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Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere April, 2016, Newsletter (# 83)

I am going to start with the last day of the month, 31^st March, 2016 – a disaster! I have been well and truly hacked. I was rung by a Microsoft support technician, except that it turned out that he wasn’t. Indeed he was a modern highwayman, a crook. After he had conned me and stripped my computer of all locally held data, including photographs and software, and got into my bank and transferred $5,000 (I can’t at present find the GBP sign on my keyboard!), to a Mr. Cardusi, I was able to get free from him. Fortunately the Bank refused to transfer the money and I have access to the internet
So I am able to type this newsletter using Mailchimp, with its limited word processing capabilities. I also have all the email addresses that I used in Mailchimp, namely Latchmere constituents, but I have lost many of the rest. How much of the rest of this newsletter I will be able to finish, you will know when I get there. But I think I have lost photographs I intended to put in and maybe have been so hit by this emergency that I miss stories and forget events. But one thing I do say to you is be more rigorous about backing up all your data and filing copies of your software than I have been.
I will spend much of the next week trying to recover the accounts of two voluntary bodies, of which I am Treasurer; constituent casework, maybe 4,000 photographs, etc., etc. I look forward to a miserable week and I do hate criminal hackers! And now onto the rest of the newsletter – though if any of you are experts on pc recovery then I look forward to hearing from you!
There was a Council Meeting on 9^th The March Council Meeting was traditionally an important debate about the Budget and next year’s Council Tax. But it has rather lost its point since successive governments, of both persuasions, have so limited Council’s capacity to raise, or in effect cut, Council Tax that although we go through the debate and we try and find grounds to vote against each other, in practice there is very little to debate.
So the main debate was about the Ofsted Report condemning Wandsworth’s performance relating to “children looked after”. The Labour councillors, me included, called AGAIN for the resignations of those local politicians responsible for the “inadequate” services provided for these vulnerable children. Of course the Tory members took no notice.
The March Planning Applications Committee PAC meeting was on 23^rd and had one application of real interest to Latchmere residents and that was for the redevelopment of the Shell Garage in York Road – the one on York Road, right opposite Doris Emmerton House. It involved the demolition of all the existing buildings and the erection of essentially a nine storey building and basement to provide 78 private rented apartments, and a replacement filling station, with a shop. York Road, admittedly not the most glamorous of roads, looks like being transformed beyond recognition.
By the way, here is just a reminder of what used to stand on the site – the Savoy cinema – I mentioned it in my February, 2014, newsletter. The massive auditorium, built in 1938, sat over 2,000 people and was damaged by a V2 in January, 1945, and was finally demolished in 1960.
Talking of planning applications, the latest news on that front is that a developer has acquired the site of the old schoolkeeper’s house at Harris Academy, formerly Battersea Park School, and is in talks with the planners about putting a 13/14 storey block on the site at the corner of Culvert Road and Battersea Park Road. This might look something like this, with Castlemaine House on the right.
A few days earlier, 19^thMarch, Wandsworth Labour Parties had a fish ‘n chips fund raising supper at York Gardens Library. There is not really much reason to mention it except that it was to mark International Earth Day, which I dare say you have never heard of. I hadn’t and when you look it up on Google there are conflicting accounts of when it actually is with some saying 22 April and others 21 March. In any event it has been “invented” to salute the earth and all of those environmentalists making efforts to save it! So we ate by candlelight and MP, Hilary Benn, gave his first ever candlelit speech. A bit odd really but very pleasant.
Where were you during Hurricane Katie? I went down to the Duchess in Nine Elms Lane not long after Easter Monday and saw the “blown-out” gable end for myself. This is the best picture I got of it! You can see by the amount of masonry on the road what a mess it would have made of any person or thing (car) below on the road!
Of course, we all know just how perverse the British weather can be so it was fun to take this picture from my house at sunset, two days later!
On Saturday, 26^th March, a number of people staged a “Welcome to Refugees” event at Battersea Arts Centre. Here is Aaron Barbour, in the sweater and jeans, of the Katherine Low Settlement welcoming some of the recent arrivals, largely from war-torn Afghanistan and Somalia.

My Programme for April

First of all, I have to sort out my computing mess. Do I go for Apple? How much of my data can I recreate or recover? Be more thorough about back-ups. Put as much into the sky as possible. Don’t make my mistake!
On Wednesday, 6^th, I will be attending my first Corporate Parenting Panel. I must say I am very dubious about this. I just do not see how the Government can really believe that councillors can take on the almost entirely theoretical role of corporate parents. Just try suggesting that they should legislate for MPs having such a role. MPs would run a mile – in my view – especially the opposition MPS who would be said to have the responsibility but no power to set the agenda or policies.
I am going to a friend’s new house in Hastings over the 9^th/10^th week-end for my birthday – just which one I will keep to myself for now!
The Battersea Society has tasked itself to make a record of all the buildings, terraces, views, memorials, etc. that it believes are of note in Battersea in an attempt to get them all, or as many as possible, listed and protected by the Council. And I and another Battersea Society member are going to spend all day Sunday 24^th driving round Battersea listing and photographing them! That should be fun – I am looking forward to that.
I have the Education and Children’s Services Committee on 12^th April, when we will yet again be discussing introduced after the Ofsted Report! But that won’t be all as there will be another committee on 19^th and a full Council Meeting on 27^th, just devoted to this one matter.
On the 21^st there is the Planning Applications Committee, which will be deciding amongst other things – ring and check the list!
And all the time the Mayoral Election, Khan vs. Goldsmith, and the Referendum campaigns are going on in a background full of Tories fighting like ferrets in a bag and Labour unable, or is it unwilling, to get its act together. What a turbulent political world.

Did you know? Last month I asked for the connection between the famous playwright, George Bernard Shaw, and Latchmere. Quite a few of you got this right but unfortunately one of my PC losses was my inbox so I don’t know who – It would be really nice if you could resend your answer. The answer was that when John Archer unveiled the statue to the “Little Brown Dog” in Latchmere recreation ground, Shaw was there and was one of the speakers.

And for this month: There was a horse trough, there were actually quite a few, in York Road, but one in particular had the charming legend engraved in it – Be Merciful to your Animals. It has a new home 30 or so miles away – any idea where?

March 9, 2016

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere March, 2016, Newsletter (# 82)

