Plans for Putney School of Art & Danebury Avenue, noise from planes and more....

If you've been enjoying the warm weather in Leaders Gardens or Wandsworth Park you will have noticed two new additions to these popular green spaces.

The new pieces of public art that have appeared here are part of a new Putney sculpture trial which, when complete, will extend across eight locations in the area.

They are all by Alan Thornhill and are in the same style as his 'Load' which has stood on Putney Embankment for 20 years.

There's still quite a bit of work to do before the full installation is complete but already these striking figures are making their mark on our local scene.

Putney of course has quite a reputation for the arts these days. Nowhere is this more pronounced than at the council-run Putney School of Art in Oxford Road.

If you want a sense of how highly the students value the courses here just look at some of the comments in the latest survey conducted by the Friends.

This one says it all: 'It's a great school of art, rooted in and of real benefit to the community.'

We know the Government does not value traditional adult education of the type offered at Putney. It's now denigrated as 'informal learning' – but it's actually very organised, very structured and very professional.

Students, whatever their age, all benefit from the challenge of acquiring or developing new skills. And as the students say, there's no better way to run this kind of community provision than through the local council.

Finally I see that the new Mayor of London has delivered on his promise to consult on the removal of the congestion charge zone's western extension.

These restrictions have an impact far beyond the immediate area and I shall be calling for Wandsworth residents to be included in the consultation which starts in September.

Edward Lister
elister@wandsworth.gov.uk

July 2, 2008

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