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Next month it will be seven years since I was first elected as an Independent Councillor in spite of the then Leader of the Council, Ruth Dombey, saying “Independents don’t win in Sutton”. Tim Foster, Nick Mattey and I put that myth to bed and there may only be three of us but we have fought for the residents of Beddington as hard as we can for fairness, justice and transparency.

Most recently, Cllr Nick Mattey led the residents to protest the planned 100,000 tonne anaerobic digester by waste giant SUEZ. Online news media, Inside Sutton, headlined it as “Beddington survives its own Suez crisis at ‘explosive’ meeting” and included this photo:

The three of us agree It has been a privilege to represent the residents of the ward and we have tried our best to solve the many problems that have appeared in our inboxes but, sadly, there are always some that prove difficult to resolve.

The reason I am writing is to remind residents in Sutton Central ward is a by-election being held on this Thursday 10 April. This has come about because one of the Liberal Democrat Councillors failed to attend any meetings for six months. Under the rules of the Constitution it means they are dismissed from their post

Would you vote for a party where one of their Councillors couldn’t be bothered to represent you? I know I wouldn’t.

Pamela Marsh will be standing as the Independent candidate and for those of you who follow Council and Local Committee meetings will know that Pam asks questions, challenges the answers and works extremely hard for local communities. As Independent Councillors we have one thing going for us that other parties do not have and that is we do not have to “play politics”.

I have repeatedly asked at Council meetings why we cannot have cross party working to fully represent the residents of Sutton, especially when it comes to setting the budget and Council Tax each year. With more Independent Councillors this could become a reality and would be a huge benefit to all residents of Sutton but especially those in Sutton Central who are about to have over a thousand new flats thrust upon them with no parking or increase in services like doctors, dentists and schools.

Our mantra as Sutton Independent Residents is “residents first, always” and this we have done to the best of our ability. Pamela Marsh is the ideal candidate to do this, she is reliable, hard working and really cares about residents which is all one can ask of an elected representative.

VOTE PAMELA MARSH ON THURSDAY 10 APRIL

Last weekend, I was delivering leaflets in Sutton on behalf of Independent candidate, Pamela Marsh.

What shocked me was the presence of some of those orange signs proclaiming “Liberal Democrats Winning Here”.

Why is there a by-election costing the Council Tax Payer £20,000? It is because an elected Liberal Democrat Councillor failed to represent their residents for 6 months and was dismissed by law.

So why would voters follow that to elect the Liberal Democrat?

Support leaseholders?

When leaseholders in Thicket Crescent (that is in Sutton Central) were faced with unsolicited and substantial costs for improvements where in normal Sutton Council fashion, the costs had risen from £3.364m to £4.887m, it was Conservative and Independent Councillors who stood up for the leaseholders – who had been sold down the river by the Liberal Democrat led Housing Economy and Business Committee – chaired by your “missing” Lib Dem Councillor.

And when you look at HMO’s – the recent adoption of an Article 4 Direction which will begin to properly manage HMO’s was derived from a Beddington petition supported by an Independent Councillor.

Just this week, waste giant SUEZ, sought Planning permission for another polluting and dangerous plant on Beddington Lane.

Recommended by Sutton Council and endorsed by the Liberal Democrats, the people of Sutton were facing the prospect of 100,000 tonnes of rotting food being transported into the Borough. 240 objections had been received including from 6 doctors and local Independent Councillor Nick Mattey campaigned vigorously and, largely through his efforts, the plan was voted down by Opposition members of the Planning Committee.

Our logo says it all – Residents First, Always. While others want to play politics and for you to see no change. stay at home or vote for a banner or slogan from one of the main parties.

If you want a Councillor who will fight your corner and make a genuine difference – give your vote to Pam Marsh – she will put you first!

Beddington is on the very edge of the London Borough of Sutton and with half of us having Croydon postcodes, many feel that there is an “out of sight, out of mind” attitude by the London Borough of Sutton. But geographically, and economically, we are one of the largest wards in Sutton Borough:

It is a huge area with contrasts – Beddington Park and the adjoining Farmlands overlooked by a polluting incinerator. Industrial areas sitting alongside traditional suburban semis, the historic Carew Manor with a backdrop of the shiny modern Prologis Park.