On February 2^nd, I was briefed on the plans for, what I called last month, the Tesco block on Falcon Road, though strictly speaking neither of the two planned retail units are definitely going to be Tescos – that is yet to be decided. The intention is to do a comprehensive re-development, between Khyber and Patience Roads, with retail on the ground floor and four storeys of residential units above. How many of these will be affordable (in the modern jargon definition of affordable) is up for negotiation. These indicative drawings of the development show the intention: it will have an adverse impact on 1-15 Patience Road and maybe on sunlight in 2-8 Patience Road. However, by the standards of some of the giant developments nearby this is unexceptional. OK, I hope you agree.
I went to the SNT Meeting, on 4^th February at the George Shearing Centre, in Este Road. SNT is police jargon for the police Special Neighbourhood Team and they have quarterly meetings with a number of local representatives of resident associations and tenant groups, where issues of ”Latchmere interest” are discussed. Unfortunately, because of clashes with other meetings, I often cannot get there. The police told us that there were 8 more crimes in January than there had been in January last year but that there had been a fall of 28 in December compared with the previous year. The good news is that on the whole the trend across the Borough has, for some years, been downwards.
One minor pleasure of being a councillor for many years is that occasionally someone, usually a student of politics or journalism, wants to come and write an essay based on your experiences. On 10th February, Andri, a Roehampton student of journalism came along to quiz me on the nature and significance of local politics – so that he could write a paper on the subject. It gives one a chance to indulge in the kind of self-centred ramblings that constituents would never put up with. Fun – and it ended far too soon! I hope that Andri’s essay got a good mark!
On 11^th February I had the first of two Education and Children’s Services Committees. Two important items were under discussion, namely the Schools Admissions system and Pupil Place Planning. However, as the transfer between primary and secondary schools seems to have happened quite smoothly this year there was not much to say on the admissions system except “steady as she goes”. Since the Committee met, the potential shortage of secondary school places across the country has been national news. It has been said that the country may have a shortfall of one million places in 5-10 years’ time. And certainly local authorities have protested about the absurdity created by the current Government, whereby local authorities are responsible for providing a sufficient number of school places but are not actually allowed to provide them directly. The academies, it is hoped, will just expand or contract appropriately but without being part of any planning system. The Tory party’s daft reliance on the market could be the cause of much heartache. However, here in Wandsworth we were re-assured that there would be sufficient secondary places even if there might be a tight squeeze in some years. But you may remember that last month I commented that the Chestnut Grove Academy is embarking on the demolition and redevelopment of the school – one Council paper says that there will be 88 extra places and another says there will be none! How we are meant to plan on that basis beggars belief!
There were also a number of cuts, as seems inevitable these days. One was the effective closure of the Alton Activity Centre for youngsters – regrettable as that is, it will have no impact on Latchmere. Perhaps more relevant is the closure of the Accredited Training and Assessment Centre (ATAC), which currently operates out of Battersea Park Road Library, with the loss of half a dozen trainer jobs. But although it is very local to Latchmere I don’t know much about ATAC, which perhaps says something about its significance, or lack of, in the community.
On the 18^th there was the Community Services Committee, of which I am not a member, but which I will mention because there were a number of issues of importance to Latchmere, namely the possibility of extending the parking control zones (cpz) in Eltringham/Petergate Road area and Wye Street and installing a zebra crossing in Ingrave Street near to Falconbrook School – a mixed bag! The recommendation to extend the parking zone hours in the Eltringham/Petergate area was deferred until June, thanks unfortunately to the intervention, as I understand it, of Tory St. Mary Park councillor Rory O’Broin. The extension of the cpz was agreed in Wye Street and the zebra crossing refused, even though the Committee agreed to “improve” the road signs about the school.
On the 22^nd we had the second of the two Education and Children’s Services Committees and this was a far more dramatic occasion. You may not have heard but in December Ofsted gave Wandsworth’s Children’s Services Department a damning report on services for disturbed and vulnerable children and services for young persons, which it said were either inadequate or in need of improvement. It is many years since Wandsworth last had such a stinging rebuke from central government and the Committee discussed how we should recover from this position and make the services as good as they should be. I must make it clear that these services serve a very small minority of Wandsworth’s children, so if you have kids in the school system here in the borough it almost certainly does NOT affect you or your kids. However, if they are in the Council’s care or severely disadvantaged in some way then it is just possible that you (and yours) are affected. If you are concerned that this may affect you, then please get in touch and I will see if I can help.
But in terms of making generic reforms we changed the staffing structure, introduced new management and monitoring procedures and worked out a longer term plan to make sure that the Department improves its practise. You may also have heard that I, in effect, moved a vote of no confidence in the Leader and the Executive member of the Council for Children’s Services. I knew, of course, that this was not going to be accepted by the majority (Tory) party and so in a sense it was “gesture politics”. However since at least one senior officer decided to resign, I think that the politicians in charge at the time should also take the rap – but here in Wandsworth, sadly, they did NOT.
The Planning Applications Committee was on February 24^thand what a busy night it was! First up we had the application for Formula E in Battersea Park I can see that this is going to be an annual occasion! This time the event is scheduled for early July and, as best I could understand it, it was for more of the Park to be closed to the public for slightly less time. There is no doubt that the event is both immensely popular with many and very unpopular with many others, some of whom are pictured demonstrating outside the Town Hall. My fear is that all the commercial operations that surround Grand Prix racing will slowly but surely take a greater and greater grasp in the Park and that with time the very nature of the Park will change. It is also significant, at least to me, that the date has been put back a couple of weeks into the very heart of summer – what a time to close great swathes of the Park. You will have guessed that I was against and I know many of you will have been for – but that’s the way it goes!
There were many other interesting potential developments, but not particularly near to or relevant to Latchmere. One example was the plan to demolish and reconstruct Cringle Dock in Nine Elms Lane. This was imaginative! Can you imagine one of London’s largest refuse transfer stations essentially being rebuilt under a canopy, on which 500 flats are to be built, with the refuse barges appearing out from under rather like a James Bond villain’s underground attack base. Is this really going to happen? Well the completion date is in 2030! Another mega-development was planned for Nine Elms Lane and there were many others and the Committee did not end until about 2 minutes past midnight!
On the 25^th my fellow Councillor Simon Hogg and I had another discussion with officers on the Winstanley regeneration programme, though as you know it largely affects the York Road estate and not Winstanley. It is difficult to report anything specific about that other than that work proceeds and that the Council hopes to start work relatively soon on Penge and Inkster Houses.
The Finance and Corporate Services Committee met on 25^th Again I am not a member but I thought it worth mentioning that it was decided to increase Council Tax by 3.9%, the maximum allowed by law without triggering a referendum. But to compensate for that increase, the London Mayor’s budget has now been reduced as the costs of the 2012 Olympics are dropping out of his budget, and so we will all see a reduction in our own tax bills.
In this newsletter, I have never ever referred to an internal Labour Party meeting, largely because I don’t think that they are of public interest but last Thursday, 25^th February, our meeting was an exception. We organised radical readings from a number of famous radicals from the past, from Gerard Winstanley to Charlotte Despard, from Labour’s first leader Keir Hardie to Clem Attlee, PM from 1945-51. The readings were inspirational and led by Prunella Scales and Timothy West. Here is Tim in full flow.
Finally I thought I should put in a picture of the Latchmere Recreation Ground. On 23rd October the messy tarmac was ripped up and the area re-seeded and landscaped. Some of this work had to be done twice because of the wet winter but the Town Hall hopes to open up the Recreation Ground in time for Easter. It will be a welcome extension of green space in Latchmere.

My Programme for March

I have a meeting in Portcullis House (that’s a twentieth century annex to the House of Commons next to old Scotland Yard) on 2^nd March, when a cross-party selection of London MPs and councillors will discuss the Government’s cuts to schools’ budgets, and later the same day a SERA think tank. SERA is the Labour Party’s green lobbying organisation and we will discuss our plans for the coming years.
There will be the regular Labour Group meeting: that is Wandsworth’s Labour councillors, on 3^rd.
There is an Education and Standards Group on 7^th
An old friend of mine, Anita Pollock, who was also the MEP (Member of the European Parliament for Wandsworth, 1989-99), is launching a book on Europe in Westminster – that should be pleasant.
The Council Meeting is on 9^th
On 10^th March there will be the opening of the Winstanley/York Road estate office in Pennethorne House, followed not long after by the opening of a new Citizens’ Advice Bureau at the main library on Lavender Hill.
I hope to be able to attend a Mayoral hustings with Zak Goldsmith face to face with Sadiq Khan and candidates no doubt from the Greens, Lib/Dems and UKIP.
The Planning Applications Committee is on 23^rd

Did you know?

You may remember that in January I went to the Design Awards Panel and challenged readers to guess, which of the designs received a commendation and why? Well, I must confess that I was a bit surprised because of those who responded most got it right!. And the winner was this very discreet extension (it’s the bit on the top!) to a residential block in Nightingale Lane. It is extremely quiet and under-stated. It adds 5 or 6 flats to the block and just walking by most people don’t even notice it. All the councillors and laymen supported it and all the professionals hated it.

The professional architects and designers wanted a building that “made a statement” or “expressed the architect’s personality” – perhaps rather like this glass roof extension, which was another of the entries. All very interesting but I think a little bit more important than that. Doesn’t it raise the question as to whether architects are in the business for their own gratification and not really very interested in whether their creations suit the surrounding environment?

Meanwhile for next month can anyone come up with a direct link between Latchmere and George Bernard Shaw or GBS? GBS was a very famous playwright of the first half of the twentieth century with plays such as Man and Superman, Major Barbara and many, many others. For those of you for whom the first half of the twentieth century is another world, then he will be best known for Pygmalion, the play at the heart of the musical My Fair Lady.

February 4, 2016

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere February, 2016, Newsletter (# 81)

I guess that you could say that January started (as opposed to 2015 ended), for me, with the Battersea Arts Centre, New Year’s Eve Party. Do you have a problem with 31st December? It should be a wild party but it seldom is for me. 1999 was good and I had a great NYE many years ago on a semi-tropical beach, but most turn out to be disappointing. This one was OK but nought special and I think BAC needs to think it through. Is a Rap session, if that is what it was, really quite right for an essentially trad evening? I am not sure that it is.
We had all the neighbours, well about two dozen round for a Twelfth Night Party on the 3rd – OK a 9th night party. That was very nice and well appreciated, but it was the start of a quiet month – council-wise.
My first “political” event was a meeting of the Labour Group of the London Councils Children’s Services Forum – what that means is a meeting of all Labour’s leads on education for all the London Boroughs. There was much internal discussion of, one would have to say, not much interest but there was a great deal of concern about two matters of real public debate. The first was discussion about the Government’s plans for re-allocating money for schools across the country. No one knows all the details but it is clear that the Government’s main intention is to re-distribute money away from the big cities and in particular away from London. The scale of this re-distribution is also not known in detail but Wandsworth schools, including Chesterton, Falconbrook,Christchurch and Sacred Heart, could be facing up to a 10% hit. I will try and keep you up-to-date on that front.
The second really important discussion was about the future of Further Education and FE colleges in London. Again the Government is initiating a review of FE colleges across London. It is hoping to complete the job in a very short timescale – this summer perhaps – with a view to implement changes as from 2017. Again the Government intend to achieve massive savings and the future, at this stage, looks grim for some London FE colleges – it sometimes seems that this Government is almost Maoist – it seems to be looking for permanent revolution in our public sector services!
On 14^th January I did an inspection of Falcon Estate (that is the Council’s Falcon Estate in Fownes and Este Roads and not the privatised Falcon Estate – the one that used to be called the Livingstone Estate) along with some residents and officers. Actually it is in pretty good nick and, although there were individual complaints, the only general thing commented on really was the state of the raised paving in Falcon Road itself. But whilst we were there we made a diversion into so-called Falcon Glade. You may remember the rather shabby little space, which was next to the busy bus-stop at one of the worst spots for air pollution in the whole of London. Well I am not sure that the new open space has done much for the air pollution but it has certainly made waiting at that bus-stop slightly pleasanter than it was just a year ago. The landscape work was done by a combination of the Council and an organisation called Groundwork, under a London-wide initiative called “Pocket Parks”. I have a friend, who works for London Sustainability Exchange, who was measuring pollution right there a year ago. I must ask her whether the improved greenery has made even the slightest difference to the air pollution there.
On January 15th I went to a meeting of the Battersea Park Action Group (BPAG), which is organising opposition to the planning application for the use of the Park for the next five years as a Formula E racetrack. It was a cold Friday evening and in the circumstances they did well to get 50 or so people there. The picture is of BPAG demonstrating outside the Council in December.
Personally I found their main speaker Paul Ekins both very persuasive and impressive. His argument was basically that the annual Formula E event in the Park is merely a first step in the rampant commercialisation of the Park. First Go Ape and Formula E, tomorrow Disneyland!? He has a point. The new planning application appears to ask for the closure of most of the Park for longer than last summer – 3 weeks instead of 3 days and that at the height of summer! The application will go to the Planning Applications Committee (PAC) on 24th February. I will be happy to report any comments from all, or any, of you, so please send me your views.
The January PAC meeting was on 18^th January but there was not one application of anything other than very local interest – back extensions, etc. but three days later, on January 21^st I went to the Design Awards Panel – that was much more interesting. This panel looks at last year’s new developments in the Borough and awards prizes to the best. There is no money involved – it is simply recognition of good design and construction – and encouragement to maintain the best standards. It was a first for me and it was certainly an interesting occasion. The Panel consisted of a handful of councillors, all of whom sit on the Planning Applications Committee, representatives of amenity societies such as the Battersea, Putney and Wandsworth Societies, and various professional and practising architects.
I was told that the standard was not as high as it has been in some recent years but, be that as it may, I was interested in the different views taken by the “professionals” and the “laymen”. Let me give an example. There were 13 entries in the residential extensions category and in the end we awarded a “commendation”, or a merit without being exactly a prize, to one of the examples I show below. Here is my challenge to you. Which one was it? Let me know your views and I’ll tell you the answer we came too and, more seriously, make a comment about how we came to the decision next month.
Over the 22-25^th week-end, my partner and I went for a city break to Oporto, home of the Portuguese Port industry. Here is a picture of the Church of Saint Ildefenso, which was yards from where we were staying. The picture is rather gloomy – no sun – I am afraid but the blue and white tiles are very striking in the sunshine and a common feature on Oporto’s many churches.
Meanwhile, during the whole month there was much shenanigans in Wandsworth Council. Everyone knows, don’t we, that Ofsted conducts inspections of schools. What perhaps is not quite so well known is that it also does inspections of local authority education and social services departments. Well in November there was an inspection of Wandsworth’s Education & Children’s Services Department and the draft report has concluded that the department is “less than good”. Wandsworth, of course, does not like getting reviews like that and indeed with over 92% of its schools getting recent inspections concluding that they were good or out-standing, it was also unexpected. One fairly senior officer left the next morning!
Anyway, the upshot was a Council Meeting on 27^th January, which discussed emergency, recovery reviews, staff changes, etc. At least two Labour councillors called for the resignation of the Cabinet Member responsible. Like the rest of the Labour councillors, and the two independent councillors, I strongly deplored the Council’s processes. The procedures were inadequate – the very comment that Ofsted made about the department. In other words it was one of the more dramatic Council meetings.
Outside of the politics, let me re-assure everyone that the schools should not be affected at all and there is no record of any child having suffered as a consequence. What I understand to have happened, although I have not seen the report, which does not become public until February 15^th, is that some of the procedures have been found wanting – if you like, some of the monitoring systems have proved inadequate.
The other matters discussed at this Council Meeting related to Council Tax and rents. The good news for Council tenants is that rents will be reduced this year by 1%, that is £1 reduction for every £100 of rent – not an enormous amount but better, as they say, than a kick in the teeth. As for Council Tax, although this will not be finalised until March, it rather looks like we will all face an increase of about 4%, which for most Wandsworth residents will mean an increase of approximately, and I mean approximately, £20-£30 a year.
On the 29^th I went to see Peter Pan – a pantomine, starring my fellow Labour Councillor Candida Jones, as the evil Captain James Hook. It was organised by Furzedown Community Project and had a cast of hundreds, kids, mums and dads, grans and grandpas. It was great fun and clearly very good for the community. It made me think that it would a good idea for Big Local to organise a similar show in say York Gardens Library – it would be fun.

