Tag Archive | politics
September 11, 2026  

Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea, September 2026, Newsletter (# 207)

  1. August is traditionally the quietist month of the year – council-wise, but not this year. Apart from the inevitable Planning Applications Committee, there was a by-election in Trinity ward, Tooting. (Although my August cataracts operation, which I had expected on 3 August, turned out to be nothing but a pre-op assessment, so now I wait until October!)
  1. From the moment of the by-election’s declaration both the Labour and the Tory parties threw everything into this fight. Wiith the Council consisting of 29 Tory, 27 Labour councillors, and one independent, all sides including Greens, Liberal/Democrats and Reform knew that this fight, essentially Labour versus Tory, was vital in determining the running of the Council. If Labour were to lose this by-election then Tory control would have been confirmed and assured for the next four years. A Labour victory, however, would continue to leave the Tories dependent upon both Independent Councillor Malcolm Grimston and the Tory Mayor’s casting vote to maintain their tenuous control of the council.
  1. With Tooting Councillor Sean Lawless firmly in charge, Labour planned to contact each of the 12,000 odd electorate on 15 separate occasions, with either face-to-face  or telephone canvassing and literature drops. The campaigning team was, of course, centred on Tooting Labour  party members but included many others from partners, Battersea and Putney, and neighbouring boroughs, Croydon and Merton, and many other London constituency parties. I have seen a few council by-elections in my time but this was the largest, best organised and almost militarily executed of all. Well done Sean – pictured here with Shirin.
  1. Labour did also have the benefit of an exceptionally capable and personable candidate in Shirin Georgiani. Shirin was a great candidate and, although it was a close run thing, it was no great surprise that she won with 1558 votes to the Tory’s 1431. The Greens, Lib/Dems and Reform cndidates got 168, 75 and 51 votes respectively. Shirin will be as good a councillor as she was a candidate.
  1. I think that you can draw several lessons from this result.
    • First, that the electorate, or at least the 39.56% of it who actually voted, very well understand, when a vote is potentially critical to the Council’s direction, that they need to vote for the potential winner and not just in protest. Hence there was a 10%+ swing from both the Greens and the Lib/Dems to Labour and Tory – a consolidation of votes around the two ‘big’ parties.
    • Second, despite this consolidation clearly at least 20% of the electorate are not totally happy with our first past the post voting system as they showed by voting for the smaller parties when in May they had a ‘free’ choice. They were only prepared to accept an alternative choice, when there frst choice had been effectively eliminated. Interesting, given that Andy Burnham is on record as being in favour of electoral reform.
    • Third, that the statistically insignificant swing of 0.1% from Labour to Tory – equivalent to one family of three being away in August and not having arranged a postal vote – shows virtually no change in the Labour:Tory balance in the four months since the Council election.
    • Fourth, for every 4 people who voted in the by-election 6 did not vote. Is this a sign of alienation from politics? If so, that does not augur well for the health of our society. Or is it a cynical recognition in our highly centralised state that local by-elections do not really matter.
    • Fifth, even at this level of voting the relative result of Greens versus Lib/Dems looks like seriously bad news for the Liberal/Democrats in Wandsworth even if they do well in neighbouring boroughs, such as Kingston and Lambeth.
  1. It was obvous on the streets and on polling day itself, 27 August, when I met Tories from Chelsea, Kingston and Epsom as well as the locals, that the Tories put in an equivalent effort. Assuming that the Tories had similar plans to ours, then, of course, one probable outcome was irritated electors – certainly I came across a couple of voters who had been canvassed so often that they were almost incandescent with anger. But with 60% of the electorate not actually voting, it is not surprising that both Labour and Tory were fighting for every single extra voter right upto 10 in the evening.
  1. The rest of my August was taken up in large part with trying to keep cool, checking – what I hope is the last – proof of my book, and attending the 16 August Planning Applications Committee (PAC). PAC had no significant applications to resolve and concluded in just under 30 minutes – something of a record.
  1. There was, of course, the partial eclipse of the sun on August 12. Friends of ours went to Northern Spain to see the total eclipse. We did that in 1999 when Pen and I drove east across southern Germany, Austria and into Hungary chasing a clear sky and the total eclipse, which we caught on 11 August. But this year we stayed at home. This photograph, taken in the garden, of tree branches shadowed by the eclipsed sun does not do it justice, but gives a hint of the peculiar quality of shadows, before and after totality.
  1. And then there was the highly successful Battersea Society social held in the Woodpecker’s secluded garden on 13 August. Was that previously known as the Woodman or was it the Original Woodman? Some might remember that those were the names of the two very adjacent pubs in Battersea High Street. There must be a story there of greed and skulduggery no doubt but as far as I know the story is lost in the midst of time.
  1. On Friday 21 August we went to see Odysseus at the King’s Road Everyman. I was keen to see this Hollywood blockbuster, but I am afraid that I cannot recommend it to anyone who is thinking of going. I wouldn’t say that I am an expert on Greek mythology but I wouldn’t mind betting that I know more about it than the average audience member, and I had absolutely no idea what was going on half the time. And I know that living room plays as written by Rattigan are a long time passê but I don’t think method acting demanded that the dialogue was virtually indecipherable – very disappointing but on the other hand if you’ve not been to the pictures for a long time then I do recommend giving the Everyman a go. With its personalised service of meals and drinks to ‘coupled’ seats with unhindered views of the screen, I do recommend the cinema for a new experience – but pick a better film!
  1. The month, however, ended on a high, as Pen and I attended the jazz session of Concert in the Park – Battersea Park, of course – on 31 August afternoon. It was a fun afternoon, not too hot, not too cool, a couple of thousand people picnicking in the park, plenty of chats, lots of bonhomie. And, of course, the music, even if what we heard was more rock or Latin, than the jazz I had hoped for. Some people, especially the near neighbours, argue that our great public spaces are not the proper location for music festivals. What do you think?
  1. As normal life resumes after the August break, we face the return of greater traffic chaos in North Battersea, as we continue to struggle with the problems following the closure of Albert Bridge. You will recall that I promised monthly updates of progress on the Bridge – unfortunately Kensington & Chelsea have failed to send me any so far. I am pressing for news, and continuing to hope that K&C can keep to its timetable of early spring 2027 for the re-opening of the bridge.
  1. Money for your project? An organisation called Active Thames has, since 1971, distributed over £700,000 of grants to clubs, groups, and organisations for projects aimed at getting active on, in and around the Thames. This month they have asked councillors to encourage organisations to apply for further grants, which are available for application until the closing date of 27 September. If anyone, especially perhaps associated with the Providence Club, or Carney’s Community, or Caius House, is interested then do get in touch with me at tonybelton99@gmail.com and I will steer you in the right direction.
  1. Finally let me introduce two other members of the household, Sammy and Sally. They are two-year-olds that we got from the Cats and Dogs Home. They are very affectionate siblings born exactly 2 years ago, and Sam is the black and white one of the pair.