With such diverse geography and some very strong local communities within the ward, maintaining a singular oversight on changes and threats to our area has been quite a task for local Councillors.

But a constant support in voicing resident concerns has been the Beddington Neighbourhood Forum – previously known as the Beddington North Neighbourhood Forum. Under its colourful and familiar logo:

The Forum has campaigned for residents on many fronts including:

• Viridor’s polluting incinerator
• The destruction of old people’s bungalows on Richmond Green
• Disruption and changes to Beddington Lane
• Attempts to alter road layouts at Queenswood/Collyer
• The Council’s failure to implement an HGV ban through Beddington Village
• The destruction of green space on the Highview Estate to build a new school
• The proposals to change the Lodge at Bandon Hill Cemetery into an HMO
• Contributing to the Beddington Farmlands Conservation and Access Management Committee

But the inception of the Forum was actually to provide a platform for community involvement in shaping its own future and the development of a Neighbourhood Plan. The full explanation of that project and the successes of other areas can be seen on the Council website:

https://www.sutton.gov.uk/w/neighbourhoodplanning

Why is this important now?

Well at the next AGM for the Forum, the Chair is to retire, the Secretary has just moved out of the area and truthfully we need some new blood from some of those local community groups.

Because the threats do not stop – the imposition of an anaerobic digester bringing 100,000 tonnes of food wast into Beddington is recommended by Sutton’s Planners and the Lib Dem run Environment and Sustainable Transport Committee. HGV’s, food waste and the production of tanks of explosive methane gas is not what residents want.

If you want to know more about the Forum – get in touch – it is not political, it is community based and is important to everyone in the ward.

• Nick Mattey – 07860 673458
• Jillian Green – 07703164851
• Tim Foster – 07771 847290

This headline caught the eye on the Surrey Live website – sorry to disappoint Sutton voters but this refers to Cllr Julie Morris on the Epsom & Ewell Borough Council.

Its caught the eye because, after 15 years representing the Liberal Democrats, she is continuing to represent her ward as an Independent!

So Independent is a very real alternative to the ugly and predictable to and fro of party politics and why we think that Sutton Central residents should elect Pam Marsh as their ward Councillor on 10th April.

To put this into context – Epsom & Ewell is made up of only three Lib Dem councillors, along with 25 Residents Association members, three Labour, two Conservative and now two Independent.

Their Borough is not weighed down by political decisions or allegiances and it is why Sutton Independent Residents are only focussed on a fair deal for our voters.

So when you get to the ballot box on 10th April (don’t forget your photo ID) look across at Epsom with its vibrant High Street and put your X next to Pam Marsh’s name, you know she’ll work for you, putting your needs first rather than any party allegiance.

We three Councillors in Beddington have our email inboxes filling up with comments from worried residents about the planned SUEZ Anaerobic Digester that is being presented at the Planning Committee on 2nd April – worried because the Council’s Planning Department are recommending its approval.

Designed to process 100,000 tonnes of food waste from all over London people are concerned on many levels – that is a load more lorries on Beddington Lane and the HGV ban promised in 2019 is like so many promises from this Council it remains a pipe dream. And unless they keep the place spotless, the vermin will be back and of course, the smell!!

But with people of Beddington and Hackbridge already with health risks under the Lib Dem imposed incinerator with its high sulphur fuel and regular breakdowns, many are worried about what they see as a clear and present danger.

This is an image from October 2023 when lightning hit a methane tank at the Severn Trent Green Power Plant at Cassington in Oxfordshire. The sky was lit by the explosion and six fire engines and 40 firefighters were required to bring it under control.

When you look at the location of the explosion, it is in a rural area with few houses. What is worrying Beddington and Hackbridge residents is that the SUEZ proposal is not rural – there are houses in both wards and neighbouring Croydon as well as two local primary schools.

