Forum Topic

PHS a filthy Labour disaster

Gone from above average under Conservatives to a filthy Labour dump

Penelope Becker ● 1240d31 Comments

The parklet on Lacy has no seating, and is bare, maybe you should take a look for yourself!

Penelope Becker ● 1230d

Shame, that was a handy place to sit and sober up back in the day. :)I think you have no idea where I shop or where PHS is, since it is possible to shop there without ever seeing Montserrat Rd or its accoutrements (or absence thereof). Anyways, having re-read the thread, I see it was a parklet on Lacy, not Montserrat Rd which was complained about. But if Montserrat Rd no longer has one, maybe its residents could get round to Lacy Rd and help clean up that one.

Michael Winstanley ● 1232d

Yes happy to meetup for litter pick, but do you also remove dumped large bags of waste on Token Yard, for example, I can show you places where you may well need a bit more than a plastic pincer

Penelope Becker ● 1232d

Think you are out of touch, and obviously don't shop on PHS, the parklet on Montserrat was removed last summer!

Penelope Becker ● 1232d

Absolutely Nick. About time the residents of Montserrat Rd or wherever it is stopped wittering and cleaned up that parklet.The chewing gum on PHS may be a bit more problematic. Shock horror, this is an issue best dealt with a publicly owned body funded by the taxpayer - aka socialism!

Michael Winstanley ● 1233d

Massive well said Phillipa. You hit the nail on the head. Luckily the majority of people on our road have been watering the trees that the previous council kindly planted earlier in the year.

Nick Gulliford ● 1233d

You missed the stepping over of waste.  The watching of trees and plants dying.The "It's not mine.  It's not my responsibility." attitude of just expecting someone to do all the clearing up is a problem.

Philippa Bond ● 1233d

One way of cleaning up litter is to pick it up yourself. It’s a much quicker way of getting things done . The other option is to blame others. Moan about it on a computer or walk past it. None of which work very well . If any of you are interested I can show you how it’s done. It’s not a that tricky to be honest. Maybe some anti bac for those that are very Health concious

Nick Gulliford ● 1234d

What an ineffably silly thing to say Penelope! It just shows how small your world is. Didn't you notice the state of other parts of the borough under the previous administration ? Your post sounds utterly ignorant and if I may say so selfish. There has been no discernible change on Putney High st. There were empty shops - and horribly tacky ones open when the Tories held the reigns (& lots closed youth centres worryingly )

Lynne McNulty ● 1235d

HalloWalked down the high street this afternoon and Sean Hanna has now closed. Moved to Wimbledon.Bill's earlier this month and now Sean Hannah.Very sad.We need some good quality, independent shops now.

Carole Tanner ● 1235d

We need to take responsibility for our own behaviour too. We had very good restaurants like Fidelini and Bistro  Vadouvan. Nobody supported them. If people want chicken shops and nail bars that’s what you get.

Britha Parekh ● 1235d

What is public money and where does it come from?

Michael Winstanley ● 1237d

Actually Putney Bid isn't public money as far as I can see.  It appears to be a compulsory tax on all businesses within the Bid area.To quote their documentation..."mandatory payment based on 1.25% of a businessrateable value and includes just over 400 levy-payingbusiness members within the BID boundary. The BID levyvaries from businesses paying £120 a year to £12,500 a yearand everything in between."http://positivelyputney.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Consultation-Brochure-singles-March-2021.pdf

Adrian Pearce ● 1237d

Matters may have moved on since the first post in this thread, however this view is very relevant. The latest leaflet from the the Putney Bid indicates sustained action and their strong a presence in our midst yet this is patently not the case - to reiterate - the tatty displays/the dirty pavements/ the rubbish strewn parklet, (disused for months) the High Street MESS...There his little evidence of public funding being spent effectively.

Miles Thompson ● 1237d

Up to a point I agree, certainly where East Sheen is concerned. Affluent areas often have High Streets that are more appealing but this isn't the case everywhere.For example Reigate is a very affluent town in suburban Surrey but their High Street has certainly suffered since the pandemic began. I was recently in Richmond and George Street doesn't look as appealing as it once did.Here in Wandsworth it appears that Wandsworth Town gets the  attention/and money far more than Putney does. Even Balham is a far cheerier place to shop! Lets see how the new Labour Council fare once they get their feet under the table.

Lucille Grant ● 1237d

Penelope, what? Try rereading your original post - it was trying to blame a recently elected Labour party council for long standing problems. It looked like you had some political blame agenda there?Interestingly, I've been away in Elgin, Moray for a few days. Friends and other locals there tell me they're concerned about shop closures there. (Annoyingly, the only vegan cafe in Elgin closed about a week before we arrived!) So this seems to be a UK wide problem. (FYI Mr Google tells me Moray has a minority Conservative council.)Perhaps think about the contradictions in your posts? Perhaps the real problems are to do with landlords who have control over rental costs and other charges in global retail markets, etc. If the only retain outlets are those that provide food and drinks then perhaps that's a fact of life and we have to accept it?