My September Programme

The chaos that has followed the change of political control of the Council has left me frankly uncertain as to the precise details of this month’s calendar. What however is certain is as follows:-

  1. The Launch of Alf Dubs auto-biography The Boy with the Knapsack at the Czech Embassy on 2 September.
  2. A North-East Surrey Crematorium Board meeting on 10 September. (Errata: it was actually on 8th September and I am no longer a member – as I said I was a bit cnfused!)
  3. A Special Council Meeting on 15 September, and consequently a special Labour Group, a week earlier. But as the Tories are setting the agenda, we do not know what it is about – except that is has to include any special steps that they intend to take to handle what they say is the Council’s budgetary crisis.
  4. The Planning Applications Committee on 17 September.

Did you know?

Last month I said that “not so long ago Battersea had a second power station built, run and owned by Battersea Borough Council.” And then asked, “Do you know what it was called and where it was?”

Well not many people answered that. The past is, as they say, another country. It was the Lombard Road Power Station, in unsurprisingly Lombard Road, on the corner of Holman Road. It was one of the early municipally run and owned power stations built in the period 1880-1910 to power the new invention sweeping through British cities – electric lighting, especially street-lighting. Opened in 1901 it was the first of its kind south of the river. It was closed in 1972. I actually remember the coal being brought in from river barges on the Thames over the traffic – a bit like the final scene in Get Carter, though that was slag being dumped into the North Sea.

And this month?

Everyone knows about the parochial boundary stones that marked the limits of the old Battersea parish, or perhaps if they don’t then this picture of two together on Queenstown Road, 100 yards north of the Wandsworth Road junction, will remind or inform.

My question is that I know of 2 other stones just like these, though set deeper into the ground. Do you know them and/or know of any others marking the old parish boundaries, which are remarkably very similar to the Battersea constituency boundaries?

PS For back-dated numbers, web-search ‘Tony Belton’ to access my blog: to sign on for future copies email tonybelton99@gmail.com.

February 2, 2026  

Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea, February 2026, Newsletter (# 200)