If you look at the image on the map, the same gas tanks can be seen as are on the image of the proposed SUEZ plant. Lightning is a natural phenomenon and it could happen here and that worries people – a lot!

The Planning Committee will be on Wednesday 2nd April at 7.00pm in the Civic Centre in Sutton and we would encourage people to attend to add their voices to other people in Beddington and Hackbridge who are telling their Councillors – enough is enough!

With all the political parties cranking their election machinery into motion, it is interesting to look at the subtleties in the various campaigns and then consider what following a particular political flag will give you the voter in Sutton Central.

The Conservatives were quick off the mark on Social Media with the inevitable photo of their canvassers out and about:

And it was interesting to see in the comments about the photo, people saying “Vote Reform” – I think everyone is aware that there are two Members of Parliament making the wrong headlines at present – one from Reform and one from Labour. It is a useful reminder that it is not the party but the person who represents the voter – so important locally.

But you need to watch out for the use of PR to disguise the lack of policy – go back to Facebook and you will have seen your Liberal Democrat MP (and still local Councillor) Bobby Dean promoting a survey:

He’ll get a lot of good advice from the two fellow Councillors he is surveying in the photo! It is party PR pure and simple.

If you want a person who will actually fight for the residents and not follow party diktats, just vote for Pam Marsh – positive independent and caring:

And if you wanted to know why that is important – we mentioned the “Croydonisation” of Sutton in our last post – 1,000 + flats on the B&Q site – well just over the railway line at Quadrant House they are planning partial demolition and erection of an additional two and three stories to existing building, a part 14, part 23 storey extension and extension of existing basement to provide a mixed use development comprising 312 self contained residential units and 195 co-living units .

If you want to ask why or comment it is application DM2025/00226 on the planning portal and while it is across the ward boundary in Sutton South, it looks like you should book your GP appointment for 2027 now!

There will be lots of media in the next few weeks about Local Elections for County Councils – many of us get repeated questions because they think we are all up for re-election and we have to tell them no, it’s 2026!

But not for residents in Sutton Central:

Liberal Democrat Councillor David Bartolucci has been absent from all Committees for 6 months. The Council therefore dismissed him and called a by-election so, after a prolonged period of being underrepresented by the Liberal Democrats, local residents will get the opportunity to have their say about what has been described as the “Croydonisation” of Sutton.

And it is residents who count most to our party, Sutton Independent Residents, and we are pleased to introduce Pamela Marsh, a candidate who residents will really relate to:

Moving to the Borough 30 years ago after growing up in neighbouring Croydon, Pam has worked in Primary Care and a variety of healthcare settings including work with learning disabilities and elderly care.  More recently, she has been working in finance roles in various industries,

Running a Residents Association locally, she is passionate about health, local neighbourhood and community but most of all her belief that local residents should be consulted, listened to and represented fairly.

Beddington residents first elected Independent Councillors in 2018 – the ward had been poorly served by the Ruling Liberal Democrats and residents in Sutton Central may have the same sense – the B&Q site was originally granted planning in December 2023 for 970 apartments, recently that was increased by an extra 44 apartments! With a 19 floor development in St Nicholas House and a 20 storey development in Throwley Way approved, we have heard people ask “what about schools, what about doctors”

Sutton Central Residents need a Councillor who will ask those questions, ask how much money is being spent to bring more people into Sutton and how much was wasted on Beech Tree Place.

You can guarantee that there will be a blizzard of leaflets coming your way but just put your cross next to Pam’s name on 10th April and you will notice the difference.

Propaganda is  defined as the dissemination of information—facts, arguments, rumours, half-truths, or lies—to influence public opinion. Deliberateness and a relatively heavy emphasis on manipulation distinguish propaganda from casual conversation or the free and easy exchange of ideas.

Sutton’s Liberal Democrats have turned this into an art form with a blizzard of leaflets pushed though letter boxes – the very definition of “Junk Mail” and many living in Beddington will have received the latest offering from that itinerant politician who was elected to represent Carshalton and Wallington at the last General Election.

