Tag Archive | Latchmere

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?

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?

March 11, 2015

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere March Newsletter (# 70)

March highlights

Once again the Council’s threat to close Battersea Sports Centre (BSC) dominated the month. On 10^th February, the Community Services Overview & Scrutiny Committee heard, what were, I am told, two excellent deputations from the staff (Mandy Le Fondre) and the local community (Andy Beech from Pennethorne House), but unfortunately the Conservative/Tory majority on the Committee were not really listening, or at least were not prepared to change their minds.
However, I want to be mildly optimistic on this issue. Since we first heard of the closure threat, the Council has moved its position just a bit. Originally the Centre was forecasted to close this autumn. But faced with strong local opposition the Tories have retreated slightly to a position of promising a “replacement” all weather football pitch, and changing rooms at the south end of Falcon Park before the BSC closure. The Council reckons that this will be in Spring, 2016. I rather doubt that this can be done so soon. There are, as far as I know, no plans yet on the drawing board and, although the funding has been programmed for 2015-16, completion by 31^st March next year looks a little unlikely. But, of course, whilst it will be a great thing to have the football pitch, especially in a rather under-used Park, it will not be a community and sports centre and it is actually a fair way from BSC – the best part of a mile.
Of course the community and the Latchmere councillors have argued, strongly, that a soccer pitch is insufficient as a replacement to the BSC community facility. Under this pressure the Council has beefed up its plans for community facilities in the re-designed York Gardens. There is even a hint in the design document for the Winstanley regeneration that the new facility could include a swimming pool and there is certainly a “promise” that it will be ready by 2019. So the gap between closing the BSC and opening a brand new facility is down to a “mere” three years, though that is a long time in the life of a teenager, looking for local sports facilities..
We, the community and the Labour councillors, are not, I think one should admit, going to win the battle to save the BSC as it is today. The Council has decided that the site will be used for re-housing people moved from the York Road Estate BUT we can win a battle to delay the closure until the new facilities are ready and open. The Council is now faced with a decision to make – Is it worth £100,000 a year for three years to keep a vital Battersea service? If so then losing the much loved but elderly BSC will not be a great loss in exchange for new facilities just 200 yards away across Plough Road.
I know that some people who read this newsletter are card-carrying Conservatives and I suspect that my comments are relayed to MP, Jane Ellison and others. I hope that they do their bit to persuade the decision makers at the Town Hall that it is very, very worthwhile delaying the closure and not souring the local community, whose support is so very essential for making the Winstanley Regeneration a success.
On the 2^nd February, I went to a grand launch of the Ram Brewery development. To be honest it was what one might call a “jolly” with wine and canapés, but quite impressive about what is going to happen in the centre of Wandsworth. I quite liked much of the development around the Wandle River BUT to my mind the 42 storey mega-block at the centre is just too large and too over-bearing. It will blight what is otherwise a densely packed but human-scale development.
On the 11^th February, Battersea Labour Party had a fund-raising evening at the Chinese Boulevard, just off Smugglers Way. The guest speakers were Tessa Jowell and Dame Doreen Lawrence, and I was the MC. We had a great evening.
The next day I attended the Education & Children’s Services OSC. Unfortunately, thanks to various so-called reforms introduced by both Labour and Tory Governments, we do not spend much time talking and thinking or deciding anything much to do with schools. Local authorities are essentially being cut out of the most interesting issues, so we are more and more concerned with such matters as the contracting out of schools’ transport, or school cleaning contracts. There were, however, a couple of items of general interest.
One item was the Council’s projections for population growth, and therefore of future demand for school places. On the whole, the Council appears fairly satisfied that its resources will cope, even if it does mean more temporary accommodation being installed in, say, play space. I don’t think the Council is being complacent but we will see in 2019/20, when the population growth hits the secondary schools.
The other item was the Ofsted Report into “Lifelong Learning”. Very unusually for Wandsworth, the report was very highly critical of the service and of councillors’ role in monitoring the service. To be fair, the Report’s main criticism was about something that could be called box ticking, about the failure to record what the Council was doing about safeguarding pupils and not about anything that was actually going wrong. I am now on a small committee to ensure that we resolve the problem.
The Planning Applications Committee met on the 18^th. There were a number of substantial applications, such as the start of development at Springfield Hospital, but only one was relevant to Latchmere, whilst another will be of interest to some of you. The interesting one was the Council’s decision to oppose a new Wimbledon AFC stadium planned for the site of the Wimbledon greyhound track. The Labour councillors did not agree with this and believed it would be a good thing for Wimbledon football to move back to the Tooting/Colliers Wood area.
The local application was for a 14 storey residential block on Gwynne Road, more or less directly behind the Caius Club. On balance I decided to support the application partly because of the 33 flats provided, 11 are so-called “affordable”. It will probably be a different matter when this month we consider the much higher, 28 storey, block planned in Lombard Road. What do you think of this march of giant blocks? Do you think they are largely for rich investors and make very little contribution to the housing crisis? Or are they really part of the answer?
The Finance & Corporate Services OSC on February 19^th decided, uncontroversially to freeze Council Tax this year but it also discussed the suggested merger with Richmond-upon-Thames. Personally I am very far from convinced about the whole merger business. There are a number of Boroughs across the country where something of this kind is happening. Westminster & Chelsea, Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham have gone some way to merging functions, but they did that when all three were under Tory control. After the Borough elections last May Hammersmith & Fulham reverted to Labour control and then tried to withdraw from the merger. I don’t know the details but they have run into legal and contractual difficulties. However, the problems aren’t just about politics. Wandsworth is one of the largest municipal landlords in the country with a housing stock of some 18,000 properties, Richmond has hardly any. Wandsworth is a very diverse, inner city Borough, with some very poor areas. Richmond is one of the richest, least diverse areas in the country. Wandsworth has a population over 310,000, Richmond’s is 187,000. It is difficult to imagine that a merge of offices, officers and functions can really work between two such disparate authorities.
On 23rd February I went to hear Ed Miliband at Battersea Arts Centre giving a speech on Labour’s policy on the arts. Of course I would say it, wouldn’t I but he was excellent and very impressive. He spoke well and he answered questions easily and colloquially. He is so good in this format and so much better than he often appears in Prime Minister’s Question Time that I rather think that David Cameron’s reluctance to engage him in a major TV debate is almost largely because the Prime Minister thinks he just might lose and that his major trump card in the election will fail. Miliband then came over to our Party office on Lavender Hill and talked to us, “activists”.
On Sunday 1^st March I went to the flower market in Columbia Road, E2. I’d never been there before but I do recommend it on a Sunday morning. It’s only a short walk from Brick Lane and it is easy to make a morning of it and go from one to the other. My picture shows how colourful it is.
On a sad note, one of the Tory councillors, Adrian Knowles of Earlsfield Ward died (on March 2^nd actually). He was a decent and popular councillor, regardless of political affiliation. His loss will mean an early by-election, possibly on the same day as the General Election.