My Programme for February

On February 2nd, I was briefed on the plans for the Tesco block on Falcon Road. The owners of the whole Falcon Road frontage between Khyber and Patience Roads wish to do a comprehensive re-development, of which more next month.
Two days later on Thursday 4^th I will be going to my first police Special Neighbourhood Team for quite some time. Usually it clashes with other commitments but it will be good to get back to it.
There are several briefings and emergency meetings taking place as a result of the Ofsted review I have already mentioned – important, of course, and I hope quietly and effectively productive.
I have the Education and Children’s Services Committee on 11^th February. Important items under discussion are Schools Admissions, a subject that affects all of us at least once in our lives; Pupil Place Planning or do we have enough school places to cope with London’s burgeoning population; school budgets and some individual school matters but not affecting any Latchmere schools.
Then another Education and Children’s Services Committee on 22^nd February, when hopefully we will be winding up the changes introduced after the Ofsted Report!
On the 24^th there is the Planning Applications Committee, which will be deciding amongst other things whether to agree to further engineering works in Battersea Park and an extension to Formula E’s permission to run the Grand Prix in the Park. I expect quite an argument!

Did you know?

Last month I asked where is there a memorial to all those Battersea residents, ordinary citizens (men, women and children) – not soldiers, who gave their lives in the second World War? The answer was of course the Christchurch Gardens. In August a Council press release said that it was granted, Grade ll, listed building status by English Heritage, “The memorial consists of sheltered public seating in the contemplative setting of a small neighbourhood green space off Cabul Road where people can quietly pay their respects to civilians from Battersea whose lives were mainly lost in Second World War bombing raids.”

The monument was first unveiled in 1952, next to the ruins of a mid-19^th century church which was itself bombed and destroyed during the war.

The replacement church that now stands at this location – Christ Church and St Stephen – was built in 1959. Christchurch Gardens was the original churchyard but converted to a public open space in 1885.

Council leader Ravi Govindia said: “This is a monument to the ordinary men, women and children of Battersea whose lives were lost mainly as a result of air raids.

“There are of course many memorials to the servicemen and women who fought and died in the war but very few exist to commemorate victims of the German bombing campaign which took so many civilian lives, not just in London but in towns and cities across the country.

“It is very touching that this special memorial in Battersea has been recognised in this way.”

This month, however, I am asking you to guess, which of these designs we gave a commendation and why? I know its difficult just on the basis of five photographs but give it a go!

January 6, 2016

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere January, 2016, Newsletter (# 80)

1. On December 9th I had a Council Meeting, when the main debates were about Formula E racing in Battersea Park and what the Council calls “Aspirations”.

The Formula E debate was nowhere near as dramatic as the Committee discussion two weeks earlier. Committee discussion two weeks earlier. This was partly because there was so little public interest. At the Committee there had been a packed public gallery and five deputations – at the Council meeting there was a little procedural chaos – and I made a poor speech. Not that the Council Meeting is totally dependent upon me! But you know how it is. If you don’t perform well it rather takes the gilt off the occasion! But in any event, the Council approved the use of the Park for Formula E racing for another 5 years, Labour voting against.

STOP PRESS We have just had notice of a new planning application (29/12/16), which asks for permission for Formula E to do civil works on the Park’s Carriage Drive starting on 16th June and with re-instatement of the Park as normal by 12th July 2016. We are, therefore, being asked to accept an application for the use of the Park by Formula E for 2 days short of 4 weeks, which is rather more than the few days first promised. Residents have until 19th January to comment on this application to planning@wandsworth.gov.uk.

This will be a highly contentious application and I will be on the Planning Applications Committee when it is decided, so I would appreciate it if you also copy me in on any comments that you may send to the Planning Department.

The Aspirations debate was essentially about the Council’s hopes for the Borough, which meant Tory boasting about all the new developments along Nine Elms Lane and along York Road. Unfortunately the Tory councillors do not appear to recognise that building tower blocks of expensive properties does very little, if anything, to resolve the real need in London in general and Battersea in particular for genuinely affordable housing.

2. On the 15th we had the Planning Applications Committee (PAC), which had several interesting developments, including one significant one in Latchmere, namely the development of 6 “social rent” houses, on the site of disused garages are in Rowditch Lane. These are what used to be called council houses and should be genuinely affordable!

Other significant applications that were approved were for the demolition and reconstruction of Chestnut Grove Secondary School and for the further development of sites in Nine Elms. The school application is particularly interesting. Such a site and such a development could never have occurred five years ago without the very considerable involvement of councillors. But this application seemed to come out of the blue unbeknown to councillors. This is very strange as Councils have the legal responsibility to balance school places against demand. Yet here comes a new application, adding capacity to the school system but unknown and unplanned by the Council. Surely this is no way to run an education system! The law is, in this case, an ass!

3. I and my fellow councillors, Simon Hogg and Wendy Speck, spent quite a bit of time delivering Christmas cards to all our constituents. We like to think that it was appreciated but a couple of people have complained about it as “a waste of money”, so I need to make it clear that the cards were paid for by the three of us and the delivery was also done by us and several volunteer helpers. There was absolutely NO public money spent on them.

Delivering the cards reminded me of just how many Latchmere homes are almost unreachable by ordinary mortals! I can think of at least 500 properties, which are almost inaccessible. Gated communities are, of course, becoming more and more common but surely something is lost in the community as a whole when you cannot call on a neighbour without knowing the entry code. There are even a couple of the developments where, if you tailgate your way in, then you can’t even get out unless you know the code. Strange!

My Programme for January

1. On January 7^th, Thursday, I have my first meeting of the London Councils’ Childrens Forum, which should be interesting given that the Government seems to be intent on making schools totally independent of any external scrutiny, except of course its own. Just what will we discuss?

2. Then on 11^th January there is the Council’s own Schools Forum, and the Education and Standards Group on the 14

3. On the 18^th, I have the Planning Applications Committee and on 21^st I am one of the judges at the Design Panel, when we will be giving awards to Wandsworth’s best new buildings of the year. I hope that we have some exciting entries!

4. We have a Special Council Meeting on the 27^th– it’s special because the diary says that it is special! I think that means we will be deciding the Council Tax and rents for the coming year.

5. On the 29^th I will be attending a pantomine, starring my fellow Labour Councillor Candida Jones (Tooting) – that should be fun.

Did you know? Last month I asked why is there a York Road, clearly heading east and north to London and south and west to Portsmouth – and going nowhere near York? Well quite a few people got that right. Vanessa wrote saying: “Battersea Creek was used as a dock for the Price’s Candle Factory built in the early 19th Century in York Road. Price’s factory was once the largest maker of candles in the world and still supplies candles for many Royal State occasions (from their factories which were relocated outside of London in the late 1990’s). The candle factory replaced a late medieval moated house which was built by the Bishop of Durham in 1474. It was later given to the Archbishop of York. This might be the reason why York Road is named so.”