  1. 2026 is a special year for us councillors, as it is the year of the Borough General Election, and the date is May 7th. For me this is the last year with fellow councillors, Juliana Annan and Maurice McLeod. Juliana, I know will continue her work in the community, but perhaps more especially in the Winstanley Estate than in Battersea Park; whilst Maurice will spend more time in Tooting constituency. We have had a successful four years – but people move on. Good luck to both of you, Juliana and Maurice.
  2. My new colleagues are Battersea Park residents Daria Haas, and Victoria (Vicky) Asante. Daria lives on the Doddington Estate and Vicky in the Winstanley Estate, and they join me as the prospective Labour candidates for Battersea Park ward at the election. Daria is, or was, a primary school teacher but has recently resigned to concentrate on the election campaign. Vicky is a community worker with very close links with Battersea’s minority community. In the picture Daria is on the left and Vicky on the right, with me, Tony Belton, between. I look forward to campaigning with Daria and Vicky, and working with them over the next four years.
  3. Long-time readers of my newsletter will know that my Penny was the President of the International Society for Eighteenth Century Studies from 2019-23. We (well certainly I) had hoped that it would have meant lots of international trips but unfortunately Covid destroyed much of that, though we did have trips to Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, and Spain. But now, in recognition of her work as President and of her status as a historian, the Brazilian Association has invited her to their conference in Belo Horizonte (200 miles inland from Rio) in June. And that is a long intro to saying that on 9th January we hosted our Brazilian host, Prof Karine Salgado, to an enjoyable dinner in the West End.
  1. On the 12th January, Penny and I went to MP, Marsha de Cordova’s, annual welcome to new Labour Party members in the House of Commons Jubilee Room. Marsha was, of course, her usual very cheerful self, hosting a morale-boosting occasion. A week later, we walked over to her place to deliver a birthday card. On the way we called in at the Providence Theatre on the Common for a quick lunch, where we came across a group of jazz musicians, from Battersea, who play there in various groupings on Sundays. Apologies for the rotten picture – but I thought the saxophonist was very cool!
  1. Some of you will know that every month I deliver welcome letters to all newcomers on the electoral register. Of course, frequently people are not at home – out working, shopping, or just out – but it is good to talk to the approximately 25% who are at home. Very occasionally, I get a really big surprise but not usually do I meet someone quite like Sandra Martin. Now I have to confess that I had never seen Gogglebox, but when she answered the front-door, I met face-to-face a TV personality, new to Battersea Park ward, who tells me that in the 4 years when she was a regular on Gogglebox she had literally millions of followers on social media – definitely a mark against me that I had never seen Gogglebox. Do you have memories of Sandra on Gogglebox, 2013-17?
  2. I deliver about 200 of these letters every month, which takes me about 6 three-hour sessions each month. It keeps me fit, but it is also a good way of keeping an eye on what is going on in the ward. So here are a few examples of January sightings, which I report to the Town Hall, and which hopefully get cleared soon afterwards. Abandoned bikes, Xmas trees & bad bike parking, building materials, a door and a mattress – just why are some of our neighbours so anti-social? No tree roots and bad pavements this time, but often there are. It would help the Council an enormous amount if everyone of my readers photographed obstructions like these and reported them on the Council’s website, which is always being updated to make reporting like this much easier – search for fly tipping. But it would not only be helping the Council; it would also make life better for us all to see the rubbish cleared quickly and cleanly.
  1. I, and Mike Jubb of the Battersea Society, met one morning with residents of Hester Road, including the Thameswalk Apartments, in Parker’s Café on the corner of Parkgate Road and Radstock Street. There we had coffee and croissants, whilst we talked through with them, what to expect in the upcoming March hearing into the Glassmills appeal against the Council’s rejection of the proposed skyscraper development on Battersea Bridge. The friendly and popular proprietor, Parker, pictured here, kept us well plied with both coffees and croissants!
  1. On 17th January, Penny and I went to see Othello at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket. It was the first time that I had seen the tragedy on the stage, although I do recall seeing Franco Zefferelli’s 1986 film, starring Placido Domingo as the Moor. My memory of that was of its cinematic qualities but I was not at all convinced about Desdemona, or Othello’s turbulent moods, or indeed the evil Iago. But this play was totally different. The staging was simple but very effective. The acting was, however, brilliant. Toby Jones was suitably oleaginous as Iago, and David Harewood made Othello’s epilepsy and his moods not only credible but convincing. However, for my money, Caitlin Fitzgerald won the acting plaudits. She managed to be loving, justifiably terrified and sensuous all equally and almost simultaneously. We were delighted to catch the play on its last night.
  2. I chaired the Planning Applications Committee (PAC) on 20th The big issue of the evening was the future of the Vivienne Westwood Headquarters in Elcho Street, off Parkgate Road. We agreed to the development plans, for a 6-10 storey building, which will accommodate the expanding work-force operating out of one of the UK’s leading fashion houses. Hopefully the new building will be a more architecturally suitable building than the current one.

Also, at PAC that evening was a TPO or Tree Preservation Order, which we agreed for the Grapefruit Tree in Queenstown Road, thought to be the only one in the UK, and which recently got much coverage in the London media.

