Update from the Thamesfield Ward's Conservative Councillors

Ethan Brooks, James Jeffreys and John Locker report back

The three Thamesfield ward councillors

July 30, 2024

Dear Resident,

Food waste collection issues

Following the recent introduction of food waste collections by Wandsworth Council, we have received a number of complaints from residents who have had their food waste, and/or their regular waste, collections missed for weeks at a time.

This has understandably caused real frustration for residents, as well as created a potential health and safety issue.

We have reported these cases to council officers and things appear to be returning to a more normal service. However, given that new the food waste collection has come alongside the introduction of new single stream collections for rubbish and recycling (where both were collected by the same vehicle previously), which means each stream will be collected by different crews on collection day

Councillors request road sign replacements

Over recent weeks we have been getting our step counts up walking throughout Thamesfield, which has been really helpful in picking up issues that need to be dealt with by Wandsworth Council.

One issue is the state of many road signs across the ward, which are either damaged or almost unreadable. We have requested a number of replacements and hope that the council will be able to replace them soon.

Please do let us know if your road sign also needs replacing and we will follow-up at the town hall.

E-scooter/e-bike parking bays

Following a number of complaints about the speed with which Wandsworth Council was responding to e-scooters and e-bikes being parked on pavements, the council recently consulted on the proposal to introduce up to 141 designated e-bike and

e-scooter parking bays across the borough. A list of those to be installed in Thamesfield, along with Google Maps links, is included below.

The council is introducing an initial hybrid scheme for e-bikes in the borough with mandatory designated parking bays in busy town centres and the retention of free-floating parking in other parts of the borough. In the busy town centres, it will only be possible for e-bike users to end their rides in a designated bay. E-scooters must be parked in the designated bays everywhere. As such, all bays will be advisory during the installation period from 20 June until late July. Once all the bays are installed, bay parking for e-bikes in the busy town centres will then become compulsory.

Ranelagh Estate/Horne Way major works

Over the coming months Wandsworth Council will be carrying out major works across the Ranelagh Estate, including roof renewals, communal repairs and redecorations.

Given the scale of these works, and the costs charged to leaseholders, we have reached out to residents of the estate to offer our help in dealing with any queries or issues they may have about the project.

Cllr Jeffreys attended the residents’ consultation meeting in the clubhouse on Wednesday 15th May and was pleased to see council officers answering questions from residents about what exactly the work will include and the payment options open to leaseholders.

We also want to make sure that the contractors deliver on time and carry out the works with as minimal disruption to residents as possible, and will be keeping a close eye on developments.

Tree removals across Thamesfield

Following routine inspection of street trees within Thamesfield Ward, we have been informed by Wandsworth Council that there are a number of trees that have to be removed for health and safety reasons. The table below details the location and species of the trees scheduled for removal.

Council officers have informed us that they aim to replace the trees that are removed in the next planting season, which runs from November to March. The council’s contractor will shortly be issued the removal work and will be completed in the coming weeks.

Wandsworth Park Playground refurbishment update

After many months of pushing Wandsworth Council to progress with refurbishment of the playground in Wandsworth Park, we were pleased to see the recent consultation on specific options for the site.

Given how important the playground is for so many local people, we are keen for the council to take on board residents’ feedback to the consultation and get on with the refurbishment. We have asked council officers for an updated timeline for the project given that is has already slipped, and will be keeping up the pressure make sure it is delivered as soon as possible.

Animal Hospital site redevelopment noise complaints

We have been contacted by a number of residents recently about the noise levels coming from the piling works at the redevelopment of the former Animal Hospital site on Clarendon Drive. We have also spoken to the Head Teacher of Hotham Primary School, who also flagged how disruptive this noise is to children and staff.

We have reported these concerns to the Noise and Nuisance team at Wandsworth Council, and have asked whether there are any steps that could be taken to minimise the noise. We hope that council officers will review this and take action soon.

Summer Uber Boat/Thames Clipper services

With many of us needing to get in to central London this summer for either work or pleasure, the river boat service run by Thames Clipper can be a cool and pleasant commuting experience. We’re also really pleased that it is now offering a weekend service which is a real plus for Putney residents.

The summer timetable can be found here, with more information on the main website.

Although the weather might suggest otherwise, we are fast approaching the summer break and we thought this was an opportune time to provide you with a quick update on some of the key issues we’ve been working on over recent months.

As ever, please do let us know if there are any other issues we can help you with by emailing us at: cllr.e.brooks@wandsworth.gov.uk, cllr.j.jeffreys@wandsworth.gov.uk, cllr.j.locker@wandsworth.gov.uk.

Best wishes,

Cllr Ethan Brooks, Cllr James Jeffreys, Cllr John Locker