Sutton Independent Residents

As we look to the Local Elections in May 2026, we can only reflect on an inefficient and wasteful administration overseen by a Liberal Democrat “majority” which has relied on two Councillors turned MP who will forsake their Parliamentary duties at the drop of a hat to bolster the Lib Dems in the Council chamber.

Quite why we have to have leaflets and social media posts from Bobby Dean with photographs posed with fellow Lib Dems.

But then Luke Taylor Councillor (?) for Sutton West and East Cheam, part time MP for Sutton and Cheam, posts enthusiastically on social media about his efforts and progress for the Lib Dems in Southwark – is he moving again?

It is what happens when voters vote for a party rather than who represents them you hope to be served by your Councillors but what you get is politics – it is why Nick Mattey, Jillian Green and Tim Foster as Independents have served Beddington residents so well over the past eight years. 

We are not Pound Shop Politicians following the herd to collect inflated allowances, we work for residents fighting their corner and holding the Council and their myriad of wholly owned companies to account.

Our residents are represented on many committees – Strategy & Resource, Licensing, Environment and Sustainable Transport, People, Local Committee and Planning  – we fight your corner with Viridor on the Community Liaison Group, fight Council inertia on the Beddington Farmlands and served the Highview Community on the Residents’ Liaison Group. We promised to put residents first and that is exactly what we have done and what we will continue to do, with your support.

BUT WHEN YOU COME TO VOTE – DON’T SPLIT YOUR OPTIONS – TO KEEP THE COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION IT NEEDS THREE OF US!

It is always worthwhile looking back over the past couple of years at how we have represented local people:

• Acting when residents of Willoughby Avenue/Nicholas Road /Bedlow Way were dealing with threats to their green space.
• Ongoing support for residents of Mellor Close
• Chairing the residents’ liaison group on the build of the controversial school on the Highview Playing Fields
• Chairing the Conservation and Management Committee on the Farmlands
• Supporting resident opposition to convert the Bandon Hill Lodge into an HMO
• Supporting residents in Upper Road on opposition to the Council’s indifference to the proliferation of HMO’s and getting an Article 4 Direction adopted.
• Simple caring projects like the bench on the Plough Broadway
• Continuing support for SEN parents with Cognus and Social Services
• Holding the Council to account on HGV traffic, events in Beddington Park, environmental issues, their casual attitude to pedestrian safety regarding Forest Bikes. moving the Carew Academy out of Carew Manor to the inappropriate site on Highview saying that Carew Manor was not suitable for SEN education – and moving in pupils from Sherwood Park School.
• Fought the Environment Agency on behalf of Bridle Path Residents to have full title to their garden space when the Council and local MP could not help

Most importantly, reacting immediately that a resident contacts us with any issue. Sutton Independent Residents have “punched above their weight” for the past 8 years, representing residents and hope to be able to continue to serve for the next 4!

Just a few highlights of waste to remember when you set up the direct debit for your Council Tax.

• Life Centre reopens with fanfare about Orchard Hill SEN facility and in house café “saving” £180,000 a year when it has racked up accumulated losses of £4.5 million after its initial £8 million cost
• Comparative unit cost of housing between Beech Tree Place, Chalk Gardens (ex B&Q) and Elm Grove
• £26 million to acquire the lease of the St Nicholas Centre with grand plans to relocate the Civic Centre only to find the conversion cost prohibitive
• Rehousing Sutton College in a prestige development at the Northern Gateway with the Council paying our £13.9 million of the £19 + million cost with no hope of a financial return for Council Tax payers!
• Farmlands – this Council would not enforce Planning Law on Viridor and in September finally issued an enforcement order on Valencia – gave the 18 months to remedy – remember, Valancia remain the only source of heat to SDEN. Valencia have a planning application awaiting presentation to the Planning Committee – dare the Lib Dems look at it before the election?
• And they want to lend another £1 million to SDEN to expand the system – different customer, different terms proposed – still it isn’t the Council officers’ money – it’s yours!
• Sutton Living have their hands out for help on the construction costs of converting the Grove in Carshalton – 10 apartments (not one affordable unit) and the Council has “lent” them another £1 million (yes, an additional £100,000 cost per apartment) to finish the job

Remember, we are Independent of politics, we are here to serve residents and get a fair deal for all. May seems a long way off, but it isn’t, contact us anytime

nickmattey@me.com:

timfoster53@gmail.com

jilliann1953@gmail.com

When you consider what this behemoth represents, you may want to express your concerns to the Planning Inspectorate who are due to hear an appeal by SUEZ. Sadly with options like a full Public Hearing, SUEZ and the Council have agreed with a process that is “an exchange of statements”. Given that our Council recommended approval of this plan we feel it is important that if you have not already put your objections in, then you need to do so by 15th October. If you registered your objections with Sutton’s Planning Department, the Planning Inspector will have your concerns – if you haven’t, please do so now – details of how to do so are below.