My Programme for March

There was a Council Meeting on 4^th March, of which more next month.
I am visiting Sacred Heart primary school, Roehampton, on 10^th March.
The 16^th March is the day of the Latchmere “Let’s Talk” meeting at York Gardens library. On that evening the three Latchmere councillors, Simon Hogg, Wendy Speck and me, will be at this public meeting along with Tory leader of the Council, Ravi Govindia. This will be your opportunity to cross-question us about what we are doing as your councillors – but also your chance to quiz Cllr Govindia about his policies. Being so close to the General Election, it is bound to be fairly political but I hope it will seem OK to you and it would be truly great if lots of you came to the meeting.
On 18^th I have the Planning Applications Committee and of course lots of preparation, canvassing and leafleting in the build up to the General Election. This has been the longest election in British history, as presumably it was bound to be as soon as Parliament agreed to fixed term Parliaments and therefore fixed election dates. I am sure many of us will be happy to get it over and done with, but we do need a positive end to this long campaign.

Did you know?

When I was in Brick Lane I happened to see this blue plaque on the wall of a house. I was immediately interested to read that Thomas Fowell Buxton, the early nineteenth century anti-slavery campaigner, lived in Brick Lane, where he worked in Truman’s brewery, of which he later became the boss. In my experience it is fairly unusual to find a brewer as a left-wing campaigner – obviously not the sort of brewer who in the words of the old song “watered the workers’ beer”. He took over the leadership of the Anti-Slavery Movement when Wilberforce retired in 1825 but also fought for many other reforms and succeeded in getting the death penalty removed from well over 100 offences. I have written about him before and he is of course the inspiration for the name Buxton House in Maysoule Road along with other anti-slavery campaigners, Clarkson, Pitt, Fox, Burke and Ramsey. See my newsletters #4 and 57.