Easy to ignore or to add to the hamster cage , but it contains a really misleading piece under the front page heading of “Council clamps down on rogue landlords”:

Fact – I appreciate that Mr Dean is not interested in facts – on 21st March 2023, supported by their local Independent Councillor, Beddington residents living in Upper Road sought through a petition to the HEB Committee to invoke an Article 4 direction to remove permitted development rights for small Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) in the Sandy Lane/Upper Road area of special local character (ASLC).

The outcome of that action was that research was undertaken into the issue and, on 28th November 2023 at another HEB Committee meeting, the London Borough of Sutton sought to invoke an Article 4 Direction but, to allow existing developments to take place, it was agreed that this should be enacted on 22nd February 2025!

It is sad to say that stable door and horse bolting come to mind as of 169 HMO’s in the Borough, 59 were registered after November 2023.

But what is the reality of this Liberal Democrat Council’s attitude to HMO’s – well just a few months back, Beddington residents were horrified that there was a proposal to make the Lodge at Bandon Hill Cemetery an HMO:

Bobby Dean’s “Rogue Landlord” in this case was none other than the London Borough of Sutton.

And what about the protection afforded by the Article 4 Direction – it means that rather than being built under “permitted development”, the plans will be subject to scrutiny by the Planning Committee. And in case you think that means you can relax, consider the residents of Crichton Road in Carshalton.

Plans to convert a local doctor’s surgery into an HMO received 39 separate objections, Planning Committee in December 2024 was crowded with concerned residents and when only five of the Liberal Democrats voted for the HMO and the vote was drawn, the Liberal Democrat Chair of the Committee cast his deciding vote for the development.

One last thought – on Monday, Council will be debating (?) the 2025/6 budget – one of the specific areas for approval is an increase in Councillor Allowances and it was interesting to see the use of this propaganda piece to push their party leadership:

You can be sure that they will vote for the increase but that will make an interesting comparison – the three Beddington Councillors will receive what is a generous basic allowance collecting a cumulative £38,396 before tax. Next door in Wallington North, with their special allowances, the three Councillors pictured will receive a cumulative £132,796 – we are all paid by Sutton’s Council Tax payers and one wonders how much harder Liberal Democrat Councillors are working for their special allowances

We believe that local Councillors are here to support local residents and not to promote ourselves or a political party – Residents First Always!

Monday 21st October, the London Borough of Sutton held a full Council meeting at their Civic Offices. On the agenda that evening were three motions for debate:

a) Motion: England’s Councils in Crisis: Key Asks from the New Government
b) Motion: Concerns Over Delays in the Sutton New Hospital Redevelopment and Upgrades Amid National Review
c) Motion: Mitigating the impact of Incineration and a plan to step away from dependency on it

As we approached the motion that impacted the health and welfare of the residents of Hackbridge, Beddington and the wider community – the motion about the incinerator – a Constitutional stroke was pulled by Cllr Barry Lewis Leader of the Council, by allowing the proposer and seconder (Cllrs Dave Tchil and Sheldon Vestey) to speak and for the vote to be taken immediately after their opening addresses.

Why?

In simple terms, the Ruling Liberal Democrats and the Administration do not want the issue debated and furthermore, we are denied the opportunity for a similar motion to be considered in the next 6 months.

In the next few days, there was a fallout in the media and amongst opposition Councillors of every persuasion but then there were a couple of things that brought the whole issue into sharp local focus.

The first was news of the first of what turned out to be two outages for the SDEN heating system – residents of the New Mill Quarter are obliged to use the Council’s heat network for their heat and hot water. The development of this system was a major rationale for the incinerator, which would provide the energy for the system.

But it doesn’t – the heat comes from landfill gas engines on the Beddington Farmlands, sold by Viridor to Valencia Land Management. There are no confirmed dates for the connection of the incinerator to the SDEN pipeline but that has not stopped Sutton Council from pushing a development by Clarion Homes to take SDEN heat, nor prevented the Council from renegotiating the long term loan to SDEN

Meanwhile, Viridor has found the time and energy to apply for variations to the Environment Agency taking the volume of waste they can burn first to 347,000 tonnes to a possible 382,000 tonnes! Coincidentally, the South London Waste Plan was voted in with a tonnage quoted at 279,696 tonnes when the application for the latest increase was already live but the Administration refused to delay it adoption.

