community for their crimes.

My ward colleague and our Spokesman for Crime and Disorder, Councillor Eric Howell says: “Every resident has the right to feel safe at home and on our streets. That’s why we want to give strong political leadership. Too much violent crime has been driven by alcohol and drugs. Our approach is simple, those that offend will be arrested.”

Our Commitment: We will use all available powers to push for real zero-tolerance policing.

Pledge No. 3 – Protect Our Family Homes & Back Gardens

Pledge No. 3 – Protect Our Family Homes & Back Gardens

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.