Councillor Wellbelove with residents at the Heath Road surgery

Clapham Town Labour councillors have for many years held sugeries, where people can come and talk to their councillors, for many years. The surgeries are held at Clapham Leisure Centre every Saturday from 11:00 – midday (except Bank Holidays) and being in the same place every week are useful for people to know where to find their councillors on a regular basis.

However there are some people who find getting to the leisure centre difficult and to help ensure that we reach as many people as possible Clapham Town councillors have embarked on a series of localised surgeries.

This weekend we embarked on our biggest ever series of surgeries covering Heath Road, Westbury, Willard and William Bonney estates together with Heather Close Sheltered Housing.

The day was a huge success, Councillor Helen O’Malley started the day with the regular surgery at Clapham Manor Lesiure Centre and then joined Cllr Haselden and I at Westbury Estate.

Our busiest surgery of the day was at Heath Road where many residents came to discuss issues such as cleaning on the estate, repairs and parking enforcement.

We moved on to William Bonney estate where we spoke to residents about noise and anti-social behaviour issues caused by a local venue together with more discussion around parking enforcement on the estate.

All three of us are now taking the various issues back to officers at Lambeth Living. I have written directly to the housing manager regarding concerns over standards of cleaning.

Along with continuing the regular surgery at Clapham Leisure Centre we are now organising a repeat of the event for next month and looking for new venues throughout the local community.

I was joined by Councillor Haselden tonight at a meeting of the Willard Estate residents association. One of the key topics discussed were plans by police in Wandsworth to introduce an Anti Social Behaviour Order which would ban large groups gathering. This follows problems caused by youths in nearby Queenstown Road and an estate on the Wandsworth side of the road. Residents were clearly concerned that the problems would be simply moved to Willard Estate.

Safer neighbourhood teams are on the case though, and are looking to introduce a similar ban. They are also looking at options such as out-reach workers to try and point the youths towards more positive activities.

I heard of how local businesses were being terrorised by the youths, with a local stores security guard recently assulted. Residents spoke of the noise that they caused and whilst we were at the meeting we heard the noise for ourselves which was extremely loud and must be very frightening for both the elderly residents living in the sheltered housing and other people who have to pass them when they are coming home.

Following the meeting Coucillor Haselden and I spent some time on the estate and in the local area witnesing some of the issues first hand for ourselves. Cllr Haselden took note of this broken window which is evidence of some of the vandalism that is taking place in the area.

I took note of a problem with a local business leaving rubbish in a narrow alley which runs between the Willard Estate and Queenstown Road.  Rats have been reported in the area and it adds to the feeling of the area being run down and uncared for. Together Councillor Haselden and I will be looking into how these issues can be addressed.