In those tanks in the picture there are proposed tonnes of methane, 556,100 litres of Caustic Soda and 1,617,930 litres of sludge. All this is to bring 100,000 tonnes of food waste a year to process – why on earth did the Lib Dems vote for it as Sutton produces only about 5,000 tonnes which means trucks will be bringing in some 95,000 tonnes from all over London through Hackbridge and Beddington

Safe as houses they try to tell us – never mind the potential smell, rodents and traffic – look what happened in Oxfordshire when lightning struck a similar plant:

Just so you know, there are an estimated 300,000 ground strikes by lightning per annum – the majority in metropolitan areas. Never mind twice, we don’t want to risk it striking once in Beddington.

To register your objections go to www.planningportal.gov.uk/planning/appeals/online/comment,

The reference for the case is APP/P5870/W/25/3371477 and you must lodge your concerns by 15th October.

LET’S STOP THEM MAKING BEDDINGTON AND HACKBRIDGE THE WASTEBIN OF SOUTH LONDON

Hurrah!! Orchard Hill are developing a SEN Education unit to go into the Life Centre and that will save £180,000. 

But it was a Liberal Democrat administration that invested £8 million originally on this white elephant that has cost an approximate accumulated loss of some £4.5 million in its lifetime.

THE NUMBER OF TIMES THEY EXCEEDED PERMITTED LEVELS IN 18 MONTHS – 916!!

What price the Liberal Democrat Green Credentials now?

For now, let’s look at how the Liberal Democrats deal with the “housing crisis” – some residents complain about the “Croydonisation” of Sutton with developments of high rise blocks of flats – with limited space and burgeoning populations, all London Councils are pushed by Central Government and the London Mayor with eye watering targets.  But the control of Sutton’s budgets remains in the hands of the administration – doesn’t it?

Consider three developments – Beech Tree Place, Elm Grove, and Chalk Gardens (the old B&Q site). 

Beech Tree Place – the 93 flats are costing £485,000 each

Elm Grove – the developer is selling the Council 141 units at an average cost of £354,000 each

Chalk Gardens – the Council is buying 217 units off plan at £340,000 – £350,000 per unit.

With no land cost, aside from the acquisition of a single property, why is the cost of Beech Tree Place so high.  Perhaps it was the false start when the Urgency Committee’s two Liberal Democrat majority members approved a budget increase in August 2022,  from £30 million to £44.2 million in spite of concerns voiced at Committee about the due diligence carried out on the contractor.

Independent Councillors sought to requisition the decision to Council but were blocked from doing so and within 6 months the project was mothballed when the contractor failed.

It is Council taxes that provide the foundation of all these investments and it is a shock that Councillors in the Ruling Liberal Democrats vote on block supporting their political leanings rather than fight for their residents – and those voting include our two local MP’s who continue to “act” as Councillors.

Sutton has been under the yoke of Liberal Democrats since 1986 – nearly four decades and under the reigns of no less than 10 Prime Ministers – Labour, Conservative and including one administration that was a Lib Dem coalition – but whenever they stand up at Council, any issues are the fault of Central Government – never the fault of politically motivated actions by the Lib Dems in Sutton Council!

Think carefully when you visit the ballot box next May – all in the garden is less rosy than is painted and residents need to use their voice and, most importantly use their vote!

On April 2nd this year, the Planning Committee voted to reject the planning application for French waste conglomerate, SUEZ, to build an anaerobic digester to take 100,000 tonnes of food waste from all over London and turn it into methane gas. That rejection was in spite of the support of three Liberal Democrat members of the committee including the Chair and Deputy Chair and the endorsement of the plan by the Council’s Planning Department.

SUEZ have appealed against the decision and the matter is going before the Planning Inspectorate so let’s compare SUEZ’s consultative position with reality.

1. Tokenistic Consultation

• SUEZ report that they leafleted 1,583 properties and hosted two drop-in sessions, but only 25 people attended and just six responses were received in total.
• In contrast, there are around 12,000 homes within a two-mile radius of the proposed plant. The consultation “zone” deliberately excluded the majority of residents likely to be affected.
• This selective targeting ensured the response rate appeared minimal, allowing SUEZ to claim a lack of opposition. In reality, it was a deliberately shrunken consultation catchment.

