An update from your local ward Councillors

Dear Resident,

We are your Conservative councillors for Thamesfield Ward in Putney which stretches from Putney Common to the Riverside Quarter, including the High Street and roads between Lower Richmond Road and Upper Richmond Road. We want to keep you updated on local news in our neighbourhood and ensure you have our details so you can contact us at any time.

Email us at rtorrington@wandsworth.gov.uk, jmaddan@wandsworth.gov.uk or mryder@wandsworth.gov.uk or write to any of us at Members’ Room, Town Hall, Wandsworth High Street, London SW18 2PU.

Wishing you all the best for the summer.

Cllrs Rosemary Torrington, Jim Maddan, and Mike Ryder.

PS... if you belong to a group or association, please feel free to pass this on to your fellow members.

Sprinklers for Wandsworth’s high rise tower blocks
The tragic events at Grenfell House have moved us all. We are sure everyone in Putney joins us in sending our condolences to the victims. At Wandsworth we plan to invest £30 million installing water sprinklers in 6,400 homes in 100 high rise blocks. This will include Phelps House in our ward.

The Council has reviewed fire safety measures at all of our housing estates and written to residents with advice. Whilst we do not believe there is a specific risk to any of our high rise properties, we are simply not prepared to take a chance. Consequently, we have taken the decision to retro-fit water sprinklers in blocks over 10 storeys bringing them into line with regulations for new build developments, so that our residents can be reassured that everything that can be done is being done to protect them, their families, and their homes. The decision has been welcomed by Wandsworth Fire Brigade Commander Darren Munro who said, “I very much welcome this announcement. This is a big commitment from Wandsworth and we will continue to work closely with the Council to make sure the Borough and its residents are as safe as possible.”

Your safety is of paramount importance to us, which is why we have taken the decision to lead the way by installing sprinklers in high rise blocks. We hope it is a measure that will give reassurance to all our residents and one that you will support. If you have any concerns about fire safety in your block whether run by the Council or someone else, please do feel free to contact us and we will happily raise the matter on your behalf.

20 mph introduced on residential streets
As your Councillors we successfully campaigned for the introduction of a 20mph speed limit on all of the Borough’s residential roads. The introduction of 20mph zones promotes road safety, discourages rat-running and improves air quality in our local streets. With new signs and road markings we hope that the new rules will become largely self-enforcing but we shall also be working with the local police to make sure drivers are aware.

Speed monitoring between 5 and 7pm on 17th August
Our first monitoring session in Thamesfield will be on Norroy Road when we will be joining the police with a speed gun to check drivers’ speeds. This is an opportunity to see how it is working and raise people’s awareness of the new speed limits. If anyone would like to join us for the session please do come along. We would also be happy to hear about any other suggestions for improving our neighbourhood.

Road re-surfacing
We are working with officials at the Town Hall on the Council’s schedule for local road resurfacing. So far this summer Disraeli and Oxford Roads have been completed and the resurfacing of Roskell Road is planned for later in the year. If there are any problems where you live, please do let us know.

Heliport noise survey
We know that some of you are concerned about the noise caused by helicopter flights in and out of Battersea Heliport. We have commissioned an investigation by the London South Bank University. Noise monitoring equipment has been in place throughout the summer and an online residents’ survey is also underway. Please do take a moment to give us your feedback.The survey is live until 31 August 2017. It takes about 5 minutes to complete. Any adult resident in Wandsworth is eligible to participate in the online survey. To be able to draw meaningful findings from this study we need a high rate of completed questionnaires. So please do take a look using the weblink lsbu.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/heliport_noise_survey

New at Putney Library
Join a new Cookery / Baking Group at Putney Library. Swap and share recipes, discuss baking tips, culinary experiences and your cultural cuisine. Starts Wednesday 23 August 6.30 pm. For more details email stuart.wynn@gll.org

Sign up now for a Digital Photography Course. Starts Saturday 30 Sept from 10am -12 noon for ten weeks. The course will cover lighting, portraits, and outdoor photography (outdoor session later in the course.) Please sign up at the library or call 020 8780 3085 or email Charlene.coleman@gll.org for more details
Best wishes

Councillors Jim Maddan, Mike Ryder and Rosemary Torrington
Thamesfield ward

August 10, 2017