The Chief Executive Hopes - But will Councillors ever agree?

The Chief Executive recently spoke to a Sutton Chamber of Commerce event and the gist was that we need to work with the private sector to improve Sutton Town Centre, which has a lot of potential. I am sure we can all agree with that.

I also don't think he would have any problems with that audience. They are no doubt keen to see investment by their colleagues which benefit them all.

I must say I am in favour too.

However, I think he will have problems with Sutton Councillors agreeing an overarching vision for the town centre.

Sutton Town Centre will be the main area of debate over the sort of borough we want to see.

1. Judging by their ability to run away and hide from a 22 signature (out of 400 residents) petition in Thicket Road over the S4 bus, the "somewhat influential" Sutton Central Ward Councillors will no doubt panic over any proposals that local business come up that generate more than 20 signatures of opposition.

2. Councillor Pinfold (definitely not an "ordinary member of the public" under the Councillor Pickles human being ranking system - see comment in an earlier posting ) seems to want young men in black pyjamas to march into a besieged Sutton Town Centre to start a "year zero" where it becomes full of expensive Dorking antique shops. Clearly the residents in the Abbotts Road area in her own ward are really looking forward to that!!

What they all seem to forget is it will be market forces that will determine what works in Sutton Town Centre, however much the planning policy seeks to regulate it.

Clearly the Chief Executive is a little more optimistic than me, but maybe we should be getting local business to make a "Business Offer" to the Council over what they would like to see.

Having an external proposal might make Councillors debate that rather than argue with each other?