So are we a green borough?

The second thing that brought this all into focus was a diligent email from Viridor telling the Community Liaison Group “The Beddington ERF will undertake a period of maintenance this evening (Friday) and Saturday to repair processing equipment on one of the ERF lines. This will require the ERF to stop processing waste on one line for a number of hours and will necessitate a shut down in a controlled manner.”

And there was a dawning realisation that repair and maintenance (as well as failure) seemed to be a regular occurrence so we looked back and to put this into perspective – there have been seven such shutdowns in 2024 and nine in 2023. 2023 included a major incident when there was failure from UKPN and the incinerator failed to go into “island mode” and the whole operation shut down and there was a clear environmental hazard as a result.

Interestingly on that occasion, it was Cllr Tchil who alerted the Environment Agency and not Viridor but no measurement of the environmental damage could be taken because of the total failure.

There are two primary schools close to the incinerator and a huge number of residents in Hackbridge, Beddington and Croydon potentially impacted by the incinerator.

The Liberal Democrats and the Administration do the entire population of our Borough a disservice for not debating the issues and allowing an American owned commercial entity to have such a potentially negative impact on all our lives.

I expect tomorrow’s  meeting could be noisy and full of interested members of the public and I don’t find that daunting because local people are getting involved and voicing their thoughts and concerns.

However, it is to my eternal regret that the current political system has marginalised the voting public and has failed to involve them on daily issues that really affect their lives.

We celebrated as the Bank of England reduced the interest rate by 0.25% but back in April, the Council increased your Council tax by 4.9% and that was before Sadiq Khan took his own little bite out of your pocket.  So, you would think people would ask where their money went – you work hard to earn it, politicians and their administrative machinery don’t, and therefore we should be holding them to account at the ballot box!

At the recent Strategy & Resource Committee for the Council, elements of underestimated budgets on different projects were identified that the Council, on delegated authority, agreed to fund.

For example, Oru Space in Sutton High Street had drainage works and an additional staircase to safeguard fire escape routes – this work had incurred an additional cost of £103,808.  They also identified additional costs incurred of £220,850 which the Council met on the basis of it being funded by increased rental payments but will be funded by borrowing.

Businessmen have to think about cash flow, Council’s don’t.

On a greater scale, Wilmot Dixon stated that cost increases on their project for the Council in Coomber Way had, including a 6% contingency, required an additional £669,000 which will be funded by the Council increasing our – that’s yours and mine – borrowing costs by £53,000 per annum.

When I raised concerns at Committee, the rather weak response was that the capital budget is £55 million so these are only small amounts – I think residents who fund the Council may have a different view over the scale of these amounts.

We had another example of profligacy with a proposal for a 20 mph limit in what was referred to as the Morton Gardens Area. This included a large section of Beddington all of which already have a lot of traffic calming road humps.  A “public consultation” garnered just 4 replies but with the support of Liberal Democrat Councillors the objections of Beddington’s Independent Councillors could not prevent the go ahead at a cost of £120,000 for the signage!

And they cannot get rid of our heritage quick enough – that same committee meeting agreed the sale of the Russettings in Sutton, where so many people have married and has been the base for the Registrar.  Weddings will move to the Civic Centre which of course will, in time relocate to the St Nicholas Centre – can we expect Leader of the Council to be doing Elvis impersonations in Sutton’s Chapel of Love?

And in the face of the Council’s own wholly owned building company, Sutton Living, unable to convert The Old Rectory in Carshalton, The project is said to be uneconomic so we are going to offer that for sale as well.  How are they going to balance the budgets when they have sold all the assets.

My old Grandma always said look after the pennies and the pounds look after themselves – the Liberal Democrat Council happily waste money on badly managed glamour projects and then moan about the need to cut services forgetting who we are elected to serve.

Like the McDonalds Planning, get involved people!