  1. On the 22nd of January I had the Finance Committee. We discussed the steps the Council is having to take to live through the coming cuts in Government funding. We also noted the Leader’s, Simon Hogg’s, ambition to make Wandsworth Council the most digitised council in the country by 2030. This will inevitably mean that many more council services will go online, and that many of the jobs and the departments will need to be re-engineered and re-constructed over the next four years. Exactly how this will work is difficult to say at this stage of the process (almost the beginning). The only plausible alternative would be a massive reduction in services – an option Labour councillors will refuse to take.
  2. On the 29th January I could/should have gone to Wandsworth’s Planning Forum or the Labour Group but instead I went to hear Penny lecturing in St. Mary’s to the Battersea Society on “Homo Sapiens to Homo Zappiens: How variously human beings describe themselves” – a typically ambitious project. Like much of this January it was a cold, blustery evening and the attendance was not great and also to be blunt Penny was not at her best – the lecture needs some refinement. But two completely very different things were striking about the evening. First was just how exciting the night-time view of Chelsea Harbour and Imperial Wharf is from the church steps, especially at high tide – see picture. But secondly, we were looking for somewhere to eat in Battersea Square and Battersea High Street, and it was worrying to see just how desperately short of custom the restaurants were. They need our support! At least that is how it looked in one unscientific survey on one cold Thursday evening in mid-January.
  1. On 30th January I attended the funeral of Martin Johnson, a St. Johns ward councillor 1968=71 and then councillor for Northcote ward 1974-2018. Martin was one of, what Mrs. T would have called, the ‘wettest of wet Tories.’ Because of that, Martin was Yo-Yo-like in and out of the 44 year-long Tory cabinet (1978-2022), that ruled Wandsworth Council. In that time, two major victories of his come to my mind. One was essentially the final defeat of the London Motorway Ringway ‘plots’ – Martin played a big part in avoiding Battersea being at the heart of a Spaghetti Junction to rival the real one in Birmingham – and having studied the history extensively I say ‘plots’ and not plans advisedly. Secondly, he was the major inspiration behind a project called the Hidden Homes Programme, which created some 250-350 new council homes from unused spaces on the estates.

The picture is of Martin on the left and me on the right being presented with diplomas by then Mayor Jane Cooper.

It was appropriate that Putney Vale Crematorium was packed not only with many senior current and ex-Tory councillors but also, a Wandsworth Council Chief Executive of the past and many departmental heads. RIP Martin.

  1. Finally, unusually, indeed uniquely, for this newsletter, can I burden you with some real politics. In my view the Brexit vote was the biggest catastrophe to hit the UK since World War 2, but it is possibly the biggest self-imposed catastrophe ever. As the world has moved on since 2016, as Putin pursues his imperial dreams and Trump leads his violent way back to American isolationism, it simply becomes more and more urgent to pursue rejoining the EU. I know that it will not be easy; we might even have to face the odd rejection; but it is nevertheless crucial for our future. If you agree with me, then please add your names to the rejoin register at this link rejoinregister.org/?recruiter_id=1272

My February Programme

  1. I have the Council Meeting on 4th
  2. I have the Alf Dubs Lecture by Professor Philippe Sands KC, international human rights lawyer and author on 5th
  3. I have the Transport Committee on 11th February, the Environment Committee on the 12th and the Planning Applications Committee on 19th,
  4. I will be speaking at the unveiling of a plaque to Shapurji Saklatvala 20th

Did you know?

Last month I said that this Battersea pub was rumoured to have had a secret tunnel, used by smugglers, linking it to the Thames. What was the pub’s name, and where is it?

Quite a few answered that it was the Ship, either the now lost pub at St. Mary’s or the one at Jew’s Row. But, as some correctly replied, the one in the picture is/was the Raven in Battersea Square – now an Italian restaurant.

In any event all three are so near to the river and so low, I cannot see how they could keep a tunnel water-free – but that’s the story!

And this month?

 Who was the distinguished architect, who designed Battersea Town Hall (now the Arts Centre) and Battersea Library, as well as the Old Bailey? OK some of you will know that but can you also name a religious building in South Battersea, that he also designed?

January 1, 2026  

Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea, January 2026, Newsletter (# 199) 