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2. Real Community Engagement Told a Different Story

• When  Independent councillors  themselves circulated 4,000 leaflets spelling out the dangers of the digester, there were 360 objections lodged, including six from local doctors concerned about health impacts.
• That is a 60-fold increase in objections compared with SUEZ’s entire consultation process, demonstrating that when the public were given factual information, they reacted strongly against the plan.
• This shows SUEZ’s consultation was not about informing the public, but withholding critical facts to dampen opposition.

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3. Minimisation of Concerns

• Residents who did engage raised consistent issues: odour, traffic, air pollution, site safety, and the fairness of Beddington being used for other areas’ waste.
• SUEZ dismissed the risk of explosion even with a similar plant near Oxford being hit by lightning in 2023 in rural isolation, when this plant would be located close to houses and two schools
• SUEZ dismissed or downplayed each concern with generic technical assurances (e.g., odour will “disperse quickly”; traffic will only increase by “less than 3%”).
• This kind of response treats objections as a problem to be managed, not evidence to guide decision-making.

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4. Financial Incentives Driving the Process

• The plant would generate an estimated £1 million a year in business rates for Sutton Council.
• SUEZ made early, detailed presentations to council officers before residents were approached, suggesting the priority was winning council support rather than genuine community dialogue.
• For a council under acute financial pressure, the rates income looms far larger than residents’ health or environmental concerns.

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5. Consultation as Public Relations

• SUEZ arranged media placements in  Local Guardian and trade journals, reinforcing that this was primarily a PR exercise to build a positive narrative, not a neutral consultation.
• Their “Statement of Community Involvement” repeatedly describes engagement as “meaningful,” yet the facts — a tiny official response rate versus hundreds of objections when residents organised independently — expose it as window-dressing for the planning application.

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Conclusion

The SUEZ consultation process was a sham exercise designed to appear compliant with planning requirements, while in practice excluding the majority of affected households and downplaying the risks.

The real test of opinion came only when residents distributed their own information: 4,000 leaflets produced 360 objections (including medical professionals), compared to SUEZ’s six responses.

Taken together, this shows:

• Residents are ignored and under-informed.
• The Council is financially motivated by the £1m annual business rates and a flawed South London Waste Plan
• The whole SUEZ consultation process was crafted to manage perception, not to listen yet was enthusiastically endorsed by the Liberal Democrats.

In spite of initially endorsing the project, the Council’s Planning Department will defend the decision – it will be interesting to see how democratic the Liberal Democrat Councillors and MP’s prove to be in their choice between public health and corporate greed.

Beddington’s Independent Councillors will keep you informed and where you can voice your opinions to the Planning Inspectorate.

It was nearly a month ago that politicians and the media were filling us with details of VE Day, asking what it meant to people and interviewing old men and women who had served in a variety of ways and of course those who had stayed back and kept the home fires burning.

Anybody thought of all that since – truly?

I have to say on a personal level I have. For two reasons, my Dad, who served in World War II. and a Grandad who was part of what the Kaiser referred to as the “Contemptible Little Army”, the British Expeditionary Force of 1914 having been a boy soldier since the age of 16.

I am surrounded by their images not as the Grandads they became but rather the young men they were – my Grandfather in the Royal Horse Artillery photographed at Olympia with the Life Guards in 1906 and with his battery in Bangalore in 1907 all proud in dress uniform, then a rather more dour picture from France in September 1915.

I was prompted by the two local by-elections that took place in the Borough around the time of VE Day – it is not the results that appal me, it is the turnout of the electorate.  Even at the last local election the turnout for the London Borough of Sutton was 40% – and I’m afraid modern politicians play on that – small margins make a difference on low turnout so overt support to a special interest groups will pay dividends.

As those By-elections advanced, I saw lots of people calling “Vote Reform” – anyone who does not realise that our political system and, by natural progression, society needs change, is living in a fool’s paradise.  But change doesn’t come from soundbite politics, it comes from a solid, sustainable and moral template with terms of reference that you can set policy by.

Every one of our main political party websites (including Reform) don’t lead with ideals – the dominant feature on all their websites is called the DONATE button – we have seen the insidious influence of very rich donors on the American political system and we don’t need it here.

If you want to know how low it has got – the name calling and shouting on Question Time is mirrored in local politics at Council in Sutton’s Civic Centre – real change will come when the next generation of heroes step up, just like my Dad and Grandad did, and make the change that needs to happen.

Mainline politicians think they know better – they don’t, they follow trends rather lead and without clear  moral compasses  their opinions are as changeable as the weather.

The only person who can change the future for you and your family, is you!

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!