Thanks Vanessa; that was a more complete answer than others. To add to that: the southern side of the Archbishop’s Palace was recorded during excavations by Pre-Construct Archaeology at the site of Prices Patent Candle Factory, Wandsworth, in 2002. The palace was actually built in 1474. It survived until the late 18th century and included a moat, five rooms, two courtyards and a tower.

Interestingly Robert Holgate (1481/1482 – 1555) became the Archbishop of York (1545 – 1554). He had an exciting life, spanning Henry Vlll’s Reformation, starting in Catholic England, converting to the Church of England and marrying at least twice – once to a seven year-old girl. Why do I mention that – because Holgate Avenue is less than 100 yards from the site of the Palace. I don’t know whether the connection is deliberate or accidental but surely it must have been deliberate.

And this month’s question? I have covered this before but a long time ago and one reader has asked me to repeat the question: Where is there a memorial to all those Battersea residents, ordinary citizens (men, women and children) – not soldiers, who gave their lives in the second World War?

Finally Happy New Year to everyone.

December 3, 2015

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere December Newsletter (# 79)

November highlights

On November 1st, I spoke at a meeting at York Gardens Library about the Borough’s plans for the Lombard Road/York Road area, along with Cyril Richert of the Clapham Junction Action Group, Philip Whyte, of the Wandsworth Society and Andrew Duncan, a resident of Plantation Wharf, in Trade Tower. The first thing to say about it is that thanks ought to go to Cyril for his efforts. The Council claimed to have an exercise in consultation on these plans and claims to have had 30 or so responses. Cyril from his own efforts, pretty much single-handedly, got 90+ people attending this meeting and they were pretty evenly matched between those from the north-side of York Road and those from the south-side.The second thing to say is that the over-whelming majority of the public were clearly against the march of the high rise developments all around the area. We didn’t take a vote but it really wasn’t necessary – it was absolutely clear what the public mood is. If you would like to see a longer description, and video recordings of what we said, then look at Cyril’s (I mean Clapham Junction Action Group’s, of course) very detailed website at http://cjag.org/2015/11/07/public-meeting-york-area-the-videos/#more-5931.
I attended a Wandsworth Council seminar on trees on 3rd November! It was actually very interesting and showed just how much effort is put into maintaining and increasing the number of trees in both London and the Borough. And of course, it is not just because they are beautiful and provide shelter for birds, insects and some mammals but because, with our increasingly polluted air, they are essential to our very existence – thanks to their air cleaning properties. Two matters of interest re trees. First, Sadiq Khan, one of the candidates to be London Mayor next year, plans to get 2 million planted in 2016-20 if he is elected – see paragraph 13 below. Secondly, following requests from one of the residents of Wayford Street (behind Little India), expect some new silver birches to be planted there this December.
On the 4th I had an Education Standards Committee, when we reviewed Somerset Nursery and Garratt Park schools, both of which got a clean bill of health.
On the 5th we had the Wandsworth Civic Awards Ceremony when councillors recognise the contributions of local people to the life of the Borough. On this particular occasion there was no one with particular connections to Latchmere, although some will know Antony Coker Poole who organises the Battersea Police Ball. There is a fuller description of the Awards Ceremony on the Council’s website at http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/news/article/13090/civic_awards_for_local_heroes.
And on the Saturday 7th I had the Councillors’ surgery at Battersea General Library, when a couple of local residents came along to lobby me against Formula E racing in Battersea Park. I was told off last month by a couple of you for not mentioning this crucial issue and for talking about rugby and trees instead; but as I said to them, this newsletter is about what I do on the Council and doesn’t pretend to be, and indeed could never be, a total record of everything that the Council does. Anyway, I hope I do justice to the issue in para 10 below.
On the 10th, I had the Planning Applications Committee (PAC) Just as a footnote on planning applications, Cabul Road residents will recall the application for a 3-storey development on the corner of the public gardens, where ages back there were public conveniences. You may also know that the developers appealed against the PAC’s decision to refuse permission – well, I think you’ll be pleased to know that the Secretary of State agreed with us and that permission has now been refused by him too.
I went to the Education Committee on the 19th. There were a few mundane items on the agenda but the two that really mattered were a deputation from Balham Nursery and the so-called “Early Years Review”. ‘Early years’ is how the bureaucracy describes care and education for the under 5s and their parents. It is also the most uncontentious and clearly agreed major success of the 1997-2010 Governments, with the growth of nursery education and the introduction and explosive growth of Children’s Centres.Children’s Centres have been spectacularly successful in improving life chances for all, but particularly for kids from the least affluent families. However, the Government’s cuts are attacking all elements of local government services, not least early years services. And on the 19^th we were asked to cut the budget by £1.3 million and, effectively, to close Balham Nursery’s Children’s Centre.The Balham Nursery was chosen because, by some criteria, it was the least successful of the Council’s 14 Children’s Centres (one of the criteria being that it was not in one of the 14 most deprived areas!) but the fact of the matter is that it amounts to a cut of nearly 10% in centre provision. How can one support such a cut; but, if you accept the Government’s arguments about austerity how can one oppose it either? Not a comfortable position! I think it’s time for Labour to oppose both the closure and austerity.
I spent the morning of the 11^th, Remembrance Day, at the service in Battersea Park. at the war memorial. In this rather dark photograph the Mayor is returning from laying a wreath at the memorial, with two Chelsea pensioners in the foreground.
On the 21^st I was at the London Councils annual conference, which takes place in the splendour of the Guildhall. The conference is a London-wide gathering of councillors, which this year did not start with a rant from Boris Johnson, which rather made a change. It was instead a more serious discussion of the issues facing local government in general and London, in particular. I suppose it is the case that those, who have been crying wolf about the future of local government for some years now, deserve to be ignored a little. But now almost everyone, regardless of political party, academic expert or councillor, seems to be unanimous that our local government system is in serious danger of collapse, with the government imposing cuts of 30%, 40% and even 50% in various areas.
And so on the 24^th November to the debate on Formula E. The discussion started with 5 deputations from Battersea Park (BP) Formula E Action Group, the Friends of BP, the Battersea Society, the Prince of Wales Mansions residents and the Warriner Gardens and Alexandra Avenue Residents Association. They were very effective and by the end of the evening very few other than the Tory members of the Committee could have been in any doubt about how unpopular Formula E is with the immediate neighbours of BP. Formula E was, however, accepted by the Committee and it is now very likely to take place in early July, 2016. NB I know that some of my readers supported Formula E and will argue that the Council cannot afford to miss out on the (let’s say) £1million it brings to the Council. Labour, however, opposed the continuation of Formula E racing.
On 25^th November, I gave a presentation on the Role of Town Halls in the Community at BAC (Battersea Arts Centre) together with Dr. Michael Short, a Senior Fellow in Planning at UCL. I didn’t give it advance notice last month, partly because I had very little notice of the event. It was part of a monthly programme of lectures, BAC is running, about old Battersea Town Hall. It went well and the fairly small room was packed tight. I may repeat this presentation in the new year. I picture here, alongside each other, the old Shakespeare Theatre and the Town Hall much as they looked like on Lavender Hill on either side of Theatre Street for all the first half of the 20thC.
On the 27^th November, I went round a number of sites in Nine Elms along with the planners and other councillors. The speed of change is staggering and much of it is very impressive – look at this picture. But I remain totally unconvinced that any of this development is going to do much for Battersea’s, or even London’s, housing crisis, or that it is appropriate for the built environment of London. When visiting one marketing suite, the young sales lady I spoke to was very clear that much of their sales strategy was aimed at the Near and Far East.
On Saturday, 28^th November, I had the Annual General Meeting of an organisation called SERA. Despite its clumsy name it is the Green Lobby organisation, whose aim is to move Labour policies in a green direction. So we are in favour of re-cycling, energy conservation, are concerned about global warming, etc. I am the Treasurer of it. But my purpose in mentioning it here was that Labour’s Sadiq Khan, once my deputy in Wandsworth, and now Labour’s candidate for London Mayor, presented his green agenda for London. Sadiq was on good form. His agenda included: a larger low exhaust emission zone for London, pedestrianisation of Oxford Street, traffic-free weekends in London, 2 million new trees, the phasing out of diesel buses, super-fast electric car charging points and being a pro-business Mayor.
Stop press. I have just heard that the final legal and bureaucratic hurdles have now been signed relating to the redevelopment of the Prince’s Head pub in Falcon Road. Hopefully we will soon see action on this site.