  1. I had the Finance Committee on 3rd I do not think that there was much of great moment on the agenda but, of course, everyone was concerned about the Government’s review of local government funding – the so-called Fair Funding Review. Some of the details came out in the national media in the run-up to Xmas. Clearly the Government is concerned to re-balance the subsidies it gives to local authorities – in other words, to move funding streams from the south, and particularly London, to the North. There were indications that Wandsworth and Westminster will be hit particularly hard, but my own experience over many years suggests that what happens to Council Tax in March and April bears very little resemblance to the worst scare stories heard in December and January – so no speculations from me just yet.
  2. On 4th December, I went up West, as they used to say, to have lunch with fellow soccer players for a club, called Witan – it was the LCC and then GLC staff team and Witan is an Anglo-Saxon word for council. I first played with them in the ‘60s and carried on with them into the ‘80s. On the 4th we re-played a few games – in the pub – largely the ones we won – especially when one of us scored. It was great to enjoy our continuing companionship, and long may it continue. However, our plans for a come-back failed.
  1. We had the Council Meeting on 10th December, followed by mince pies with Mayor Jeremy Ambache. I think Simon Hogg, the Labour Leader, is at his best in the environment of the Council Meeting – he had a good evening. I had rather a good time as well. I was replying to a Tory motion – it was critical of our programme, which includes the largest council house building programme in London. Frankly the Tories are all over the place. You may have seen leaflets about the debts that, they say, we are building up – when we are the only London Borough without debts. When they were in control, the Tories sold off more assets at below market price than any authority in history, and yet, they accuse us of profligacy.
  2. We were on our way out to a friend’s Xmas party when Penny fell down the stairs. She won’t thank me for saying this out loud but given the fantastically colourful black eyes she has, I wouldn’t want anyone to have the wrong idea about how she got them! I am pleased to say that she had recovered well by New Year.
  1. I went to a really great event on 15th December with the official opening of the new Falcon Bridge. One simple thing to note is that this 100-metre-long underpass of the railway has now got an official name – The Falcon Bridge. But that is minor. If you have not seen it since the 15th it is well worth the trip. I have heard people say it is not worth the money, even that it is tasteless. Garbage. I know people, who were scared of this main route from North to South Battersea, because it was dark, usually wet, filthy, cheerless and threatening – now it is light, bright, dry, clean, colourful, even welcoming. I expect to see a good impact on Falcon Rad in the next few years. The opening event itself was brisk and cheerful; a great testament to urban renewal.
  2. The Planning Applications Committee (PAC) on 18th December was uneventful, even if the attendance was a bit thin – thanks to a car breakdown and the coming of Xmas. But perhaps it is worth noting that there have been 2,440 Webcast viewings of this year’s PAC meetings. Clearly not a mass audience, but it is not insignificant that on average just over 200 people tune in and watch our deliberations. It is also noteworthy that, having chaired the committee now for just 4 months short of 4 years, I am aware of only one critical ‘review’ of one of our meetings during that time. That’s an impressive record. And it’s notable that all the PAC members, of all parties, treat the applications and the committee with the care and consideration that they deserve.
  1. On the 20th December, Jason Okundaye, a one-time resident of the Patmore Estate, wrote an article in The Guardian. In it he described Battersea Power Station shopping centre, coming “with Rolex and Cartier stores, luxury private members’ clubs and apartments with multi-million-pound price tags,” making it clear the total irrelevance of the power station development for a significant proportion of the local community. Or at least, that is what he thought as things stood before the recent decision to include 203 council houses in the development. In the article, the Patmore resident makes it clear how important it is for the local community, that Labour controlled Wandsworth Council made council housing a political priority. He praises Labour’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Aydin Dikerdem, for his major part in this victory. Well done, Aydin. I know that Aydin would also give much credit to the Council Leader, Simon Hogg, for his solid support. And indeed, to the whole Labour Group every one of whom has played a part in achieving Labour’s 2022 Manifesto commitment to build 1,000 council homes by May 2026.
  2. For completeness, I should also add that we, Penny and I, also went to four neighbourhood parties in the pre-Christmas period. They managed to be amazingly varied, crowded and bustling with everything from carols and decorative exuberance to gourmet-style canapés and engaging conversation, with almost everything in-between. This appropriately chaotic picture is from the crowded and bustling one, during the carol singing. The parties did, however, have two things in common. They were all totally festive and very enjoyable. And then a very quiet Xmas and NY with just us two and the cats, a bit of gardening – the signs of spring are everywhere – already. Happy New Year to you all.
  1. Finally, I was asked by the Chair of the Alf Dubs Lecture Trust, Anne Reyersbach, to give advance notice and publicity for their third annual lecture, on 5 February 2026 at the Battersea Arts Centre. The Trust, very appropriately named after Battersea’s MP, Alf Dubs, “exists to advance the education of the public in human rights and refugee issues through a public lecture”. Alf was, you may recall, a child evacuee from Nazi controlled Czechoslovakia, and subsequently became famous for championing the rights of victims of oppressive regimes. The lecture will be given by Professor Philippe Sands, a professor of law at University College London and Harvard. You can register to attend via Eventbrite:https://alfdubslecture.eventbrite.com I hope to see you there.

My January Programme

  1. I have my Council Surgery on 3rd January at 11 am in the Battersea Park Library.
  2. I have the Conservation & Heritage Advisory Committee on 8th January, the Planning Applications Committee on 20th, and the Planning Forum on 29th
  3. I will be assisting Marsha de Cordova, our MP, hosting a party for some consttuents in the House of Commons, on 12th.

Did you know?

Last month I asked, given that the Bear State is not an arcane reference to Vladimir Putin’s Imperial domain, can you solve the anagram? And many of you could indeed solve it, the answer being: Battersea.

And this month?

 

A Battersea pub is rumoured to have had a secret tunnel, used by smugglers, linking it to the Thames. What is the pub’s name, and where is it?

