Talking Tooting: On the Up!

I hope you're enjoying the summer and I'm delighted to bring sunny news with several examples of our community campaigns yielding positive results for Tooting and Earlsfield residents.

Breakthrough for Earlsfield Commuters

I welcome Network Rail's confirmation of work to extend the platforms at Waterloo station, which is a big step forward for my ongoing campaign to bring longer rush-hour trains to Earlsfield. Construction will take one year, with a planned start date this November, and we can expect 10-car trains to arrive at Earlsfield station from 2017, bringing relief for thousands of commuters. You can read more about this excellent development here.

Investment in Tooting Broadway

Many of us have been calling for changes to the road junction at Tooting Broadway, which is unsafe and polluted. So it's great news that Transport for London have agreed a mutli-million pound investment to improve this area. 

A public consultation should launch in the autumn and I will ensure you are made aware of it as it's crucial that the voices of local residents and businesses are heard to ensure we make the most of this opportunity.

This is just one of several investments in and around Tooting High Street showing that it really is a case of 'Tooting on theup'!

Improving our Estates

I'm a passionate believer in building community spirit to improve our area, particularly on our estates. So I recently took my volunteering group to support a Residents Association 'community clean-up' on the Totterdown Estate. A dozen of us helped elderly and vulnerable residents with over-grown hedges which needed cutting back, to keep the area looking tidy and help to reduce crime.

We had a fun afternoon of 'Tooting Topiary' (!) and I'd love to have more people join future environmental projects I run. So please visit our Facebook page  and Like it to hear of forthcoming events.

Tooting's Pub Renaissance

I was delighted that Wandsworth Council approved our application to list the historic Selkirk pub as an Asset of Community Value, which provides it with planning protection that will help preserve it for years to come. 

You can read more in the Wandsworth Guardian article. You may also have noticed that the Kings Head is back serving the public after a period of renovation, and that the Trafalgar Arms has reopened its doors following our successful campaign to save it last year.

Together with the recent improvements at the Wheatsheaf and the Castle, this completes the renaissance of the community pubs on Tooting High Street, ensuring these valuable social hubs play their role in supporting a diverse and prosperous high street.

My next update will be in the autumn, but for more regular updates please follow me on Twitter and Facebook.

With best wishes, 

Dan Watkins
Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman for Tooting