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