Michael Ixer ● 1238d

Sadly everyone blames everyone  else very typical of this forums participants.I wonder what happened to the Positively Putney BID. They have contributed to Putneys downfall and completely disappeared for the last 3 months. Claims 2000 members, really just takers who live outside the Borough. Where are they now.? Russell Cooke and PAD architects etc.? Still sending out glossies telling each other how wonderful they are, but don't set foot on PHS or show their faces.

Penelope Becker ● 1238d

I think pavement cleaning is the key. How often are they cleaned, why are there so many dark stains and chewing gum blotches? Are there regular pavement cleaning machines? I’ve never seen one.In Richmond when a shop front is empty the frontages of vacated premises are transformed quickly  with local information and colourful illustrations and graphics. In contrast on Putney High Street the frontages are tatty, left to moulder for months getting covered in grime and piles of rubbish. Rubbish bins fill up and overflow. Perhaps our newly elected Councillors from all parties could explain where all the grant money has gone and what their plan is for improving cleanliness.Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 1238d

It's always an excuse to say that high streets are failing due to internet shopping/business rates etc. I don't doubt this is a problem but it's not the case in many other affluent areas in London. I recently visited Hampstead which has a brilliant high street full of shops, independents and chains. So busy and well supported by the local community.Islington Upper Street is another example of a great high street which was transformed by the council from when I first lived there as being really grotty and rundown to now being a place which attracts high-end brands and great independent shops. Gordon Ramsay has just opened a new restaurant there. Even Sheen along Upper Richmond Road is thriving with barely any empty units and mostly made up with independent shops.There's so many excuses constantly about Putney but I just can't understand why it's so rundown.It's an affluent area but there doesn't seem to be any cohesive plans. And now any shop that closes, the answer seems to be to put a takeaway/food establishment so just increasing the night time economy and not replacing any shops we lose.It is so frustrating when you can see other areas of London with such thriving and busy high streets that our one is just going downhill :(

Lauren Fleet ● 1238d

This is a well argued and reasonable assessment of the situation. One indeed wonders how grants from the government have been spent to so little effect on Putney High Street and who there is that might offer an explanation as to what the money has been spent on? However, the lack of meaningful liaison between Wandsworth Council, The Putney Society and Positively Putney to work together and their joint inability to negotiate a way forward in the economic and social crisis has contributed to the main thoroughfare's decline. In any case, Positively Putney are an opaque group that should concentrate solely on working with businesses. They are clearly not interested in residents views or in enhancing the locale - witness the appallingly half hearted and tatty displays outside of Putney Station, their dry and dusty offering outside M&S  and the still vacant parklet on Lacy Road which has caused so much comment and that seemingly only a minor civil rights movement will cause to be demolished!

Miles Thompson ● 1239d

High Streets have been under pressure for decades. There are a few that have found a new formula but not many.Business rates - there was some very late temporary arrangement by the government but it was too little, too late and temporary.The online shopping tax has all gone quiet what happened to that?Lastly grants from the government, Putney received one how was it spent?I'm sure that there are things the new administration can do better but with one national crisis following another I think we need to be specific in putting forward issues and possible solutions.If we are looking to change something it would be also wise to build as wide support as possible, people are already very fractional on many levels not to mention the various layers of government.

Ed Robinson ● 1240d

"above average"LOLOLOLOLOLwhen???

Matt Palmer ● 1240d

The simplistic opinion is always the shortest route for those with an agenda.

Freddie Francis ● 1240d

Just for you, Sue. I knew you'd appreciate it :-) !

Michael Ixer ● 1240d

@Michael IxerYou managed to get "Brexit shock" into the thread again. Well done lol.

Sue Hammond ● 1240d

Penelope, in all honesty, I think you have missed the mark and by a long shot.It is not a Labour Council as this has been going on well before they were elected.  The ones who put the slabs down were under a Conservative Council and I very much doubt the Labour one can do much about it, other that replace all the slabs for decent ones and everyone is going to be up in arms because of the expenditure???  PHS has been in a mess for a very looooooooooong time.

Ivonne Holliday ● 1240d

The closure of shops is probably because of economic mismanagement by the government over twelve years, as Truss and Sunak admitted in their leadership "discussions ", plus, of course, the post Brexit shock to the economy. None of that is down to the takeover of Wandsworth Council by Labour. 

Michael Ixer ● 1240d

Of course it's a mess and has been for some time, so attempts to blame this on the new Labour administration are fatuous - unless it's an attempt at parodying the Con supporters here?

Richard Carter ● 1240d

As you turn into PBR all the shops on the right are shut down. All the left side of the Main Line Station are shut. The High Street is a mess.

Barbara Stevens ● 1240d

No, gone from fairly grotty under a Johnson government to still fairly grotty under a Truss government. Or is it the change of monarch? Nonetheless, can't say I've noticed a difference.What in particular are you saying has changed and how exactly is it a result of action or inaction by the local council?

Michael Winstanley ● 1240d

Is that a subjective, personal opinion or do you have metrics to substantiate that. I haven't noticed a lot of difference, perhaps more places (Bills, etc) closed, but that's probably a national economic issue rather than a local council one, but perhaps I've missed something?

Michael Ixer ● 1240d