Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea October 2023, Newsletter (# 172
- Penny and I were away in Croatia, from 24th August until 16th It was splendid, never more than 100 yards/metres from the Adriatic
, in an apartment in the centre of a small fishing village, with five bar/restaurants and maybe 4/500 residents. We swam across this small bay, from these steps, and back every day – perhaps half a mile. We did some work, which was good, ate fish in the restaurants, and read Sara Paretsky’s crime thriller Hardball. If you like American crime writers, Chandler, Spillane, etc., and do not know Paretsky, and her female sleuth Vic Warshawski, then go down to Waterstone’s and get yourself a great read today.
Last month, I had a moan about the fact that the most polluting way to travel is by air and yet we subsidise it. The most ecologically sound way is by train and boat, and we pay cost-price (+ profit). We went green, which is of course time-consuming and expensive, but one does discover fun places on the way, like Train Bleu restaurant in the Gare de Lyon or Piazza Vittorio Veneto, Turin. But it also has its setbacks, like when at 6 am on 16th September we arrived at the station in Milan to discover that all trains to Paris were cancelled because of a land slip in the Alps. The station was fast asleep; there weren’t even any taxis; the metro had not woken up; and we had a Eurostar to London to catch in the afternoon. Saturday was excitingly expensive– thanks to Swiss railways – but we did get to Paris in time to catch Eurostar and home.
- I had the Planning Applications Committee, on 19th This was even more unremarkable than last month, when I queried whether the economy really was tanking? Well, I noted a comment in the business press that planning applications across the whole of London for developments on “brownfield” sites are 90% (Yes 90 and not 10%) down on last year. If that fall in activity continues into next year, there will be serious consequences for all.
On the bright side, isn’t it great to see Clapham Junction’s Arding & Hobbs building free of scaffolding and
substantially restored after all these months? Personally, I think that the roof additions work well, and they are certainly worth it, if the financial return on their construction was what was required to restore the whole building. Now let’s hope that the developer has got occupants lined up for all the new business, restaurant and commercial space,
- On 21st September, I went to Emmanuel School – the private school next to the Royal Patriotic Building, off Windmill Road – for a design review of a new extension that the school plans to build. Their plan is to enhance both the main science classrooms and the refectory. Both the classrooms and the dining hall demand quite a lot of backroom space – whether technical support or kitchen facilities.
The current facilities are ridiculously
inadequate for a school with more than 1,000 pupils. Nevertheless, everything about the school displayed its wealth relative to Battersea’s state secondary schools, Chestnut Grove,, and the Harris Academy and even Bolingbroke Academy. Surely such a gap in our two-tier education system cannot be good for the long-term health of our society?
- Mind you, I am one to talk. On 23rd I went to a garden party at my college Magdalen, Oxford (pronounced as
maudlin). Can there be any more beautiful a place to spend three years as an undergraduate? The Tower, the cloisters, New Building (New as in the 1700s), Addison’s Walk, the River Cherwell – I did not appreciate them as much as a 20 year-old, as I do as an 80 year-old. I guess everyone regrets time wasted in their youth – but I’ll never regret the punting, that was a sublime pleasure. -
On the 27th September, I went for a tour of some of the new developments in Nine Elms and in particular along
the Nine Elms Linear Park. The park threads its way through Nine Elms from Wandsworth Road, near Vauxhall station, to the new Battersea Park underground station. It is by no means complete but it is taking shape and looks lovely – especially so on a warm, sunny early autumn day – though I don’t think that my picture of the US Embassy does it justice.
I was told that the “charter,” created to govern the relationship between the Council and the private interests, who own and run the park, is a world first, and is of considerable international interest. Both it and the new Springfield Park being opened on Burntwood Lane are interesting examples of something new in Britain – public parks being provided out of developer profits and private service charges. It’s a post-austerity model, which has worked well in Wandsworth because of the profits coming from its massive development potential – but how does this model work in less affluent parts of the country?
- And then on 28th September, I went to the RCA (Royal College of Arts) Building on Parkgate Road. I joined a class of international students, who for a term’s project were doing a study on the area between Battersea and Albert Bridge Roads, the River and Battersea Park Road. They asked me along as Wandsworth’s Planning Chair to inform them about the community and its needs. I do not know what value I took to their class, but I found it very interesting and enlightening to see the area through the eyes of 15, or so, 20 year-old, international art and design students. It remains to be seen what mutual advantage we (the students and me) might gain from the experience.
- On the last day of the month, 30th September, Wandsworth’s Labour councillors had an ‘away-day’ at Battersea Arts Centre. It was a team building exercise, not specifically about any particular policy, but highlighting traffic and environmental issues – on the same day as a large anti-Ulez demonstration took place on Tooting Common. The demonstrators were clearly targeting Mayor, Sadiq Khan’s Furzedown home. In the same week as Prime Minister, Sunak hinted at stopping local authorities from implementing pro-ecological policies, we can all guess what Tory tactics are going to be for the coming year and the build-up to a General Election. I think, despite the Uxbridge by-election result, that the Tories have got it wrong. The public are genuinely concerned about the climate crisis.
- One of my colleagues, a Tooting Labour councillor, was attacked at her surgery in September. She has not been physically hurt to any substantial degree but clearly, the psychological damage has been considerable. Whilst the Council is considering the position all councillor surgeries have been suspended. Given the near-universal use of the phone and email, I would not be surprised that this may presage the end of councillor surgeries.
My programme for October
- I have the Finance Committee on the 5th October, a Council Meeting on 18th October and the Planning Applications Committee on the 23rd
- And on 14th October, I have my first, competitive chess match of the season.
Did you Know?
Last month I asked where in Wandsworth is there a statue of Edward VII? And who paid for it?
Quite a few of you knew that Edward’s statue can be found on the pavement outside Tooting Broadway underground station. And all so knew that it was funded by public subscription.
And this month?
Where in Battersea is there a private road? If there is more than one then I’d be interested to hear where they are.
Tony Belton
Tony Belton 