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere November Newsletter (# 78)

October highlights

October began and ended with the Rugby World Cup or RWC as it liked to call itself. I decided, last minute, that I had to take in the experience so looked up the web to get a guide to lower cost, accessible tickets and it came up with Argentina vs Tonga on October 4^th at Leicester City’s new ground. It was a beautiful autumn day, both sets of fans were great fun (but especially the Argentinians) and the teams gave us an exciting high scoring game, with the Argentinians coming out on top 45-16. It wasn’t really as one-sided as that score suggests until halfway through the second half. But then on 29^th October I got a call from ex-Battersea MP Alf Dubs, asking if I wanted to go to the Final at Twickenham, with him. He had two complimentary tickets! New Zealand beat Australia 34:17 in a brilliant game. The second half was very dramatic and NZ were definitely worthy winners. But one has to say that the Ozzies put on a grandstand second half. In the picture, New Zealand’s fly-half, Dan Carter, is in the process of kicking a penalty goal – spot the ball! It’s there on its way!
On October 6^th, I attended what I thought was going to be the Covent Garden Market Authority’s AGM. But to be honest, it was a bit of a jolly and not very instructive about the CGMA plans. However, it was my first visit to a completed part of the large, new Riverside development and it introduced me to a rarity – a new Battersea pub, the Nine Elms Tavern, which is on the riverfront. It will be interesting to see whether these massive developments evolve into real communities or not – I fear they won’t, because to me they are not very people-friendly!
The following day, I was at the very different Katherine Low Settlement (KLS) AGM. KLS is one of the most significant community centres in Battersea, with a wide range of community services such as English lessons for non-English speakers, housing and debt advice, campaigning against FGM(female genital mutilation) and other courses and advice sessions. There must have been well over 100 people there and it was just a little bit of a party. It was a busy, lively evening.
On the 8^th October I joined many other interested locals touring the burnt out Battersea Town Hall (the Arts Centre, BAC). The main structure of the Town Hall stands, as you can see in this photograph, but much else needs to be rebuilt and replaced. Fortunately the great late nineteenth century organ was at the “repairers” when the fire hit and so that was largely untouched and simply awaits a new home. The plans for the re-building looked good: they are not a simple re-build of the old hall, nor are they simply a plagiarism of the past, but a modern space suitable for its future as an entertainment hall, a modern theatre.
The following week-end of 10^th/11^th October I went on a trip to the First World War battlefields at Ypres in Belgium, along with many other councillors. As I said last month, councillors paid for the trip out of their own pockets – there was absolutely no public money spent on the trip. On the Saturday we visited several large cemeteries within two or three miles of Ypres city centre, and very emotional it was too. The picture is of the statue of The Brooding Soldier, at the St. Julien Canadian cemetery. The trees have been trained into the shape of exploding shells and the shrubbery is designed to simulate the appearance of poisonous gas floating through the battlefield – the local battle at St. Julien was the first use of poison gas.
On the Sunday, we went to Waterloo and toured the site of Wellington’s great victory over Napoleon. On the Monday, we toured a V2 rocket site, not far from Calais, which has been converted to a museum about war. This really bad picture of me is only here because of the car – a vintage French car (Citroen Light 15) much used by the French resistance. I owned one a few years ago here in Battersea but mine was bright, pillar box red!
I also went to the Menin Gate on each of the three evenings we were in Ypres. It is a town gate, a bit like Marble Arch, with the names of the many thousands of British (and Empire, as was), soldiers, who lost their lives in the Ypres salient and whose bodies were never found. It is the site of an absolutely remarkable ritual. On July 2^nd, 1928, at 8 pm the townsfolk conducted a simple, short memorial service to honour the dead of the First World War. It became a ritual, which has taken place every evening at 8, come rain or shine, since then – apart from the period of German occupation in World War II. On the three days I was there, there must have been about 1,000 people present on every night. They are of all ages and come from all over the world. If you are anywhere near Ypres, I recommend it. It is impossible not to be moved by the Last Post, played every evening by a bugler from the town’s fire brigade.
The Council Meeting on 14^th October highlighted two major debates. One was a rather complacent, self-congratulatory motion from the Tory councillors, noting how good they are. The other was about the plight of the refugees trying to get into Europe – debating society stuff, I know, but this second one was a serious discussion about a serious subject.
The Planning Applications Committee of 15^th October had the usual selection of applications right across the Borough but none of them had any great relevance to Latchmere. One large Battersea application was perhaps of interest to all. It was about the area round the entrance to Covent Garden Market and was for mixed retail and 374 residential units in blocks up to 18 storeys high. 310 of the units are “affordable” but we all know what that means – less expensive than the market price but far too expensive for most of us!
On the 18^th October, I led 18 people on one of my Battersea History walks. It was as enjoyable as ever and a couple of people came along, thanks to reading about it in my newsletter. So if you are interested drop me an email and I will include you on my next trip.
I attended a seminar on homelessness in Wandsworth on October 19^th. Depressingly, the Borough “still” has 1100/1200 families in temporary accommodation. It is forecast to rise to 1300 by the end of the year. The explosion of construction in north Battersea, surely as great as anywhere in the country, is doing nothing for the housing crisis in the Borough. Simply building more will not get us anywhere if we do not tackle issues of distribution and control – we need more social housing for families on low income, not expensive housing for those who simply want them to add to their portfolios.
Went to see La Bohème at the Coliseum on 23^rd November. What can one say? Fantastic music, tragic story of impoverished youth in a raffish but slightly unpleasant Paris of La Belle Époque, but the most interesting thing, maybe, was that the players were young, unknown British singers (there were a couple of young Russians as well) led by Corinne Winters. You know how opera stars are often depicted as very large, even fat, ladies with heaving bosoms. Well Corinne Winters is a diminutive, slight figure on stage, but with the most powerful, soaring voice. Watch out for her!

My Programme for November

On November 1st, I spoke at a meeting at York Gardens Library about the Borough’s plans for the Lombard Road/York Road area, of which more next month.
I am, would you believe, attending a seminar on trees on 3^rd November! How many there are in the Borough, about pruning and caring for them (I guess), their diseases and their importance, Tree Protection Orders (TPOs) – Yes they do exist.
On 4^th I have an Education Standards Committee, when we will be reviewing Somerset Nursery and Garratt Park schools.
On the 5^th we have the Civic Awards Ceremony when councillors recognise the contributions of half a dozen local people who have contributed to the life of the Borough.
And on the Saturday I am doing the Councillors’ surgery at Battersea General Library.
On the 10^th, I have the Planning Applications Committee and on the 19^th the Education Committee.
On the 11^th there will be the annual Remembrance Day service in Battersea Park at the war memorial.
On the 21^st the London Councils annual conference takes at the Guildhall. This is a London-wide gathering of councillors, which starts off as a showcase for the Mayor – a half-hour show from Boris – followed by more serious discussions of the issues facing London, from housing to transport, from education to planning.
In the last week of the month, I am due to be visiting Graveney School and St. Anselm’s and finally on 28^th I have the annual meeting of SERA, a green lobby in the Labour Party of which I am the Treasurer. It looks like a busy month!

Did you know?

Lots of you were correct in replying that Clapham Rovers won the FA Cup in 1880. Rovers, Jarvis Kenrick, actually scored the first ever FA Cup goal in a 3–0 victory over Upton Park on 11 November 1871, but the club’s greatest achievement was winning the Cup outright in 1880 with a 1–0 win over Oxford University at the Kennington Oval.

On 22^nd October, I went to the Battersea Society’s lecture on London’s lost rivers –all those rivers that flowed through to the Thames and which are largely culverted and hidden from view. One, of course, flows through Latchmere and has a road, a school, a couple of estates and a pub named after it. You all, of course, know the name of the river. What is it? Where is its source? Where does it flow through Battersea and where does it debouch into the Thames?

October 14, 2015

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere October Newsletter (# 77)

September highlights

At the start of the month, I went for a week to a little fishing village in Croatia. There is nothing to do there, except swim and eat fish. I don’t do sun bathing but I do like fish. I also did more swimming than ever before in my life – some attempt to make up for an otherwise sedentary life-style. I also read Thomas Piketty’s book “Capital in the Twenty-first Century”. OK, it’s not everyone’s idea of holiday reading and it clearly makes me a nerd. But actually I enjoyed it as well as finding it stimulating. It clearly put me ahead of the curve as later in the month John McDonnell, Labour’s new Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced that he was setting up an economics workshop starring half a dozen international economists, including Piketty. By the way, if you are not a nerd but want to read a left-winger’s view on wealth and poverty in the modern world, then I recommend it.
On my last day in Croatia, Jeremy Corbyn was announced as Labour’s newly elected Leader. I am not giving away any party secrets by saying that not all of my colleagues were delighted. Indeed I rather think that I was the only Wandsworth councillor to vote for him – I even got described by one colleague, in a good humoured aside, as “an old leftie”. As it happens, no one who knew me in the 80’s fighting Militant in Wandsworth would ever describe me as such – indeed, they would have rolled around with laughter.
But if I am not a “leftie”, I do think I probably owe it to Latchmere constituents to explain just why I voted for someone, who at the moment most people think cannot possibly return Labour to power, perhaps not even return the party to a role of significance. So here goes: I supported Tony Blair from the off and originally I supported his war on Iraq; But I was disillusioned by the “weapons of mass destruction saga” and believe that Labour is very damaged until that war is repudiated: I am frustrated by Labour’s failure to tackle the Tory spin about austerity: I am concerned that Labour is not opposing strenuously enough the cuts, which the Government is making across the board: I didn’t think that the other leadership candidates had any better ideas about how to tackle the cuts programme. Given the public cynicism about politicians I rather like Corbyn’s image of “Straight talking: Honest politics” – the thing is, I am not a cynic. That very briefly is why I voted for Jeremy. And why I believe he will be good for Labour’s approach to politics, even if he doesn’t look like a winner – did his opponents look any more likely to be winners?
Sadiq Khan was also, of course, elected as Labour’s candidate to be London’s Mayor. You may recall that I said Sadiq had been a fellow councillor of mine in Wandsworth for 12 years, indeed he was my deputy as Labour Leader in Wandsworth. I actually voted for Tessa Jowell on the basis of her track record of achievement over the years (the Olympics), and as a woman candidate I thought she was better placed to beat Zac Goldsmith. However, congratulations to Sadiq – I am sure that he will make a great Mayor – he will certainly be an assiduous campaigner.
On 5^th September my fellow Labour councillors, Simon Hogg, Wendy Speck and I, went on a Latchmere ward Walk-about, making notes of fly-tipping, graffiti and pot holes, noting waste land and traffic hazards and reporting our concerns to the Town Hall. We intend making this a regular event. On this occasion we took particular note of this flamboyant graffiti in the Falcon Park/Latchmere Road pathway. We thought it rather Banksey but were not too keen on its rather cynical view about politics!
The Planning Applications Committee (PAC) was held on the 16th September, and again there really was nothing of any great significance on the agenda. Although with Homebase nearly empty and work starting on the 28 storey block in Lombard Road, we will soon begin to see the impact of recent PAC decisions
I was booked into the Labour Party Conference from 26^th September to 30^th, but had a disastrous time! Nothing to do with the Conference but I booked into 2 separate hotels and one after the other they cancelled out on me because they had done the old trick of over-booking. So I ended up spending only two days at the Conference. The weather in Brighton was, of course, fantastic. Everyone, well everyone I met, was in a good mood and the leadership speeches (McDonnell’s as well as Corbyn’s) at least had the merit of being refreshingly new.
The Princes Head’s, Falcon Road (pictured right), failed to have its licence renewed in June, much to the delight of some residents I could name. That must be some kind of statement of just how badly it was run – pretty rare for pubs to fail to get their licences renewed. The question now is what will happen to the site. There is planning permission for a block of flats, but when will work start? How long will it be left as it is now?
In September, councillors were expecting to make the decision on whether Battersea Park would be used for another 5 years of E-Racing. However, the Council has had so many public responses that it has decided to take another few weeks considering exactly what to recommend councillors to decide. I still await to discover what all the consultation amounts to. Does the delay mean, for example, that the Council is surprised by the weight of opposition to the idea? Or not? Surely a decision is going to have to be made in October. (PS It has just been announced that the decision will be taken on 24^th November).
On 24^th September, I was invited to talk to Battersea Park Rotary Club about Battersea’s history. They have their lunch upstairs at the Albert Pub, opposite the Park entrance. Here is a picture of club President and Latchmere resident, Senia Dedic, and I at the lunch. (Because of the occasion I had postponed my history walk into October – see my October programme below.)
On one sunny Saturday, I went to the unveiling in Vardens Road of a blue plaque to Hilda Hewlett. In 1909, Hilda was the 10^th Briton and the first woman to be
Pauline Vahey, Chair of BritishWomen Pilots’ Assoc, Gail Hewlett, Hilda’s granddaughter-in-law, Cllr Nardelli