One of my readers has told me off for using the word “Tory”, and told me that many people will understand the description Conservative but not the word “Tory”, so I thought that I would check it out. Please let me know if this is new to you. If it is new then my next question is and why are Conservatives called Tories? The answer is in the picture on the right, which is of Tory Island, which lies 9 miles off the north coast of Ireland. (By the way, before you go further my apologies to the Irish – this is an historic description and not my own views!) In the late seventeenth century when party politics, or something like it, is first introduced to the British Parliament, some of the radicals started describing the right or Conservatives as Tories, that is a bunch of Irish barbarians, living on some small boggy island somewhere off the coast of Ireland. Forgive me – all my Irish friends.

January 10, 2015

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere January Newsletter (# 68)

December highlights

I went to Nightingale School on 1^st December. It is meant to be for difficult children. There is, of course, an “acceptable” description and that is an EBDS school or a school for pupils with emotional, behavioural and social difficulties. Let’s be honest: I was not impressed. OK, so I am no expert but in many ways this school felt more like a prison than a school. I will be keeping a close eye on it in future. I do not think it is the sort of place in which we ought to be raising our kids, even if (or especially if) they are children with difficulties.
On the 8^th I had the so-called Education and Standards Group, no excitement there, and on the next day the December Council Meeting. This was difficult for me! Having not been Leader of the Opposition for the best of part of four years now, I have got used to not playing as large a role in the Council Meeting but with many more Labour councillors (good thing) and far fewer Council meetings (really bad thing) for the first time in my memory – for the first time for 40 years maybe – I didn’t say a word! OK, I mock, and maybe I am taking the mickey out of myself to a degree. Nonetheless, our (the councillors that is) lessening role in the whole operation does make me wonder where democracy is going – at least at the local level. Should we just let the local government officers get on with it – make them all in effect national civil servants? Of course, I don’t think so. What do you think?
Two days later I did see an interesting play at the Royal Court in Sloane Square called Hope, which posed many of the same issues. In the play, when the councillors refused to impose any more government imposed cuts, the civil servants did take over and everything got cut. I wrote a review of the play that you can see a couple of entries back on this blog.
Talking of which did you see/know about the Council’s threat to close Battersea’s Sports Centre in Hope Street. It was “announced” to the staff on 16^th December. The Sports Centre is very busily used by well over 20 sports clubs and local organisations and it is not as though the area is over-endowed with alternatives. What did the Council’s own reports about the 2011 riots say – there was not a lot for young people to do in the area. But now they want to close down one of the busiest centres of them all! There is a petition for signature at the following address http://www.willtowin.org.uk/#!save-battersea-sports-centre/c150j if you wish to express your opposition.
The Planning Applications Committee was on the 16^th. There was one significant local application, which was for shopping and housing development on the site of the Prince’s Head pub in Falcon Road. The pub has been far from popular with some of its neighbours for many years now and the thought of it being replaced with shops and 27 housing units will be welcome. The development at some 4/5 storeys will fit in with the general scale of the 1970’s estate. However, it is not the first time that an application has been approved for this site and there is no guarantee that it will happen; but let’s hope that it proceeds.
There were two much larger applications on sites many Latchmere residents will know well. The first in the rather shambolic area immediately opposite Battersea Park Railway Station. It will include St. Mary’s Catholic School, Lockington Road, Patcham Terrace and railway viaducts and arches including a number of small neighbouring sites. The new development will have 290 housing units and a new purpose-built two-form entry school. There will also be a direct access route from Battersea Park station to a new entrance to Queenstown Road Station passing along what will effectively be a new road with shops and offices. One of the blocks will be 16 storeys high but although I am usually opposed to yet more high buildings in Battersea I thought that this was rather a good scheme and supported it.
The second application is in the heart of Wandsworth and includes Welbeck House, yes the Council’s old Social Services Department, and the Housing Department office in 17-27 Garratt Lane, along with some South Thames College land. The application was for 201 residential units, 25% “affordable”, some commercial space and a new Wandsworth Town Centre library. But it also went up to 26 storeys and included some pretty uninspired looking architecture. I didn’t like it much and voted against.
I spent Xmas with grandchildren and had a HAPPY NEW YEAR’s Eve at a Jazz Club I rather like in Streatham!.

