There have been concerns recently at a number of late-night noisy events and parties on the Common, and other antisocial behaviour. We understand that the police are aware of this and are taking action.
If anyone witnesses antisocial behaviour of any kind please report it to the Metropolitan Police Service by calling 101. If it feels like the situation could get heated or violent very soon, if someone is in immediate danger, or if a person needs support right away, please call 999.
A few FOTC members gathered together on the Common (socially distanced) to watch the dawn on mid-summer’s day.
Many thanks to Leonie (Cooper) for these photos:
Friends of Tooting Common are starting a ‘photo of the month’ competition for Tooting Common. The arrangements are:
We are starting the competition from this month, so please submit your photo(s) by Tuesday 30 June, as above!
This is really important with the present very heavy usage of the Common. Litter spoils the Common for everyone.
The weekend of 5 to 7 June was designated ‘Stag weekend’ to celebrate and save threatened stagbeetles, which are in decline as a species. You like see further information on this on the People’s Trust for Endangered Species website – ptes.org/campaigns/stag-beetles-2/
Valerie Selby (Parks Development and Biodiversity Manager at Enable) has written this very interesting article on the ecological impacts on wildlife of the current increased use of greenspaces in Wandsworth, including Tooting Common.
Among other things, Valerie refers (in the final paragraph) to the “30 days Wild” challenge from the Wildlife Trusts in June: https://www.wildlondon.org.uk/news/30-days-wild. You may like to consider participating in this.
Friends of Tooting Common have not been able to run our usual annual Fun Dog Show on Tooting Common this year, because of coronavirus. Instead, we have run a ‘virtual’ Fun Dog Show, which we broadcast on Sunday 17 May. It was a very enjoyable event, with a total of about 120 entrants across seven classes – Best puppy; Best rescue dog; Best looking hound; Best looking bitch; Best veteran; Best trick or action video; Dog that looks most like its owner.
A report on the Show – which lists the winners in each of the classes (with photos) is here:
The Show itself is here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-esB9nb8cs
Many thanks to everyone involved, particularly our judges: Councillor Jane Cooper (Mayor of Wandsworth); Mark Callis (of the Wandsworth Council Animal Welfare Service); Jacqueline Said (of Dogs of Tooting Common Facebook Group); Tim and Sally (of Downtown Woof); Matthew Billson (of the Tooting Commons MAC); Nick Heath (broadcaster and sports commentator); and Constable Selina Hill of the Wandsworth Parks PoliceThe virtual Fun Dog Show has been fundraising for the St George’s Hospital Charity’s Coronavirus Appeal. We’ve raised over £450 so far. We would welcome any further donations, at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/fotcdogshow2020virtual
We hope it might be possible to run an ‘actual’ Fun Dog Show on the Common later in the year, but this will of course depend on developments on coronavirus.
Stay safe and well!
In most years, around the end of April Friends of Tooting Common arrange a walk to see the bluebells in Graveney Woods. This walk isn’t possible this year in the current circumstances: but with the photos at link below – which are of both Spanish and English bluebells – one can do a “virtual” walk:
Many thanks to Leonie (Cooper) for these.
Stay safe and well.
Friends of Tooting Common
Tooting Common has been looking particularly good recently, despite the current circumstances. A number of people have been posting photos on the FoTC Facebook page, particularly of trees and plants.
A set of photos and posts, from over the last few weeks, is at this link: FOTC-May/June2020
Many thanks to all of the photographers, and particularly to Roy (Vickery) for his very informative posts, and for sharing his botanical expertise with us. Many thanks also to Eamonn (Richardson) for drawing these photos together.
We will aim to produce a similar ‘compendium’ of photos and posts every few weeks.
Alongside circulating these photos, we are also introducing a ‘photo of the month’ competition. See separate blog post on this.
Stay well and safe
Reflecting our consideration of the application, and following consultation with our members, Friends of Tooting Common have not either supported or objected to the application for development of the Triangle site overall. We recognise that there are a number of welcome benefits to the plans, but there are also significant concerns about the impact on the Common and some users, if planning conditions/mitigants are not applied.
We therefore indicated, in the comments we made, as below, that if was decided to approve the application, a number of conditions should be added, including free access by schools to the redgra pitch when enclosed; reduced charges for the “play and stay” facilities; measures to ensure that noise from the site is kept to a reasonable minimum; and measures to ensure that the adjacent children’s playground can remain fully in operation, safely, throughout the building work.
The application has now been approved by Wandsworth Council’s Planning Applications Committee. FOTC are very disappointed that these additional conditions we proposed have not been added, nor were they considered at the PAC meeting. We will seek to engage with further consideration of the operational arrangements for the development, to try to ensure that these concerns are covered there.