granted a pilot’s licence. She is commemorated along with other Battersea notables in the mural in Dagnall Street. Perhaps even more unusual then, and even now, was that she was an engineer, interested in building aircraft and indeed she had her own factory in Vardens Road where some 500 World War 1 aircraft were built. In this picture Pauline Vahey, Chair of the BritishWomen Pilots’ Association, the Mayor (Cllr Nardelli) and Gail Hewlett, Hilda’s great granddaughter-in-law are sharing a joke.
Many of you are very interested in the future of Falcon Park and the proposed astro-turf pitch “planned” for the Park. The latest position is that the Council is considering the results of the consultation, but is unlikely to put in a planning application until early 2016. It was never, by the way, the Council’s intention as some people seem to believe that this pitch would be in any sense temporary – the Council doesn’t do that kind of thing temporarily for £1+ million.

My Programme for October

On October 6^th, I will be attending the Covent Garden Market Authority’s AGM. The centre point of the occasion will be a presentation of their massive plans for redeveloping Covent Garden Market. We know the outlines, of course, but there are still many incomplete details about what will be one of the largest developments in London, perhaps only second to the Power Station developments.
The next day I will be at the Katherine Low Settlement’s AGM. KLS is one of Battersea’s largest and most active community centres and I look forward to being there.
And on the 8^th I will be touring Battersea Arts Centre to see progress on the “recovery” from the March fire.
On the week-end of 10^th/11^th October I will be joining a group of councillors on a trip to the First World War battlefields at Ypres in Belgium – and just to re-assure the cynics, councillors will be paying for the trip out of their own pockets – there is absolutely and quite rightly no public money being spent on the trip!
The Council Meeting is to be held on 14^th October. I do hope that we have a decent debate but on recent performances I am afraid that is unlikely!
On the 15^th, I have the Planning Applications Committee and the day after that the Education Committee.
At 3 pm on Sunday 18^th October, I am doing my “history walk” from the Latchmere pub to the Battersea Arts Centre. It takes about 2 hours and is pretty well guaranteed to show you a new side of Battersea, even if you have lived here for years and years. All-comers are welcome and so if you are interested please let me know by email – though I should make it clear I charge £10 as a fee, which goes towards my election expenses!

Did you know?

No one answered last month’s question: “how many places and names can you think of in Battersea named after Lady Di’s family, the Spencers, Lord of the Manor of Battersea. I wonder whether I will get a better response this time by asking which local (and I mean local and not Chelsea or Fulham) soccer team won the FA Cup and when?

Meanwhile back to last month’s question: what place names are associated with the Spencer family. Well, the story of the intertwined Spencer and St. John families is so massively complex that I can’t possibly write it all here – books have been written about them. But here are just some of the many, many connections between the families and Battersea! Spencer Park (both the park and the road) and Spencer Road – until 20 years ago there was also a Spencer Park secondary school; and just maybe the Spencer Arms; Althorp Road, named after the Spencers’ Northamptonshire country home; Marcilly Road named after the second wife of Viscount Bolingbroke, Beauchamp Road, named after Margaret Beauchamp a family ancestor; Bolingbroke Grove, and the Academy, Bolingbroke Walk, the Bolingbroke Pub (both the new and the old), St. John’s Road, St. John’s Hill, Sir Walter St. John’s Sinjun school. There are many more!

August 31, 2015

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere September Newsletter (# 76)

August highlights

The Planning Applications Committee was held on the 12th August, but there really was nothing of any great significance on the agenda and no Latchmere application at all. However, did you see the fantasy proposal for a swimming pool in the sky, which got the following coverage in the Daily Telegraph?

“Glass-bottomed floating ‘sky pool’ to be unveiled in London”

The “world first” pool will be suspended 35 metres above the ground between two buildings near Battersea Power Station. Residents of London’s Embassy Gardens apartment complex will be able to swim between two high-rise blocks of flats via a “floating” glass-bottomed swimming pool 10 storeys above ground. Resembling an ‘aquarium in the sky’, it is said to be the first pool in the world to link two residential buildings.

The transparent and structure-free pool, designed by Arup Associates and developed by the Ballymore Group, will be 90 by 19 feet, encased in eight inch-thick glass, and have a water depth of around four feet. It will offer aerial views of the capital, including the Houses of Parliament. Residents of the planned luxury flats in Wandsworth will also be able to access a rooftop deck at both ends of the pool which will offer sun loungers, a spa, a bar and an orangery, while an additional bridge between the two buildings forms a dry walkway for both residents and visitors.

“The Sky Pool’s transparent structure is the result of significant advancements in technologies over the last decade. The experience of the pool will be truly unique, it will feel like floating through the air in central London,” said Ballymore Group chairman and CEO, Sean Mulryan. The floating pool is expected to be completed by 2018 and will be available for the exclusive use of residents at the 2,000 home complex where flats are priced from £600,000.”

Can this be serious? Is some developer really suggesting such vulgarity from the insanely rich at the same time as there is an acute shortage of housing in the city? If so then they really are asking for riotous responses! I should say that I have seen nothing from the Council to suggest that there really is such an application.

But I also notice that one Chinese billionaire building a hotel in Nine Elms took a $3 billion+ hit on 24^th August Black Monday in the Chinese stock exchange so just possibly the bubble is really going to burst!

Did you see that the Citizens of Battersea War Memorial in Christchurch Gardens (that’s the one in Cabul Road) has been named a Grade II listed monument. The memorial (photographed here) consists of sheltered public seating in the contemplative setting of a small neighbourhood green space where people can quietly pay their respects to civilians from Battersea whose lives were mainly lost in Second World War bombing raids. The monument was first unveiled in 1952, next to the ruins of a mid-19th century church which was itself bombed and destroyed during the war. The replacement church that now stands at this location – Christ Church and St Stephen – was built in 1959. Christchurch Gardens was the original churchyard but converted to a public open space in 1885.
I showed a picture of the 19^th century church in a recent newsletter and some time back reported that the old brass plaque had been stolen. The plaque has been replaced by the modern inscription shown on the left.
And did you also notice the local story headed “Party’s over: Late night licence breaches spell end for troubled pub: Last orders: The Princes Head in Falcon Road”
This story told of The Princes Head’s (pictured right) failure to have its licence renewed in June. The pub had announced its intention to fight the order but in August it decided to drop its appeal It will now close. A few years back I represented residents at a Licensing Committee hearing, when the pub was granted the licence but only with conditions, including conditions that the sale of alcohol at the pub should stop at 11pm Monday to Saturday and 10.30pm on a Sunday, regulations – a condition, which has been regularly ignored by the licence holder.
In evidence till rolls from the bar showed that on occasion the last drink was served at 3.05am. The landlord claimed that the event was a party for his son who had paid for all drinks before 11pm and he was merely using the till to keep track of the drinks. On another occasion, 155 entries were put through the till after 11pm to the tune of £850 and in a final visit police people drinking well after closing time.
In general, I very much regret the closure of pubs, which is continuing apace across the country but the Prince’s Head has been trying the patience of many of its neighbours for far too long. Let’s hope we get a decent replacement of affordable properties, possibly with some new shopping on the ground floor.
I said last month that I was not going to say anything about the Labour Leadership contest and I am still not going to say who I am voting for because I genuinely have not finally decided – though I am pretty certain of it. However, I do think that Burnham, Cooper and Kendall are not doing themselves any favours by making their views clear about Corbyn in the way that they are. He is expressing views on a range of subjects, and most particularly the Iraq War, which are widely held by many across the country. To reject the man expressing those views so dismissively is not what I would call good politics.
I am, however, going to support Tessa Jowell to be Labour’s candidate for London Mayor, despite her main opponent Sadiq Khan having been a fellow councillor of mine in Wandsworth for 12 years. Tessa’s track record of achievement over the years and in particular her role in both winning and delivering the Olympics for London gives her a claim, which I don’t believe any other candidate can equal. Some will claim that Tessa is too old for the job. Well she is about the same age as Hilary Clinton, who is running to be the US President, and much younger than many successful past Prime Ministers of this country. Her age is no problem for me and shouldn’t be for anyone else.
In late August I (and my partner) spent a week on a narrow boat on the Llangollen Canal, on the border between Wales and Shropshire. You may have noticed that it rained rather a lot and we were almost drowned (I joke) by a tremendous thunder storm just as we were making our last mooring – ever tried tying the ropes, and avoiding falling in, in torrential rain? However, despite that, it was great fun including crossing two aqueducts and going through three tunnels. The canal has two major engineering feats. The ‘pioneering masterpiece of engineering’ by which the early civil engineers crossed the difficult landscape between Chirk and Llangollen has resulted in the 18 kilometre length being awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO in 2009.The aqueducts at Chirk and Pontcysyllte were built by the engineers Thomas Telford and William Jessop and were among the first to use cast iron troughs to contain the canal. At Chirk Aqueduct the trough is supported by conventional masonry arches and hidden inside the masonry, almost as if the engineers were not confident of their new material. But at the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct the trough is exposed and sits atop 120 foot high slender masonry towers. When you cross it by boat there is an exhilarating sheer drop on the non-towpath side! The picture gives just a little idea of what it is like crossing the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct – with no guard-rail!
Stop Press (as they used to say, in the old days). Have you seen the notice on Latchmere Recreation Ground promising new improvement works? The Council’s intention is to remove the large are of tarmac and restore it to parkland. I don’t know how long it has been tarmac but it is good get that bit of the recreation ground back!