My Programme for January

I know some of you know about my wonky knee, thanks to a cycling holiday in Holland in September, 2013. Well on January 7^th I had a minor operation, an “arthroscopy”, on that and, whilst strictly for my next newsletter, I will say that it seems to have gone quite well, though a bit stiff and sore. More next month!
On the 12^th I am going to the launch of a new Wandsworth Radio station, which is going to be based in Latchmere, in Battersea Park Road. There has been an internet based radio station covering Wandsworth called Raider’s for some time, but this new one is aimed solely at Wandsworth. Interesting and I hope I can tell you more about it and its launch next month.
Yet again I have the so-called Education and Standards Group on 15th January.
The Planning Applications Committee will be on the 20^th.
And then in the diary there is a “Special” Council Meeting on the 28^th, but I don’t know why and I guess it is not going to happen! – so actually I haven’t got much on in January!

You may recall that last month I asked “Did you or do you know Fara Williams?”

Well, I am afraid that there has not been any response as yet so I thought I’d go a bit further and test you out with a few views taken between Xmas and NY.

Here they are with a couple of quiz questions:-

On the left, what and where is this?

And where is this below, what would it be called up North (Yorkshire & Lancashire), and which roads does it link?

Where is this gypsy encampment? This one is a stone’s throw outside Latchmere. The other two are in the ward.

December 30, 2014

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Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere December Newsletter (# 67)

