Wandsworth Council - Spending Review
The council could have to find savings of around £55m over the next four years as the Coalition Government gets to grips with the national budget deficit. Though the size of the task will begin to come clearer after this week’s comprehensive spending review the details of local authority grants will not be known until December. See Council's savings challenge. A report by Council Leader, Edward Lister, to the Finance & Resources committee can be accessed at www.wandsworth.gov.uk/osc/finance - see agenda papers for 29th September meeting. Also Cllr Lister has written to council staff about changes to staff terms and conditions.
Spending review - Leader writes to staff

Bolingbroke Hospital Planning Application by St George’s NHS Trust
St George’s NHS Trust as the owner of the Bolingbroke Hospital site, and having declared it surplus to requirement last year, has now submitted 2 planning applications for the redevelopment of the building to provide mainly residential flats together with some health facilities.

Full details of both of these applications are available on the Council’s Planning Website by entering the application reference (see below) at http://www.wandsworth.gov.uk/gis/search/Search.aspx.

Application ref 2010/4235 is for the alteration; extension and part demolition of the former hospital to provide 50 residential flats and space for some health facilities.
Application ref 2010/4237 is for the partial demolition of the Grade 2 listed building; alterations & extensions to the building and the relocation of the nursery rhyme tiles.

It appears that St George’s Trust has submitted these applications as part of its attempt to gain maximum value for the site. However we can assure you that Wandsworth Council, as a priority purchaser, is negotiating with St George’s so that the site can be acquired for the new secondary school being proposed by the Neighbourhood School Campaign group (NSC) and their chosen education provider (ARK). In time this will lead to further planning applications being submitted and consulted on relating to the conversion of the building to a school and possibly health facilities. There is considerable uncertainty though about the provision of GP health facilities as since 2009 the Primary Care Trust (NHS Wandsworth) has said it does not have the capital funds to invest in such new facilities.

It is very important that you send your comments about these planning applications to the Planning Department as soon as possible. Email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or write to The Borough Planner, The Town Hall, Wandsworth High Street, London SW18 2PU.  Please include your name and address and the application reference numbers (see above) and the site name – The Bolingbroke Hospital.

We will continue to argue that the Bolingbroke should be maintained in community use and not redeveloped for flats or houses – see below for the submission we made last month in response to the Trust’s pre-application consultation exercise.

In addition the following specific issues will need to be addressed:
• The protection of the important features that led to the Bolingbroke being designated last year as a Grade 2 listed building; in particular  the preservation of the nursery rhyme tiles
• The proposed conversion of the listed building to mainly residential flats will require major intervention and subdivision of the building’s interior
• The loss of significant and long established public facilities if the building is redeveloped for mainly residential flats rather than for other community usage

Submission by Northcote Ward councillors to the St George’s NHS Trust’s “pre-application consultation” – September 2010.

As the Northcote Ward councillors we are writing in response to the invitation issued by St George’s NHS Trust to comment on its pre-application exhibition held at Chatham Hall last week and the proposals outlined in the leaflet circulated locally. In so doing we would draw your attention to the statement issued by Wandsworth Council asking St George’s to correct the misleading information in the consultation document.

In autumn 2009 Northcote Ward councillors and Jane Ellison, now Battersea’s MP undertook a survey of views in the local area about the future use of the Bolingbroke Hospital site. Over 1000 people responded and the overwhelming view was that the Bolingbroke should continue in community use, particularly health services and / or education, and not be redeveloped as residential flats / houses or offices.

We organised the survey so that we could gauge the views of residents as St George’s drew up plans to sell the site. Since the survey last autumn the Neighbourhood School campaign has received massive local support for the proposal to establish a secondary school on the site, further reinforcing the results of our survey.

Therefore we do not think that the proposals currently being put forward by St George’s meet the hopes and aspirations of the local community and therefore they should be withdrawn.

Northcote Safer Neighbourhood Police Team (SNT) – Drop in Session at the Peabody Hall on November 24th
Police “surgery” – The next Northcote Safer Neighbourhood Police Team meeting will be held at The Peabody Hall, off Strath Terrace on Wednesday 24th November at 7pm. Do come along to meet the team, raise matters that concern you and hear the latest from the Police about their activities in the ward.

Clapham Junction – Exemplar scheme starts
Work has started on a major project to improve Clapham Junction's road network and enhance the look and feel of the town centre.
Town centre improvement work begins

Mayor’s Cycle Superhighway: Wandsworth to Westminster
Transport for London (TfL) has started work on Boris Johnson’s new cycle superhighway linking Wandsworth to Westminster via Chelsea Bridge.
Work starts on new cycle superhighway

Half term holiday activities in Wandsworth
Copies of the brochure available from Northcote Road Library
Or to download the Brochure, click here.

Fire safety advice ahead of strikes
The council is urging residents to be extra vigilant when it comes to fire safety in the home and at work ahead of next week's planned industrial action by London's firefighters. Fire safety message ahead of strikes

Warning on bogus dustmen asking for cash / sponsorship Local residents are being warned to be on their guard against strangers knocking at their door claiming to be dustmen and asking for charity sponsorship. Warning on bogus binman seeking cash

Pedestrian Crossings along The Avenue, Clapham Common
Thank you to everyone who has expressed their concerns about the possibility, suggested by Transport for London (TfL), that the pedestrian crossings along The Avenue be removed. Together with Richard Tracey, Wandsworth’s London Assembly member, we continue to monitor the situation closely and will ensure that there is full and timely consultation with local residents if TfL want to go ahead with some or all of their proposals.

76-78 Chatham Road SW11 (HiQ Garage)
The planning application to redevelop the garage site with 4 residential units has been approved subject to conditions. Details are available on the Council’s Planning Website ref 2010/2333. The Planning Inspector has supported the Council’s rejection of an earlier scheme for a larger number of smaller houses / flats.

Census Jobs – how to apply
Applications are now being accepted for hundreds of temporary jobs working on the 2011 Census More Census jobs available