Our Campaigns

TATTENHAM CORNER

Unlike many shopping parades we are pleased that all the shops at Tattenham Corner are open for business. We want to ensure its vitality is maintained. We have had the service road and many of the pavements resurfaced. We managed to get a pedestrian crossing installed near the Post Office, and new litter bins. The Residents Association has installed and maintains its own flower planters.

The most untidy area is the stretch of pavement between the wine bar and the Co-op. Unfortunately this is owned and maintained by the shopkeepers and their landlords, and public money is not available for the revamp clearly needed.

We would like the Marbles Way shopping parade upgraded too, and are in discussion with Raven Housing Trust to see what can be done.

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

The Residents Association continues to vigorously scrutinise planning applications to maintain the character of our area and to ensure intensive and detrimental development is minimised. We promote the local environment and oppose un-neighbourly cramped schemes with inadequate parking and loss of trees.

The Residents Association is ready to advise neighbours faced with a nearby planning application.
See our Planning Pages to get started.

We have made significant contributions to the new Development Management Plan to safeguard our area. However, we are concerned that Council Leaders have limited parking for new properties near to bus routes or railway stations – as if this will discourage car ownership!

We supported the Council’s initiative for new starter homes on the derelict industrial site in Waterfield. We are however, perturbed that the Government is expected to impose a significant increase in the borough’s housing target. The north of the borough has taken more than its share with the de Burgh development and many in fill cul-de-sacs.

LIBRARY

The Council has cut library funding by 50%, with the possibility of closures of the smaller local libraries such as Tattenhams. At the last round of spending cuts, the Residents Association and its councillors actively supported the move to a volunteer-run library. This has been very successful and created a community hub. We will strenuously oppose closure of the library.

For more information on Tattenhams Community Library click here for their Facebook page.

EPSOM HOSPITAL

The future of Epsom Hospital has been reviewed many times over the last 20 years, wasting millions of pounds. The latest study proposes that an upgraded critical care centre will be built in Sutton, and the Government has now earmarked the money for this. There are many hurdles to be overcome, and there remains the possibility that it will be located in Epsom or St Helier. We are strongly opposed to the St Helier option. To find out about the current status of the project click improvinghealthcaretogether.org.uk

See also the proposal for a New Hospital in Sutton.

COUNCIL TAX & SERVICES

The Government has failed the residents of Surrey. Our grants, already the lowest in England, have been withdrawn completely and Surrey’s MP’s and Cabinet Ministers are not responding. The formula for sharing out central government funding is unfair and decades out of date. It fails to recognise Surrey’s needs and growing population.

The Council must be more effective than ever in using our money. This is why we scrutinise budgets in detail – exposing excess spending and highlighting ways to obtain better value. While some cuts are inevitable given the funding situation, we must protect those services most vital to our community.