LISTER ON PUTNEY

Edward Lister is the Leader of Wandsworth Council and a member for Putney's Thamesfield ward.

Making Putney's increasingly busy streets safe for pedestrians and cyclists is a top priority for the council this year.

There's a whole host of local safety schemes being put in place - all designed to make crossing the road a less daunting experience.

Many of these initiatives are being worked up with schools like Hotham, St Mary's and Our Lady of Victories.

Among the first to benefit from the changes will be children attending All Saints School and residents in Erpingham Road. This heavily parked road will get new crossing points and a 20 mph speed limit.

We're also tackling hot spots in the High Street at Chelverton and Lacy roads where the weight of traffic makes it difficult to cross and installing an extra crossing on Putney High Street from the south side of Lacy road.

Lacy Road itself remains a bottleneck with so many vehicles trying to get access to and from the Exchange car park. We are now running a joint study with the operator to come up with ways of easing these difficulties.

There are other road safety measures planned around Putney Hill at its junctions with Wildcroft Road and Chartfield Road. These - like the High Street schemes - are funded by Transport for London and have been given the green light after meeting tough TfL conditions which require evidence that the changes will deliver real benefits for pedestrians.

With more than 200 neighbourhood watch groups in Putney local residents are undoubtedly the keenest crime fighters in the borough.

While these schemes are successful in helping to prevent burglaries there are growing fears about personal safety on the street.

The rise in street crime in recent years has mirrored the fall in police numbers. One of the ways in which the council can help the Met cope with this loss is by extending its network of CCTV cameras.

A new ten-camera system will be operating in the Danebury Avenue and Roehampton Lane by the end of the summer. More are also planned for Beaumont Road, West Hill.
Meanwhile in the heart of Putney we will be installing cameras in Quill Lane and on the river by St Mary's Church.

Next month sees the start over in Clapham Junction of an important experiment in town centre policing. Here eleven uniformed council patrollers will work alongside the Met in tackling anti-social behaviour on the streets.

If the scheme is a success I will press for similar trials in places like Putney town centre and Danebury Avenue.

Edward Lister
Leader of the Council

You can contact Edward Lister at the Town Hall on 0208 871 6041 or by email at elister@wandsworth.gov.uk

CAR TAX DODGERS DRYBURGH RD DEVELOPMENT ROBIN HOOD GATE AND NIGHT FLIGHTS..............Cllr Lister's diary

Church cheer, wharf worries and Richmond Park relief - Cllr Lister's diary.

Cllr Lister speaks against the Dryburgh Rd plans, the threat of clsing Pen Ponds to traffic and litter.

The Postal Service, Richmond Park and Council Tax changes are all on Cllr Lister agenda.

Cllr Lister comments on the current planning furore, pigeon mess, cctv and policing.

Cllr Lister writes on Pensioners Freedom Passes, good news re Hotham School, development progress at Ashlone Wharf and aircraft noise from Heathrow Airport.

Recent visit to the Leisure Centre was less than enjoyable - see forum.

Cllr Lister writes on the new school for the area, housing development and Heathrow.

Cllr Lister writes on developments at the Putney School of Art & Design, The Leisure Centre and the excellent league results for local schools.

Tony Colman MP for Putney speaks about current local issues