December newsletter

This month we’re asking for your views with a quick survey – and below we have news about a new cycle path on Tooting Common, local heroes awards, road safety and homelessness.

Please take a couple of minutes to tell us what issues are important to you, so that we can make sure that we take action on the issues that matter most to you: Click here to take the survey now – THANK YOU!!!

We’ll share the results of the survey next month.

New cycle path on Tooting Common – consultation 

There is a proposal to widen the existing path on Tooting Common that goes from the cafe to the Lido and make it a shared cycle and pedestrian path. Just over 150 responses have been received so far, which doesn’t seem many. Thanks to the council officers who braved the cold for the drop-in session last week. Thanks to everyone who stopped to talk too. Of those I spoke to there are mixed opinions, but with a majority in favour but with concerns about some cyclists going too fast. Better signs were asked for by several people. But what do you think?

Please take some time to fill in the consultation – and encourage other people to – by December 18th: click here for Quietway 5 consultation

Balham and Tooting Community Association Awards

Rosena and Fleur had a wonderful evening celebrating some of the amazing people who make Tooting such a great place to live. The Balham and Tooting Community Awards went to some local heroes such as the Tooting Park Rangers football team coaches who have turned a dads kick about on the common into a five league teams. Its still open to all players and a wonderful community group with a dedicated team of coaches who really deserve this award.

Another wonderful team honoured were the Little Village volunteers who have set up a growing charity which provides baby clothes and equipment to people who couldn’t otherwise afford them. Have a look at their Little Village HQ website.

 

Road safety

The Transport for London roadworks have finished at last on the High Road, but left me baffled about why they happened as there was a lot of work done to slightly widen the pavement. There were lots of concerns about safety on the road, with a spate of motorbike accidents, so I hope that these changes were in response to concerns about that. However we still don’t have the cycle parking outside Trinity Pharmacy that residents presented a petition to ask for following several thefts of bikes.

The new phasing of the Ritherdon Road lights has increased traffic jams backing up. We’ll be taking both up with Transport for London.

Homelessness rising in Wandsworth

A major concern is the ever increasing amount of homelessness in Tooting and we are working to support increasing numbers of families who have housing problems. When I became a councillor in 2014 there were 791 people in temporary accommodation, and now there are 1309 people. This costs the council over £3million last year – placing many people outside the borough often as far away as Wembley – in very small and unsuitable and yet costly hostels. The council has not got any solutions to this problem, and more families are left commuting for hours to schools and jobs and living for far too long in unsuitable hostels. Meanwhile big developments are continuing without enough social (council) housing at rents people can afford, and enough really affordable housing – instead of slightly less expensive housing which is labelled ‘affordable’ but isn’t.

Surgery move to Scout Centre on Wednesdays

When we elected in 2014 we immediately started up a monthly Bedford ward surgery in Balham library. We’ve reviewed this surgery and want to make it more accessible, so we’re moving to Southside Scout Centre on Wednesday mornings and hope that this will be easier to get to for more people. It will be on the first Wednesday of every month, no appointment is needed, and it is opposite Du Cane Court on the High Road at the junction with Elmfield Road. We’re happy to meet with you at another time by appointment too – just email us.  Thanks to the Neighbourhood Network group for hosting us – you can have a cup of tea with your neighbours as well as coming to see your councillors.