SSNA Annual Report 2021

(presented 22nd November 2022)

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The South Sutton Neighbourhood Association (SSNA) is dependent on the financial and physical support of its members but is also community based with a regard for the wider community beyond its membership base.

 

The finances of the association continue to be stable. Over the years we have helped to undertake work in the Devonshire Avenue Nature Area; helped to financially underpin Sutton South Hello in its start-up period; secured some private sector funding for Sutton Lodge; whilst attending to the concerns of members, many of which revolve around planning development proposals.

 

We continue to be involved in work on the Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) covering about half our area plus Belmont and South Cheam - once established it will allow us to input opinions into the planning process not as NIMBYs but by putting the case for minimising any adverse effects on the wider area. This work continued throughout 2021 and will be ongoing through 2022/2023.

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• Committee of eight meeting about four times a year

• Membership (subs) and database - Ann Morton & Anne Wakeham

• Mark Randall is deputy chair focusing on the area south of Crossways & The Downsway

• Easyfundraising continues to produce a welcome income but needs more support

• Three main areas of focus - Newsletter / Planning, policing & other community matters / Community cohesion

• Newsletters - Ann, Anne and Sandra, plus the essential part played by Hannah in printing it

• Involved with Sutton South Hello / 2 x Ward Panels / Local Area Committee

• Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP)

• The ongoing challenge is to remain relevant

• Further develop the website as appropriate

• Encourage members to switch to the payment of subs via PayPal/Bank Transfer/Cheque

• Increase the delivery of newsletters in pdf format by email

 

The committee had eight members, all of whom remained throughout the year. We need to increase the number of members involved in the work of the committee.

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Maintenance of the database and membership continues to be organised by Ann Morton, assisted by Anne Wakeham. The finances of the association continue to be fairly stable. We have continued to achieve approximately six years of operating cover at average levels of expenditure. We always need more road reps and Ann Morton has continued to pro-actively approach members to take on this role as the need arises.

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We continue to strive towards maintaining the work of the association in those areas that continue to be highlighted by the membership: in particular, production of the newsletters; the utility of the association in matters of planning, policing and other community issues; working to help community cohesion.

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The website was set up in 2018 by Steve Morton who continues to maintain and update it on a regular basis.

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The newsletter has a focus on articles of interest to many of our members as well as providing details of events and activities taking place in the locality and the wider area of Sutton. We continue to encourage those members who have email addresses to feel able to give the association their details, as this will not only enable us to pass on event information but also develop the means to highlight issues that arise locally and receive feedback. In receipt of such feedback it would be much easier to gauge feelings and respond appropriately.

 

We have continued to be involved with Sutton South Hello as this project particularly chimes with one of the stated aims of the association which is to promote neighbourliness and community cohesion.

 

We continue to monitor planning applications within the area and highlight these in the newsletters. We are represented on the local Ward Panels for both Sutton South and Belmont & Cheam, the purpose of which is to discuss concerns facing the local community around crime and anti-social behaviour and help to influence the priorities the local police team will tackle. We also attend meetings of the Local Area Committee of the council which comprises ward councillors and community representatives. The councillors have the power to allocate funds related to local issues, take decisions on local public realm matters and we have the ability to influence decisions that the committee takes. We would welcome someone joining the SSNA committee with the specific role of attending meetings of the Local Area Committee.

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The opening of the Harris Academy Secondary School and the anticipated construction of a new critical care hospital continues to produce some challenges in the area near the school. Mark Randall has taken a pro-active approach to dealing with issues and engaging with the school leadership.

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Parking consultations continued across the area and are at various stages of progress. Some have been implemented, others are due to be completed during 2022/2023.

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We have continued to be engaged with the adjacent Belmont and South Cheam and Carshalton resident’s associations in the development of a Neighbourhood Plan (introduced in the 2011 Localism Act). For our part this covers a portion of the SSNA area from our southern boundary (Chiltern Road) to the Downsway, Gallop and Crossways corridor. This work continued throughout 2021.

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We continue to believe that the need for an association, such as ours, is as great now as it was in the days when it was first founded over 40 years ago. Issues of community cohesion are frequently mentioned when members discuss the changes that have occurred in this area over the years. We continue to try to connect with an increasingly transient local population. Many members recognise the value of membership and the challenge for us is to continue to maintain our utility to them.

 

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