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LISTER
ON PUTNEY
| Edward
Lister is the Leader
of Wandsworth Council
and a member for Putney's
Thamesfield ward.
The
great thing about
living in Putney
is that people
care passionately
about what goes
on around them
in their community.
Nobody
wants to see
the proposed
mobile phone
masts go ahead
at Richmond Court
on the Upper
Richmond Road.
People are increasingly
wary of the official
assurances they
are given on
the possible
health risks.
Amazingly
this is the one
factor local
planning committees
are not allowed
to take into
account when
considering applications.
Indeed the Government
tells councils
to ignore these
concerns provided
the installation
meets the appropriate
European guidelines.
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We
have to get ministers to sit up and take notice of this growing
issue. It really has been made too easy for the mobile phone
giants. Often they can sidestep the need to even obtain planning
permission - simply by reducing the height of the installation.
The
planning committee has put the
application on hold for the
time being. Members have served
notice that they will give the
plans a rough ride. Leaseholders
in Richmond Court can now use
the time to put pressure on
their landlord to say no. I
have promised them my full support.
Residents
in the Lower Common South and
Dryburgh Road area are deeply
unhappy about plans to erect
a new house on land behind their
properties at Egliston Lawns.
They
fear that the development would be detrimental to the character
and appearance of the conservation area and spoil the current
open outlook from their houses.
Their
concerns were backed by local councillors at the planning
committee held on February 14. They succeeded in getting the
application deferred for more reports.
One
of the biggest issues is the risk of damage to the roots of
a superb protected Poplar tree on the site. The planning committee
made it clear that they would want much more detail on this
and other aspects of the scheme before arriving at a final
decision.
Pigeon
mess under railway bridges has
been the subject of a long-running
row between the council and
Railtrack. Having won a High
Court case forcing the company
to put up netting at their Balham
High Road bridge we have been
pressing them for a timetable
for their other bridges in the
borough.
This
week they confirmed their intention to tackle three more bridges
including the one at Earlsfield station which has been in
a shocking state for many years. Putney commuters will be
relieved to know that the Railtrack bridge at East Putney
is also on our hit list. As soon as we have been able to tie
the company down to a date we will let local people know.
Nuisance
of a different kind will be
captured by the CCTV camera
network planned for Roehampton's
Danebury Avenue area.
The
ten camera system will be monitored around the clock from
the council's control room. Installation works will begin
in the summer.
We
have heard a lot recently about the drop in police numbers
in the borough and in particular the sad fact that Roehampton,
which used to have five local bobbies, now only has one.
No
amount of cameras will ever
compensate for inadequate numbers
of police on the ground but
a properly designed system can
play a key role in helping to
prevent crime and identify offenders.
Edward
Lister
You
can contact Edward Lister at
the Town Hall on 0208 871 6041
or by email at elister@wandsworth.gov.uk
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
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