My Programme for September

On September 12^th, we will find out who the Labour Leader is and who is our candidate for Mayor. No doubt, there will be much discussion about that!
On the 16^th, I have the Planning Applications Committee and the day after the Education Committee.
On either Sunday 20^th September, I am doing my “history walk” from the Latchmere pub to the Battersea Arts Centre. It takes about 2 hours and is pretty well guaranteed to show you a new side of Battersea, even if you have lived here for years and years. All-comers are welcome and so if you are interested please let me know by email – though I should make it clear I charge £10 as a fee, which goes towards my election expenses!
And, of course, there will be the Labour Party Conference, which after the mauling we suffered in the General Election and the announcement of a new Leader will, I am sure, be a fascinating week.

Did you know?

Not many people answered last month’s question: “Who or what is Poyntz of Poyntz Road and why would a Battersea road be called such?” and actually I must confess not many people seem to have been that interested! Bob replied saying, “as a Poyntz Rd resident it’s probably unfair of me to say Spencers, Manor of Battersea etc.”, which I accept as a correct but not very explicit answer. So for those, who want to know more:-

Poyntz was chosen as a Battersea street name as it was the maiden name of Margaret Georgiana Spencer (1737-1814), wife of John, 1st Earl Spencer, and the Spencers were “lords of the manor of Battersea”. They were a fabulously wealthy and fashionable couple, famous for sponsoring the artists of their day. Their eldest child was the notorious Duchess of Devonshire, the “star” of the 2008 film the Duchess, in which she is played by Keira Knightley.

Our Poyntz, Margaret, was the great-great-great-great-grandmother of Diana, Princess of Wales, herself at one point a Battersea resident.

And finally, talking of the Spencers and the Manor of Battersea, just how many places and names can you think of in Battersea, which are in some way related to the Spencer family. I reckon that I can reach at least a dozen without too much thought. How many can you get and please list them for me?

August 27, 2015

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere August Newsletter (# 75)

July highlights

On the morning of July 2nd I had a meeting of the Academies & Free School Commission. This curious organisation has immense power over our schools, is totally secretive and completely undemocratic. It is in effect a local agent for the Education Secretary of State. And it is what you get, I suppose, for trying – as the Tories clearly are – to by-pass local education authorities without actually abolishing them. Very odd! By the way, don’t ask me what it does! It is all smoke and mirrors and would take an essay to explain!
In the afternoon, I went to the Grand to see a fine performance of Gershwin’s Crazy for You performed by Latchmere’s Thames Christian College. Forgive the crummy picture but here are Oscar and Jasmin, leading in the grand finale!
The Council Meeting, on the 8^th July, was a tepid affair, which has long since gone from the memory. Once upon a time, irate constituents would heckle from the public gallery and throw toilet rolls at the councillors but now it is quieter than a vicarage tea party. The Council Meetings need to have life breathed back into them! That was followed two days later by my councillor’s surgery at Battersea Reference Library – no one turned up. Like Council Meetings, surgeries also need to be re-thought. A few years ago constituents actually went to surgeries but nowadays people send me, or Wendy Speck and Simon Hogg (my fellow councillors), emails.
Much more fun was the Triangle (Poyntz, Shellwood, Knowsley Roads) Street Party on the 11^th July. I fear that there might have been slightly fewer in attendance than usual, which was a shame because it is always a good evening with visits from the Fire Brigade and, usually, the Mayor. Here a few of the youngsters get to inspect a fire engine.
The Planning Applications Committee was held on July 14^th. There were plenty of small development schemes, mostly as usual of loft extensions but three were of major significance, and one in particular to Latchmere.
That was for the demolition of the Homebase site, the one opposite the end of Plough Road currently having a stock clearance sale, and the construction in its place of a mega, largely residential block. It will actually have 6, 7, 9, 11 and 21-storey elements to the development and include 254 residential units, some 10% of which will be so-called “affordable” units.The really interesting part of this development application was that the first two floors are almost totally dedicated to the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD), providing 6 dance studios, a 150 seat theatre, etc., etc. (The bit that swung it for me was free instruction for pensioners – I have never mastered the foxtrot – yes the RAD promotes all forms of dance not just ballet). Currently based in Battersea Square, RAD is housed in inadequate premises and yet it attracts 2,000 foreign visitors a year. It is a leading cultural centre and, of course, fosters arts employment. But putting all that aside, the development has substantial daylight and sunlight impacts on the many vociferous and articulate neighbours Indeed there were 1160 objections from local residents. The Tory councillors were very keen to avoid any decision on this application prior to the election, but now they happily passed it. It’s a shame but let’s hope that the good elements of the scheme outweigh the problems.
The second major application related to the building that is replacing the Marco Polo building on Queenstown Road. The proposal was to add 4 storeys to an already approved (and currently being built) 14 storey development. The extra 4 storeys would add 35 residential units of which a huge (?) 13, i.e. 40%+ would be affordable. Personally I thought the building looked better with the 4 storeys added – just suited the shape and location better for me. But I was in a minority of one, because from one location in the Park the application adversely affected the view of the Power Station. It was rejected – and for those who have already forgotten (or never knew) it, here is the Marco Polo building as was.
The third major application related to Putney High Street and was the site between Lacy and Felsham Roads. It was an OK but not distinguished application for residential and shops, which would be an improvement on what is there now, but by common consent was one storey too high to fit into the largely coherent Putney High Street townscape – hence unanimously rejected. Note that in Putney a development that is one storey too high gets refused but, if it is in Battersea, any size will do!
On Wednesday 15^th July, in the morning I visited Cringle Dock and Feathers Wharf. You might know Feathers Wharf because it is the Borough’s municipal tip, rather grandly known as a Civic Amenities Site and hence very important to us all. Between the two of them they deal with more of our rubbish than is produced by the whole of Wales. Rubbish from Lambeth, Kensington & Chelsea, Hammersmith & Fulham is processed there as well as Wandsworth. The two sites are run by the Western Riverside Waste Authority or WRWA. The WRWA has a problem in that both sites are on expensive bits of river-front and live alongside expensive new blocks of flats. That is what they wanted to talk to me, and other members of the Planning Committee, about. Their very ambitious plan is to deck over Cringle Dock and build flats over it! I hope this picture of Feathers Wharf and its giant cranes gives some idea of the scale of the task!
In that same afternoon, I was off to Falconbrook School, representing Battersea United Charities, for the school’s Passing Out parade. It was not exactly a parade but a commemorative occasion to mark the last day of term and, indeed, the last day at primary school for Year 6. It was an entertaining occasion. Here are some of Year 6 giving their impressions of school life at Falconbrook.
On 16^th July Battersea Society had its summer party at St. Mary’s Church on the riverfront. It was a delightful evening and this picture gives some idea of the riverfront at sunset.
The next day I went to visit friends in South Wales and from there to the Black Mountains Gliding Club. It was a glorious day, and from about 3,000 feet (900 metres), there was a magnificent view from the Bristol Channel to Snowdonia – that was really splendid. Here I am strapped in for take-off. By the way, Andrew, who is strapped in behind me did all the real gliding, although I did take over the controls once we were up there!
On the 22^nd July I went to a Crossrail 2 briefing session in York Gardens Library. I am not sure how many people realise it but Crossrail 2 running from Tottenham Hale to Wimbledon via Clapham Junction is planned to be opened, subject to lots of contingencies, by 2030. When/If it comes, it would mean 8 minute journeys from CJ to Tottenham Court Road. To achieve this timetable, work would have to start on a massive CJ interchange station by the end of 2017. It would be located where the bus stand and the Peacock, once Meyrick Arms, pub are. Those of us who were present, including representatives of the Battersea and Wandsworth Societies, councillors from both Labour and Tory parties, York Road estate tenants and the Council’s Planning Department, look like being roped into the Crossrail CJ stakeholders group! That was obviously sensible, since Crossrail will need to consult regularly with local residents. Stop Press. The Falcons Estate (Battersea) Ltd. Committee has this evening (24/7/15) asked me to get them invited, too. (Not to be confused with the Falcon Estate, the Falcons is what some of us will remember used to be called the Livingstone Estate)
I have had quite a few responses about Formula E and Battersea Park. They have been far from unanimous one way or the other, although I must say that those against, perhaps not surprisingly, tend to live nearer the Park and to be more vociferous than those in favour. One thing is clear though and that is, IF the Council agrees to further use of the Park (and I think it probably will), then steps must and will be taken to lessen the disruption to the Park and its users.
The decision will, I think, be taken by the appropriate Committee and Council in September/October. Believe it, or not, I currently have an open-mind on the matter but I will be very opposed to the commercial confidentiality arguments that say we, neither the public nor the councillors, can’t be told the real financial benefits, if any. It is just not acceptable that disruption to a major London facility can happen as result of a secret deal.
I can’t write a Newsletter, as a Labour councillor, without referring to the Labour Leadership contest; an event that does not seem to be enthusing anyone even with 6 weeks to go – but I am not going to bat for any one candidate. However, I will say that I think it unfortunate that Miliband resigned so quickly. I know the guy, and his wife, though not well, and I can imagine that they were both desperate to get back to a personal life; but I think that a better option for the party would have been if he had said something like, “I will step down in, say, September 2017, so that in the next two years we can have a full discussion about the 2015 result and a well-organised leadership election.” Ever since we switched to having fixed terms, just like in the USA, the logic is to move to choosing one’s leader nearer to the coming election – more like the American primary system.

