Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea, July 2025, Newsletter (# 193)
- On the 7th I went to a Doddington roof garden summer social, where I met a few old friends and tried one or two home-made snacks. Whilst I was there, I had a chat with a team of firefighters from the Este Road fire station, for whom despite the nature of their job – travelling all around the area – the garden was a completely new and pleasurable experience. However, in the middle of chatting about the garden their buzzers sounded and they had to dash off to their fire engine! Dramatic.
- Four days later, I was in Parkgate Road
visiting some constituents, when I noticed that work is at last taking place laying decent pavements around the block where the Royal College of Arts building stands. This has been outstanding for all of the last 4 years and I (and residents) have raised it with the Town Hall on what has seemed like a monthly basis. Good news!
- I went from Parkgate Road directly to one of the three Thrive gardens in Battersea Park. This charity helps people with disabilities to face mental and physical issues through the pleasure and relaxation of gardening. This was an occasion to meet their chief executive and show support for the charity. However, the gardens especially the one near the river, are well worth visiting in their own right – a great place to sit and think for 30 minutes or so.
- I had the Transport Committee on the 19th June. There were plenty of important items but not specifically of great interest to Battersea except for the important cycling facilities in both Queenstown Road and Nine Elms Lane. The cycle lanes are desperately needed, especially in the stretch between Battersea Park and Silverthorne Roads. I just hope that there is not too much interference with traffic during the implementation because it has certainly been difficult getting around in North Battersea this last month with hold ups in Falcon Road, York Road and on Battersea Bridge Road.
- I went to Merton to attend the North-East Surrey Crematorium Board on the 24th. It was a mundane, uncontentious meeting quite unlike Sunday, the 29th, which was the selection meeting to vote for Labour’s three candidates for Battersea Park ward in next year’s Council Election. It was at least my twentieth such selection meeting, and, if you’re interested, it does not get less nerve-racking – indeed possibly the reverse. I am glad to say, however, that I was successful and, all other things being equal, my name with two colleagues will be on the ballot paper on May 7th 2026.
My July Programme
- I have the Finance Committee on 3rd July.
- I will be accompanying Penny on her business trip to Saragossa, Spain from 9th July to the 12th – I hope the current heatwave breaks before then!
- We have the Council Meeting on 16th July.
- There is the Conservation and Heritage Advisory Body on the 17th and the Planning Applications Committee (PAC) on the 23rd.
Did you know?
Last month I asked, if anyone recognised this corner? And what is there now? Only one of you tried but I am afraid she got it wrong.
Note the 1960s cars (and the almost empty streets!); 
but the give aways are the lift shafts sticking up alongside the cranes on the construction site of the Doddington Estate. This corner at the junction of Queenstown and Battersea Park Roads was completely cleared, a new left-turn lane added to the junction and the pavement widened. Immediately next to the corner is Turpin House, which is the end block of the Dodd(ington).
And this month?
Here’s a nice, easy one for any one with their eyes open as they travel around. How many pubs are there in Battersea named after members of the British aristocracy? And where are they located?
Tony Belton
Tony Belton 