November highlights

I had an unusually sporty start to November. My partner, rather uncharacteristically, suddenly said that she wanted to go to some “big” sporting events so we went to Twickenham to see Australia take on the Barbarians on the 1^st November and on the 15^th we went to the semi-final of the ATP World Tour Finals tennis tournament at the O2. Now, at the cost of losing support all over Latchmere, I have to say that big-time rugby does not do an awful lot for me, even when 76 points are scored! Modern stadia are so big that you are miles from the action even when it is down your end but when a high proportion of the action is in the scrum and even Brian Moore, on the telly, can’t tell you what is happening then what are you meant to make of it in Row ZZ? But we were lucky at the O2. We had great tickets and saw what was, by common consent, the best match of the tournament – Roger Federer’s 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (6) win over fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka.
I went to the Fireworks Display in Battersea Park on 8^th November. It was a bit wet and miserable and probably for that reason not as crowded as the previous year. The fireworks really are spectacular. Two things about it struck me, well three actually. Ever since the 2000 Sydney Olympics these shows appear to have been dominated by Oz-choreography (Is that the word for someone who designs firework displays?). Are our friends, the Australians, now the world’s experts on fireworks? Secondly, whilst the fusion of music and fireworks is dramatic and incredibly well done, does the sheer volume of the music detract from some of the pleasure? I used to enjoy hearing the “Oohs and Aahs” of the crowd and the excited shrieks of the kids but nowadays everything is drowned out by massively amplified music. Who agrees with me? Third as I gazed at the rockets a mere 3 or maybe 4,000 feet above are the airliners coming in to Heathrow. What do passengers, who know nothing of Guy Fawkes, think? Do any wonder whether they have entered a war zone?
Talking of war zones, earlier on the same day I had been to the Emanuel School First World War centenary exhibition. It was a very personal exhibition in that it had school photographs and memorabilia associated with old boys (and staff) from the school relating to war during the last 100 years. I was particularly taken with this doodle in a school exercise book from 1943, which clearly depicts a Spitfire along with a tank and a couple of other fighter planes.
On the 9^th I went to the Remembrance Day service in St. Mary’s, Battersea, along with Wendy and Simon, my fellow Latchmere councillors, Sally-Ann Ephson, Queenstown councillor, and Will Martindale, Labour’s Parliamentary candidate in next May’s General Election.. The ceremony was a suitably sombre and moving occasion and was followed as always by a march past. For me, however, the “real” and moving occasion is at 11.00 on the 11^th itself in Battersea Park. There is something about the open-air nature of the ceremony, with the late autumn leaves falling and crows and sea gulls wheeling around under leaden skies, which always makes it very appropriate.
On that very same evening I took part in the interview panel for the Deputy Director of Education at Wandsworth Council. The successful candidate was Catherine Duffy.
On the evening of the 10^th November, I was at the Civic Awards presentation, which is always an enjoyable occasion where the borough “honours” volunteers, who have had a record of service to the Borough. One award recipient, who may be known to many readers, is Liz Shaw. Liz is well known for her charitable work and fundraising, especially her organising of the Xmas Day Party for the Elderly held on Xmas Day itself in Battersea Park. She is also known as a freelance photographer to be seen behind the lens at many a Wandsworth event.
The Planning Applications Committee on the 12^th considered a mass of applications but was totally dominated by the Covent Garden Market application. This of course lies outside of Latchmere ward but the giant scale of this application will affect the whole of Wandsworth and is therefore worth at least a mention! The site is actually bigger than the Battersea Power Station site and covers the whole area of the so-called Covent Garden Market Towers and the flower market, the vast sheds of the vegetable market on the Wandsworth Road side of the railway, the large entrance site on Nine Elms Lane and quite a few smaller ancillary sites tucked round the edge of the area. (By the way, from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, this huge site included the old Nine Elms station and the London and South-Western railway works and believe it or not I can just remember steam trains crossing Nine Elms Lane.)
This development was all described in one giant application, reported to the Committee in a paper of more than 200 pages in length. The application provided for over 3,000 new homes, let alone a new Covent Garden market, offices, new shopping, a new school, public open space, a playing field, access roads and a car-park. How exactly the Committee is meant to make a clear and sensible Yes/No decision on such an enormous application, I do not know – we are not allowed to amend but merely say Yes or No. It clearly leaves masses of question marks over a planning process, which covers both, say, roof extensions worth say £50,000 and applications of this kind which will take ten years to implement in full and will cost several £billions. But we did our best! I voted against the application although some of you seek to persuade me that all modern development is inevitable and really good but then again others claim that it is usually evil and ugly.
So here are a few words in self-defence! I knew that the application would be passed and therefore I had what one might describe as a free vote – I knew my vote would not make a difference on the night but that it was an expression of opinion, which may or may not affect future applications. And I have several criticisms of all these vast developments that we are now seeing in Nine Elms. My first, and main objection, is that there is nowhere near enough provision of so-called affordable housing. There is plenty of discussion in political circles about what affordable might mean and whether housing said to be affordable for people on £50,000 a year is really affordable or not for the majority of Wandsworth residents. My position is simply that there is not enough affordable housing, whatever the definition.
Secondly, and this I know is contentious, I think we are providing far too much retail space. With two giant new Westfield Centres now within easy train journeys access from Clapham Junction and with more and more people doing their shopping on-line, I think that developers are being far too bullish about the need for shopping centres in Nine Elms – especially if we are going to protect the existing Clapham Junction, Wandsworth, Balham, Putney and Tooting shopping centres. Over-develop and some of these other centres will suffer. Actually, I am winning hands-down on this issue as every time developers come back with revised plans, and they often do, the shopping is down-sized.
Thirdly, and far more contentious still, I do not like the march of ever higher tower blocks into both the Borough and the City. A couple of the tower blocks we agreed in November are going to be even higher than the Tower, which is shown on the right of this picture from Lambeth Bridge.
On the 24^th the Education and Children’s Services Committee considered the admissions criteria for primary schools and a whole raft of other issues. The controversial issue for primary schools is that some parents can afford to “work” the system, by buying or renting property near the “best” schools so as to ensure that their little ones go to the schools with the best examination results – at the cost of some very local children, who get displaced. This is a major issue in south Battersea but for some reason or other does not seem to cause such concern in Latchmere.
You may recall that I made some critical remarks last month about what was happening to Westbridge primary school, Bolingbroke Walk. The problems related to it becoming part of the Chapel Street Academy Trust. Well I heard early in December that the Trust has taken steps to address the problems that all the Education Committee members saw and have strengthened the governance of the school and provided greater support to the Head. Let’s hope these measures work!

My Programme for December

I went to Nightingale School on 1^st December.
On the 8^th I had the so-called Education and Standards Group.
The December Council Meeting was held on the 10^th.
The Planning Applications Committee was on the 16^th.
And then there was Xmas and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to you all.

Finally did you or do you know Fara Williams?

Do you know England’s greatest footballer – at least in terms of being the most capped player in English history. Fara Williams, pictured here, has been capped for England 131 times – and for Great Britain in the Olympics 5 times. She now plays professionally for Liverpool Ladies, having played for Chelsea, Charlton and Everton. She is employed by the Women’s FA as a skills coach.

Why do I mention her here? Because I recently read about her history in a national newspaper article and learnt that she grew up on a North Battersea estate, which has got to mean that Fara stands a pretty fair chance of having been a Latchmere resident. Her history includes being homeless and living on the streets for some of her early England career. I also think that she might have gone to Elliott School before it became an Ark Academy.