My Programme for August

On the 12th I have the Planning Applications Committee, but let’s be honest most of the rest of the time I am off, on my hols, having what I hope will be a good time – indeed I am off on 25^th July and hence this very early edition of the August newsletter!

Did you know?

Last month I asked “In the generation before 1828 another Prime Minister fought a duel in Wandsworth and, what is more, two other “gentlemen” both of whom also became Prime Minister later on, also did so”. I was impressed by how many could name William Pitt, the younger, who fought a duel on Putney Heath in 1798 against George Tierney, and George Canning and Viscount Castlereagh, who fought another duel in 1809 on Putney Heath, when one was Foreign Secretary and the other Minister for War – and that was at the height of the Napoleonic War and we think modern politics can get a bit rough! But thanks also to one reader, who correctly pointed out that Castlereagh never actually did become PM – Canning did in 1827 – I owe that reader a pint and knowing him, he won’t forget!

I also asked about this lion. Not a single answer but he lives at 12 Macduff Road, off Battersea Park Road, nearly opposite Tesco.

And this month’s question? Who or what is Poyntz of Poyntz Road and why would a Battersea road be called such? Poyntz Road is part of the Triangle, see 4 above and off Latchmere Road.

July 8, 2015

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere July Newsletter (# 74)

June highlights

On June 4th Penny and I went for a long weekend to the Dorset coast, with the grandchildren (and their parents). If you don’t know it then let me recommend it to you – Dorset is a really beautiful county. We didn’t do anything in particular but visited Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, the largest swannery in the UK (600 swans), a beautiful garden and spent a day on Weymouth’s great sandy beach. Here is a picture of them at Durdle Door, with from the left Scarlet, Melissa, Penny, Jeremy and Jamie.
On the 9^th June there was the Housing and Regeneration Committee, which I am not on this year, but I thought I would mention because the Committee had another long paper about the Winstanley regeneration project. It is very complex and entangled and becomes more confused, not less so every time it is discussed. The new complication is that a planning blight has been put on the area of the Falcon/Grant Road bus-stand, because of the possibility of Crossrail 2 being built. If Crossrail 2 goes ahead there will be a new, large combined tube and railway station – or there might be. This means that nothing can be done at that end of Grant Road until the Government has made up its mind about whether and when Crossrail 2 is built.
The result is that many of the benefits that the Council hoped to gain from high rise developments near to the station will not happen for a decade at least. And so the Council planners have come up with the idea of building higher blocks of flats along the York Road boundary of York Gardens. It is all in a complete state of flux but what has not changed at present is the basic plan for the York Road estate and the closure of Battersea Sports Centre and the consequential installation of an astro-turf pitch in Falcon:Banana Park. I’ll keep you posted on this long-running saga.
I had the Education and Children’s Services Committee on 11^th June. I find this a difficult Committee. It is quite clear that the Government has a pretty low opinion of local education authorities and really wants to abolish them, but finds it a bit tricky running all England’s schools from Whitehall (Scotland, Wales and N Ireland are different). But this means that the Education Committee is struggling for a role. However, one interesting thing arose and that was the Borough’s need to find/build a new secondary school by 2019/20. Given the harsh funding environment local government faces, there is little chance of that being a totally state-funded school – Wandsworth will inevitably look for a big sponsor for a new privately funded academy. Where and when remains to be seen.
The Planning Applications Committee was held on June 18^th. There was yet another very high block approved in Wandsworth Town Centre, near to the cinema. Unlike many such blocks, this one looked like quite a sensible development. Moreover 63, of the 88 flats to be provided will be, so called, affordable – you still need a salary about twice the national average to be able to afford them. We approved it. There was also a significant development in Cabul Road, Latchmere, backing on to Rowena Crescent. It is an important application but not a huge one and will hardly be noticed outside of those two roads. Local residents will know all about the plans and, if they want to ask about it, then please send me an email and we’ll discuss.
Penny, my partner in the picture above, is organising a conference in Edinburgh in 2019 and needed to go there to discuss plans. So I joined her from 23^rd June to 26^th in St. Andrews and the capital. It is the first time I have been to the city for a very long time but, my word, it is a very attractive city. Whilst in St. Andrews we went for a walk around the most famous golf course in the world. You will see it on TV in July hosting the Open. Here is a picture of us on Swilcan Burn Bridge on the 18^th hole. I know it is a very cheesy picture but you can’t go there and not get snapped on Swilcan Burn Bridge.
On Sunday 28^th June I went to Battersea Park to see the Formula E race. It was an interesting afternoon, though not particularly for the racing. As others have said, the views of the race were not good – there are just too many trees in the Park to allow a good view of anything more than a couple of hundred yards of race track. The lack of noise didn’t bother me, although it obviously did some of my correspondents. Strange as it seems the fact that over-taking was difficult doesn’t seem to matter that much in motor racing – as far as I can see no one ever over-takes at the Monte Carlo Grand Prix.
However, it was a nice friendly atmosphere with plenty of families of all shapes and sizes. The price certainly brought it within range of many local residents and so it was not, as some of my correspondents have claimed, an exclusive occasion for big money sport – let’s face it, it was far cheaper than watching big time soccer, rugby or cricket. Again, it also attracted far bigger crowds than the average week-end in Battersea Park.
I also don’t believe that the week-end did any real long-term damage to the Park or the wildlife in the Park. I would guess that the noise and disturbance of the Fireworks display in November is far more disruptive.
On the other hand, the Park was effectively closed to the public, as a free park, for 4 days and considerably limited for just under three weeks. One of the local residents wrote to me saying, “The intrusive ‘gulag’ fencing and concrete was incredibly disruptive” and she then went on to complain, as many others did, about the helicopter noise, which was obviously intrusive. The Council claims that it did, or will over the next five years, bring in money, which the Council desperately needs given this Government’s cuts in local government grant. But the trouble with this argument is that we don’t know how much money is coming in.
In the next few months I will be one of 60 councillors voting on whether we think the Formula E contract will be extended for five years. I don’t see how the majority party can expect me to vote for the extension unless I know what the financial return might be. However, I would be really interested to hear your views and whatever they are I promise to ensure that they are conveyed to my fellow councillors.
On the 30^th June I heard left-wing firebrand Owen Jones speaking at a Battersea Labour Party Meeting. I don’t usually talk about party meetings in this newsletter – usually pretty boring and irrelevant, but you may have seen Owen Jones on programmes like Question Time. Anyway I just thought I’d mention that it was a stunning tour de force, articulate, fast-firing, lively speech, followed by a series of questions and answers. I don’t suppose many of you will have a chance to see and hear him but if you do – Go.

My Programme for July

On 2nd July I had a meeting of the Academies & Free School Commission, of which more next month, and on the 14th the Planning Applications Committee.
On July 2nd I also went to the Grand to see a performance of Gershwin’s Crazy for You performed by Latchmere’s Thames Christian College – again more next month.
On the 8^th July, we have the Council Meeting and on 11^th I will be at the Councillors’ surgery at Battersea Library.
On 16^th July Battersea Society will be having its summer party at St. Mary’s Church on the riverfront. On the next day I am going to visit friends in South Wales and, with any luck, will go up in a glider above the Brecon Beacons mountains – I am looking forward to that.

Did you know?

Last month’s question about the contestants in the Battersea Park duel of 1828 was obviously too easy for some of you. Yes, it was the Duke of Wellington, the hero of this month’s double anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo – the one that kept the French in their place and made UK top dog (sorry if that is not PC for any French readers – just a joke). His adversary was the P1000200 Earl of Winchelsea, who was objecting to Wellington removing legal barriers to Roman Catholics in this country.

So if that was too easy, let me try you out on another couple of Wandsworth duels. In the generation before 1828 another Prime Minister fought a duel in Wandsworth and, what is more, two other “gentlemen” both of whom also became Prime Minister later on, also did so. I will be very impressed if anyone can tell me who the three of them were, who the fourth man was, where the duels took place and what were they about.

Finally this lion lives in Battersea, just outside the Latchmere ward boundary. Does anyone know where he lives?

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Tony Belton

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere April, 2016, Newsletter (# 83)

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere March, 2016, Newsletter (# 82)

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere February, 2016, Newsletter (# 81)

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere January, 2016, Newsletter (# 80)

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere December Newsletter (# 79)

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere November Newsletter (# 78)

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere October Newsletter (# 77)

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere September Newsletter (# 76)

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere August Newsletter (# 75)

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere July Newsletter (# 74)

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