December 2, 2024  

Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea December 2024, Newsletter (# 186)

  1. I didn’t feel too hot on 1st November, so I gave Junction Jazz at the Bread & Roses a miss (I gather the band was good), but did feel well enough on the 2nd to go to the Councillors’ Surgery at Battersea Park Library. Saturday mornings at the surgery can be a very peaceful time, simply reading the papers, but not this time. As usual, the cases were about housing issues, about wanting a transfer or the conditions in rental properties. It can be depressing listening, but I do follow them up and, from time to time, really do resolve the problems.
  2. I discovered one victory this month quite by chance. I was doing my normal monthly tour of the Picture1ward, including a walk Picture2down Anhalt Road, a quiet road near the Park. On my last visit there I came across this trip hazard on the left, created by an aggressive tree root. Now the Council has doctored the tree and re-surfaced the pavement and it is no longer the very serious hazard it was. A small triumph perhaps but mine own!
  3. On 4th November I had a Battersea United Charities (BUC) meeting at the main Battersea Library. Nothing particularly momentous happened but it is worth noting the existence of this small body, which distributes small grants to individuals and/or organisations that live, work or play in Battersea. For example, BUC gives financial assistance to other charities that organise Xmas Day Dinners; or to Providence House to help fund summer schemes for Battersea’s younger people; or to families that have hit hard times and who need carpets, furniture, ovens, fridges, etc. The Chair of BUC is Phil Beddows, once a Tory councillor, but don’t hold that against him too much. For a long time now Philip has been a passionate Battersea boy and has given hours of his time to the charity.
  4. On 5th November I did not go to a fireworks display but went Picture3instead to Wandsworth Council’s Civic Awards. At this annual event, the Council praises and appreciates people, who have contributed their time and efforts to support the community. The Labour administration has added some new features, such as video descriptions of the award winners at work rather than the previous over-long reading of their commendations. One of the stars of the evening was Gonçalo da Cal Martins, Wandsworth’s Young Musician of the Year 2024, who played a beautiful violin concerto.
  5. I went to the Armistice Day Commemoration ServicePicture4 in St. Mary’s on Sunday 10th November, and then on the 11th itself, I went to the service in Battersea Park. I always find the open-air service the more moving of the two. The late autumn weather is very appropriate and the sound of the lone bugle playing The Last Post followed by Reveille almost haunting. The only blemish, of course, is that the Park was right under the day’s flight path into Heathrow! The picture is of our MP, Marsha de Cordova, walking away from the monument having just laid a wreath.
  6. Pen was due to present a paper at a small conference in Antwerp on 14th-15th November, so I decided, more or less at the last minute, to Picture5accompany her. We stayed in the centre of the city from 13th-17th. It was magnificent. Why has everyone kept so quiet about Antwerp? It is certainly the largest city within easy reach of London that I have never been to, and it is only just over 4 hours away, from door to door, by Eurostar. The city centre is substantially traffic free, so it is a pedestrians’ delight and the trams work like a dream. It is very lively, and very cosmopolitan. Belgium’s colonial record was not good – to say the least – and Belgians are very conscious of that, but one result is that it has made Antwerp a culinary delight. It includes African, Caribbean and Indo-Malaysian food of every kind and, of course, some say that the best French cuisine is actually Belgian. Added to that, the many museums and art galleries are replete with works by the three Breughels, Reubens, Van Dyck, and countless other Flemish masters. We had a great time – Oh, and Pen said the conference wasn’t bad either (which is English for a great success). The picture shows part of the Grote Markt.
  7. The Transport Committee on 19th November was quiet and uncontentious but full of interesting matters, not least the extended hours of operation of the controlled parking zone (CPZ) around Battersea Park. The residents had campaigned for the extended hours since before the opening of the Power Station, but that had been the final straw. Other matters of interest were:-
  • The competition to design the transformation of the Falcon Road railway bridge – probably the worst environment in the Borough – which effectively cuts north Battersea off from Clapham Junction and will hopefully be completed by late 2025;
  • more new school streets; and
  • amendments to the Borough Plan designed to encourage the development of more affordable housing.
  1. I chaired the Planning Applications Committee (PAC) on 20th We approved five applications:-
  • three, which in total amounted to some 50 residential units, as part of our 1,000 homes project – odd how it is that everyone thinks that we ought to build more homes at affordable prices but no one wants them built next door – am I being cynical, or jaundiced?
  • one, which involves the total demolition of a terraced Battersea house – except the front wall – and the construction of a modern house in its place. No one on the committee liked it but one does not need permission to demolish property unless it is either listed or in a conservation area – and we could hardly refuse permission for replacing it with a modern version.
  • the fifth was a technical change to a previous planning approval.
  1. Prezza, aka John Prescott, died on 21st November, and with him, some people argue, an old-style Labour brand. I do not know about that, but I do have one very clear memory of him. I was sitting at home one Saturday afternoon watching one of the autumn rugby internationals. The year was 1997 and Labour had stormed into power on 1st May.

    I was the Leader of Wandsworth Labour councillors and had recently written an angry letter to John, the Deputy Prime Minister, protesting that he had recently walked around Battersea Park with Wandsworth’s Tory leadership without informing anyone in Wandsworth’s Labour Party, and that despite John making improved communications between the Government and Labour councillors a major theme. I didn’t expect anything other than a formal civil service acknowledgement.