Whatever the history and whatever the details, and I hope some of you might be able to fill in some of them, it is clear that her fame would be far greater if she was a man who had played over 100 times for England (she compares her mid-field role to that of Steven Gerard’s) and represented the country at 2 World and 3 European championships. Can anyone help me with this story, because she should be recognised by the Borough!

October 4, 2014

Councillor Tony Belton’s Latchmere October Newsletter (# 65)

September highlights

I had a Big Local lunch on 11^th September – not real business I know, but it does help to keep in touch. Here is a picture of us in Fish in a Tie in Falcon Road, which by the way, if you have never been there, is just about the nicest, cheapest food of its style that you can get in Battersea. Stephen Holsgrove the head of Thames Christian College is on the left and then Sandra Munoz, me, Senia Dedic, my councillor colleague Wendy Speck, Providence House youth club boss Robert Musgrave and Pennethorne resident Andy Beech.
In my new role as Labour’s Speaker on education I have had several meetings with senior education staff in an attempt to catch up with the current issues. And one in particular came up at the Education and Children’s Services Committee on 17^th September and that was the subject of admissions to primary schools. At the moment admissions are based on proximity to the school but also on siblings, that is whether a child already has a brother or sister at the relevant school. In essence the Council is wondering whether the so-called siblings rule should be scrapped and admissions solely based on proximity to the school. The Council is going out to consultation on the matter. What do you think? Do you think that if a child has a brother or sister at a school s/he should have priority in a schools’ admissions policy or should it just be based on proximity to the school. Let me know what you think!
I went to GCSE Success’s Annual General Meeting on 20^th September. It was held at York Gardens Library. I do think this is a fascinating voluntary organisation. Set up by a resident of Pennethorne House, Ella Spencer, it is devoted to helping kids on the local estates fulfil their potential at GCSEs and get the best possible exam results. If anyone has a son/daughter who needs volunteer specialist assistance to get through examinations I recommend that you get them to York Gardens Library on a Saturday morning at 10 am!
On the 25^th I went to the Tooting Labour Party’s fund raising dinner, where the guest speaker was Jack Straw. Here is a picture of him giving his after dinner speech. He made a robust defence of the Labour Government’s actions in Iraq, including the current bombing campaign against Isis. I am afraid that I am not convinced and am rather inclined to the view that the west cannot resolve what is clearly a Middle Eastern Civil War. I have seen it compared with Europe’s seventeenth century Thirty Years War between Protestant and Catholic – I rather fear that it is an apt comparison.
I did not this year go to the Labour Party Conference, which seems not to have been a very exciting occasion! But I rather suspect that the confidence that the Tory Party showed at their conference last week is going to turn out to be misplaced.
I went on a tour of Wayford Street and Este Road estates on 30^th. It was pretty uneventful but we came across this piece of graffiti on the wall at the junction between Wayford Street and Candahar Road. Take a careful look. It is a picture of a dove of peace, I guess, holding under its left wing a knife, a pistol, a hand grenade and an AK 47. Is it a cry of pain against the barbarities going on in the Middle East? It certainly is very political.
On 17^th September the weather was so beautiful that I decided to take the day off and take the train from CJ to Brighton for the day. I came across the Western Pavilion, which I had never seen before. It was built in 1827 by Amon Henry Wilds, an architect who had worked on the famous Pavilion, for a rich client. Below is a picture of it and I am sure many of you can see the similarities between it and the Royal Pavilion. Whilst I was there I also took a picture of the rather sad sight of the West Pier rotting and crumbling into the sea.

My Programme for October.

I have meetings about the New Covent Garden development on 2^nd and 6^th
I am visiting the Holy Ghost primary school in Nightingale Square on 14^th.
There is the now only quarterly Council meeting on 15^th October and Planning Applications Committee on 16^th.
I hope to be at the Caius House youth club on the 27^th.

Did you see Christ Church in the Guardian on 1^st October?

The picture is by photographer David Levene and is of Christ Church School’s vegetable garden. I don’t know why it found its way into the Guardian’s centre spread but it is a great picture of the children in the garden, which is behind a fence on Fownes Road, squeezed in between the estate and the main railway lines out of Clapham Junction. I was there when the school first took over this spare plot and it is just amazing to see the transformation they have made to what was an overgrown site. Well done, Christ Church.