Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere January Newsletter (# 68)
December highlights
- I went to Nightingale School on 1st December. It is meant to be for difficult children. There is, of course, an “acceptable” description and that is an EBDS school or a school for pupils with emotional, behavioural and social difficulties. Let’s be honest: I was not impressed. OK, so I am no expert but in many ways this school felt more like a prison than a school. I will be keeping a close eye on it in future. I do not think it is the sort of place in which we ought to be raising our kids, even if (or especially if) they are children with difficulties.
- On the 8th I had the so-called Education and Standards Group, no excitement there, and on the next day the December Council Meeting. This was difficult for me! Having not been Leader of the Opposition for the best of part of four years now, I have got used to not playing as large a role in the Council Meeting but with many more Labour councillors (good thing) and far fewer Council meetings (really bad thing) for the first time in my memory – for the first time for 40 years maybe – I didn’t say a word! OK, I mock, and maybe I am taking the mickey out of myself to a degree. Nonetheless, our (the councillors that is) lessening role in the whole operation does make me wonder where democracy is going – at least at the local level. Should we just let the local government officers get on with it – make them all in effect national civil servants? Of course, I don’t think so. What do you think?
- Two days later I did see an interesting play at the Royal Court in Sloane Square called Hope, which posed many of the same issues. In the play, when the councillors refused to impose any more government imposed cuts, the civil servants did take over and everything got cut. I wrote a review of the play that you can see a couple of entries back on this blog.
- Talking of which did you
see/know about the Council’s threat to close Battersea’s Sports Centre in Hope Street. It was “announced” to the staff on 16th December. The Sports Centre is very busily used by well over 20 sports clubs and local organisations and it is not as though the area is over-endowed with alternatives. What did the Council’s own reports about the 2011 riots say – there was not a lot for young people to do in the area. But now they want to close down one of the busiest centres of them all! There is a petition for signature at the following address http://www.willtowin.org.uk/#!save-battersea-sports-centre/c150j if you wish to express your opposition. - The Planning Applications Committee was on the 16th. There was one significant local application, which was for shopping and housing development on the site of the Prince’s Head pub in Falcon Road. The pub has been far from popular with some of its neighbours for many years now and the thought of it being replaced with shops and 27 housing units will be welcome. The development at some 4/5 storeys will fit in with the general scale of the 1970’s estate. However, it is not the first time that an application has been approved for this site and there is no guarantee that it will happen; but let’s hope that it proceeds.
- There were two much larger applications on sites many Latchmere residents will know well. The first in the rather shambolic area immediately opposite Battersea Park Railway Station. It will include St. Mary’s Catholic School, Lockington Road, Patcham Terrace and railway viaducts and arches including a number of small neighbouring sites. The new development will have 290 housing units and a new purpose-built two-form entry school. There will also be a direct access route from Battersea Park station to a new entrance to Queenstown Road Station passing along what will effectively be a new road with shops and offices. One of the blocks will be 16 storeys high but although I am usually opposed to yet more high buildings in Battersea I thought that this was rather a good scheme and supported it.
- The second application is in the heart of Wandsworth and includes Welbeck House, yes the Council’s old Social Services Department, and the Housing Department office in 17-27 Garratt Lane, along with some South Thames College land. The application was for 201 residential units, 25% “affordable”, some commercial space and a new Wandsworth Town Centre library. But it also went up to 26 storeys and included some pretty uninspired looking architecture. I didn’t like it much and voted against.
- I spent Xmas with grandchildren and had a HAPPY NEW YEAR’s Eve at a Jazz Club I rather like in Streatham!.
My Programme for January
- I know some of you know about my wonky knee, thanks to a cycling holiday in Holland in September, 2013. Well on January 7th I had a minor operation, an “arthroscopy”, on that and, whilst strictly for my next newsletter, I will say that it seems to have gone quite well, though a bit stiff and sore. More next month!
- On the 12th I am going to the launch of a new Wandsworth Radio station, which is going to be based in Latchmere, in Battersea Park Road. There has been an internet based radio station covering Wandsworth called Raider’s for some time, but this new one is aimed solely at Wandsworth. Interesting and I hope I can tell you more about it and its launch next month.
- Yet again I have the so-called Education and Standards Group on 15th January.
- The Planning Applications Committee will be on the 20th.
- And then in the diary there is a “Special” Council Meeting on the 28th, but I don’t know why and I guess it is not going to happen! – so actually I haven’t got much on in January!
You may recall that last month I asked “Did you or do you know Fara Williams?” 
Well, I am afraid that there has not been any response as yet so I thought I’d go a bit further and test you out with a few views taken between Xmas and NY.
Here they are with a couple of quiz questions:-
On the left, what and where is this?
And where is this below, what would it be called up North (Yorkshire & Lancashire), and which roads does it link? 
Where is this gypsy encampment? This one is a stone’s throw
outside Latchmere. The other two are in the ward.
Tony Belton
Tony Belton 
Hi there, just found your website and thought would leave a message.
Is there anything that can be done in regards traffic management issues relating to the junction with Battersea Park Road/Latchmere Road?
We own the Thai restaurant here and see every day the chaos created by the narrowing of Battersea Park Road from 2 lanes into 1 outside the Latchmere PH.
It is chaos at the best of times, not helped with the major sewerage works taking place at the moment!
Also, is there any council funds for regeneration in this area? Some areas of Battersea have seen monies being made available for smartening up the area….
Regards
Chris
Sorry that I have only just picked this up! Is the situation now better?