    The phone rang, “on my way to Heathrow and the Kyoto climate change conference”, John spat out, “thought I’d give you a ring about the Battersea Park event”. I was so surprised that I do not recall the rest of the conversation, but I do remember that I could not make sense of the syntax, nor of some of his sentences. But I do remember the meaning, the apology, and the thought that Prezza made a point of ringing me, whilst he was on the way to being a prime mover at one of the world’s most important ever conferences.

    I much appreciated the thought then and have done ever more so since.

  2. Picture7The 22nd of November was the night of the Battersea Ball held in the Battersea Park British Genius site. This is always a noisy, showy, fun event, held to fund the Battersea Summer Scheme for Battersea youth. Pen and I usually go, and often get caught pretending to be training for Strictly!
  3. Picture8I have just heard of the death of Battersea Labour Party member, Timothy West, earlier in November. Timothy and Prunella have been substantial supporters of BLP for many years and have played their part in several revues that BLP staged at Battersea Arts Centre. I will say more about Tim in next month’s newsletter, meanwhile RIP Tim.
  4. And other news about Battersea and Wandsworth:
  • The Council plans to update the Latchmere Estate playspace and is asking users and residents to get involved in its design. Do get in touch if you are interested.
  • Battersea Park Rotary asked me to remind pensioners about Rotary’s Xmas Day special – contact Senia Dedic (seniadedic@hotmail.com) for details.

My December Programme

  1. I have a meeting of North-East Surrey Crematorium Board on 3rd The members are the London Boroughs of Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth, so it should more accurately be called the South-West London Crem.
  2. On 5th December, I am having Xmas Lunch with the soccer team I played with in the 60s-80s – always nostalgic, “remember that goal Prodg scored” days.
  3. On 11th December, we have the last full Council Meeting of the year.
  4. December’s meeting of the Planning Applications Committee is on the 12th and much of the rest of the month is standard stuff, Christmas Carols, eating and drinking too much. I hope that you have a great Christmas too.

Did you know?

Last month I asked who was “an Irish Protestant dramatist, clearlyPicture9 torn between both his Irish and British heritages in that he was at once an Irish Republican and a British patriot, this socialist born in North Dublin spent many of his later years in Prince of Wales Drive, Battersea. Who was he and can you name his most famous play, and even one other of his works?”

Not quite do many correct answers as about Bob Marley and Spurs, but some knew about Sean O’Casey and his most famous play Juno and the Paycock. There is a plaque on the wall of 49 Overstrand Mansions, Prince of Wales Mansions.

And this month?Picture10

Born in Cheltenham, became a Bachelor of Medicine at St. George’s Hospital, met his wife in Caius House, Battersea, where he did missionary work in the worst of Battersea slums, has a plaque in Battersea Square. He died, a peculiarly British heroic death 10,000 miles from home and he looked like this. Who was he?

April 2, 2024  

Councillor Tony Belton’s Battersea April 2024, Newsletter (# 178)

