Making environmental change happen
Action Plan for Tooting published - 1st Oct
The council has published a detailed 22-point Action Plan for Tooting that aims to significantly improve the area's environment, make its shopping facilities more attractive and its streets safer.
The comprehensive list of improvements in the action plan have been drawn up following an in-depth study of responses to surveys that asked residents, visitors and schoolchildren what they liked and disliked about Tooting.
Although many of the responses were very positive, and strongly reinforced the view that people like living in Tooting and visiting the area for its shops, bars and restaurants, there were indicators that action was required in some key areas.
People said they wanted cleaner streets, better shops, less street clutter, more trees planted in residential areas and more police on the streets.
The council will now implement the action plan in response to these concerns. Among the measures that will be immediately put into place are:
· A series of blitzes to enforce litter laws in the town centre
· A pilot street washing operation to clean pavements and footpaths
· More vigorous action to reduce flytips, especially in residential areas
· New rules to ensure that private waste companies pick up commercial waste from shops at the same time so that there are fewer binbags left on street corners waiting to be picked up.
· Better regulation of street traders to prevent encroachment onto the highway
· A programme to remove all unnecessary street railings and redundant street furniture
· A review of parking arrangements in streets next to shopping areas to identify extra spaces
· The identification of suitable locations for new street trees
Council Leader Edward Lister said: "There is no doubt that Tooting is a popular and much loved place. People who live there are generally very happy to be living in this part of the capital.
"However this does not mask the fact that there are issues that do concern people, and where they want to see urgent action taken. This has come through loud and clear in the detailed surveys we've carried out and why we have now drawn up this very comprehensive action plan.
"Having listened carefully to what people have told us we are now taking immediate action on a number of fronts to address these issues.
"We are confident that our action plan will do a great deal to make Tooting's streets cleaner, greener, safer, less cluttered and more attractive. We firmly believe it will make Tooting an even better place to live, work and shop."
The action plan was drawn up after careful analysis of a series of in-depth surveys that quizzed 709 residents, 303 visitors and children at six local schools.
Eighty per cent of residents said they liked living in Tooting, with one in three saying they liked it very much. Most respondents felt that the area was getting better not worse, with 88 per cent saying they had no plans to move away in the next two years.
Ninety four per cent of residents said they felt very safe or quite safe while out and about during the day, although this number fell to 75 per cent in the evenings.
The Council's committee paper (number 08-791) is attached to this discussion, and is due to be discussed at its October 8 meeting.
The comprehensive list of improvements in the action plan have been drawn up following an in-depth study of responses to surveys that asked residents, visitors and schoolchildren what they liked and disliked about Tooting.
Although many of the responses were very positive, and strongly reinforced the view that people like living in Tooting and visiting the area for its shops, bars and restaurants, there were indicators that action was required in some key areas.
People said they wanted cleaner streets, better shops, less street clutter, more trees planted in residential areas and more police on the streets.
The council will now implement the action plan in response to these concerns. Among the measures that will be immediately put into place are:
· A series of blitzes to enforce litter laws in the town centre
· A pilot street washing operation to clean pavements and footpaths
· More vigorous action to reduce flytips, especially in residential areas
· New rules to ensure that private waste companies pick up commercial waste from shops at the same time so that there are fewer binbags left on street corners waiting to be picked up.
· Better regulation of street traders to prevent encroachment onto the highway
· A programme to remove all unnecessary street railings and redundant street furniture
· A review of parking arrangements in streets next to shopping areas to identify extra spaces
· The identification of suitable locations for new street trees
Council Leader Edward Lister said: "There is no doubt that Tooting is a popular and much loved place. People who live there are generally very happy to be living in this part of the capital.
"However this does not mask the fact that there are issues that do concern people, and where they want to see urgent action taken. This has come through loud and clear in the detailed surveys we've carried out and why we have now drawn up this very comprehensive action plan.
"Having listened carefully to what people have told us we are now taking immediate action on a number of fronts to address these issues.
"We are confident that our action plan will do a great deal to make Tooting's streets cleaner, greener, safer, less cluttered and more attractive. We firmly believe it will make Tooting an even better place to live, work and shop."
The action plan was drawn up after careful analysis of a series of in-depth surveys that quizzed 709 residents, 303 visitors and children at six local schools.
Eighty per cent of residents said they liked living in Tooting, with one in three saying they liked it very much. Most respondents felt that the area was getting better not worse, with 88 per cent saying they had no plans to move away in the next two years.
Ninety four per cent of residents said they felt very safe or quite safe while out and about during the day, although this number fell to 75 per cent in the evenings.
The Council's committee paper (number 08-791) is attached to this discussion, and is due to be discussed at its October 8 meeting.
- Attachments:
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FutureofTootingTownCentre.pdf, 123 KB -
Appendix1TootingResearch.pdf, 64 KB
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TootingHighStreetmapwithboundary.pdf, 157 KB
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Denny on -
Hi Nick
Many thanks for bringing this to our attention and for this useful summary. Very interesting, especially for TT Tooting.
I look forward to having a look at this over the next few days...
Denny
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Permalink Reply by Lucy Neal on -
Thanks Nick
This is great. Good weekend digesting!
See you Sunday
Lucy
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Permalink Reply by Hamish on -
Yep good work Nick.
"in-depth surveys that quizzed 709 residents, 303 visitors" in area with a population of 10'000,
Hardly in-depth.
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Permalink Reply by Nick on
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Hello. Seems like, whether you like it or not, the initial focus on littering in this action plan is being taken into action on the ground.
I just read this press release on W'worth's website, which says that on-the-spot fines of £55 were given out to 14 people (and 60 verbal warnings) at Tooting Bec tube station earlier this week. It was carried out "with support from the Bedford safer neighbourhood team"... are they on the TTT radar (in terms of local groups to engage with)?
Tooting Broadway had a further 15 fines (and 120 verbal warnings) just prior to that.
Next in line are Balham and Clapham Junction (not sure the latter is really "Tooting" but BE WARNED all you litterbugs!)
;o)
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