  1. March began (for me, in Council terms,) with the North East Surrey Crematorium Board of which I am a board member, on 5th March. Why – North East Surrey? Because, Battersea Borough Council bought the land for a large cemetery, somewhere cheap between Raynes Park and Merton in the early twentieth century. The crematorium was built for use by Wandsworth, Sutton and Merton Councils – and hence the name – North East Surrey. Not much happened at the Board meeting.
  2. Much the same could be said for the Council Meeting, Picture2which took place on 6th March. Its main purpose was formally to rubber stamp the Council Tax agreed at the February Finance Committee. However, there was some discussion of the state of our roads and pavements, which for some years have been deteriorating at a faster rate than we have been repairing them. I am pleased to say that we were able to announce a multi-million pound plan to do the necessary repairs and maintenance to tackle this problem – how is this for example in affluent Anhalt Road?
  3. Off to Southend-on-Sea on 10th March to have lunch with Penny’s relatives – her brother lives in a flat with a fantastic view over the Thames Estuary. I used to spend school holidays in Southend in the years immediately after WW2 – I guess it must have been 1948 and 1949 – so I have a bit of a soft spot for the town. But my, how economically depressed the town appears now – this is not affluent Brighton, much more like poverty-stricken Blackpool.
  4. On the 13th March, Penny and I were off to the Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) to Picture3see The Seven Deadly Sins, but first, an Accordion Concerto – yes a concerto for an accordion – violins obviously, organs of course, but had you ever heard of an accordion concerto? It was brilliant, interesting, fun but I’m not sure that this work is sufficient to raise the reputation of the accordion. On the other hand, Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s reputations are assured – they were both émigrés from Nazi Germany, Weill because he was Jewish and Brecht because he was a Marxist. Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins is described as a sung ballet with German words written by Bertolt Brecht and sung here in translation by Danielle de Niese (pictured). It is the dramatic and harrowing story of a young woman, exploited by her family and torn between money and morality.
  5. The Planning (PAC) Applications Committee was held on the 19th March. There were only four applications to be considered. One was a purely technical event and the second of no great consequence nor contention. However, we did approve the development of a school unit in central Tooting, and then, after a near three-hour debate, we rejected an application to develop 449 residential units on Springfield Hospital It was a close decision; in my view the wrong one; but what concerned me most was the mechanical, clearly “whipped” votes of the Tory members. PAC has a quasi-judicial function. It relies upon the individual judgements of its members. It is NOT whipped, although naturally most Tory and most Labour councillors vote the same way as their party colleagues – but on this occasion, Tory councillor votes were very suspiciously both uniform and predictable. (For the record: As the Chair of PAC, I do not discuss decisions before the meeting but the way I voted on this issue is now a matter of public record.)
  6. This time of the year is dominated, Picture4for those with sporting inclinations, by two traditional events, the culmination of the Six Nations Rugby Championship and the Boat Race (the National and the finale of the soccer season come in the next two months). For Oxonians, like me, the least said about the Boat Race the better but, just, maybe the E-coli scandal surrounding the event, might force change on the water industry – and about time too! And I have little to say about the Six Nations but talking rugby gives me an excuse to show a picture of Battersea Labour Party’s new organiser pursuing her sport on a typically muddy north London pitch – she’s the one with the large white gum shield! Good rucking, Zara!
  7. In the third week of February, the Labour Group had its two-evening, two-part Annual General Meeting. Simon Hogg was re-elected as Group and, therefore, Council Leader. We elected Sana Jafri as the new Mayor, and Jamie Colclough as the new Chair of the Environment Committee. Unfortunately, we also had a resignation from a West Putney councillor, who decided after six years to call it a day.
  8. On the 21st February, I chaired the Wandsworth Planning Forum, which is a twice-yearly discussion forum between the main planning societies, the Battersea Society, the Wandsworth Society, the Putney Society, the Clapham Junction Action Group and organisations like the RIBA and the Council. It was not dramatic; I can’t think of any notable decisions; but it was a very useful exchange of views, confirming our intention to do the best for the Wandsworth environment.
  9. On the 23rd March, Penny and I went to thePicture5 splendid St. Ann’s Church on St. Ann’s Hill for a performance of Handel’s Messiah by the South West London Choral Society and the Otranto Chamber Orchestra. It was spectacular, even if that is a ludicrous adjective to apply to an audio event! As the choir reached the climax of the Hallelujah Chorus and perhaps even more spectacularly the final Amen Chorus, I could feel just why choral societies are so popular in today’s individualised culture – they are clearly, at their best, magnificent collective celebrations. We were totally wowed.
  10. On 27th February, I had the Conservation and Heritage Advisory Committee (CHAC). This may seem like a niche interest, but it does important work – for those Picture6interested in our history. I was happy to say that work had started on St, Mark’s Vestry School in Battersea Rise – had you noticed? The school was built in the 1860s, just before the introduction of free, compulsory education in 1870, and is one of the last remaining vestry school buildings left. Not long ago, the roof was bust, the walls were cracked and the windows broken, but now it is on the way to being the home of a small, but obviously a very professional architect’s practice.

  11. Picture7One other thing that I learned at CHAC was that there is an original eighteenth-century cottage on Clapham Common Northside. Did you know? I hadn’t even noticed despite having lived here a mere – well many years! It is not a particularly notable building but/and it is probably the only pre-1800 building in Wandsworth that is neither protected nor listed. Should it be? Here it is – what do you think?

My programme for April?

  1. On 1st April, we are off to see a performance of Nye (Aneurin Bevan, creator of the NHS in 1948) at the National Theatre.
  2. On 4th April I have a special Finance Committee convened by the Tory councillors. Masochistically, the Tories seem to want to argue about how Labour has been handling the Council’s finances. Odd given that we have just announced successive Council Tax “freezes”.
  3. The Planning Applications Committee is on 24th April.
  4. And that seems to be that for formal Council events but I guess that there will be plenty of activity going on as we build towards the Mayoral and GLA elections on 2nd May and on the West Putney by-election also to be held on 2nd May.

Did you know?

Last month I asked, given that the International Day of Women Picture9was on 8th March who could name the woman (born in Huntingdon; died in Biggleswade), who founded which major Battersea institution, without ever, as far as we know, visiting the borough?

Two or three people emailed me with the answer, which was Mary Tealby (1801-1865), a “kindly woman”, who took pity on a stray dog, where she lived in Islington and ended up looking after several dogs in her scullery before founding a dogs’ home (1860), which moved to Battersea in 1871.

And this month?

 In paragraph 10 above, I write about an eighteenth-century building on Clapham Common Northside, which I did not know about. So, I wonder just how many surviving pre-nineteenth century buildings or structures in Battersea you/we can name? I will be really interested in seeing the result and how many of us can name 10, 15 …?