Working at the Council

Sutton is known as the ‘greener and cleaner borough’ – and for good reason. We are a London borough on the edge of Surrey and our southern boundaries border open fields and the North Downs. With over 1000 acres of open green spaces and many parks and cycle trails we offer the charm and peace of the country and modern, urban life.

Just 25 minutes from central London by train. Gatwick Airport to the south is a 30-minute drive and the M25 and M23 are easily accessible.

Our 177,600-strong community benefits from a vibrant economy and a quality of life that has attracted many major employers. Unemployment is low with jobs locally mainly in the service area, professional, light industrial and retail sectors. The borough has a substantial population of commuters.

Prosperity is evident in our booming town centre and in the district centres of Cheam, North Cheam, Worcester Park, Rose Hill, Carshalton and Wallington.

However, as with many of London’s boroughs we also face the challenge of being a borough of contrasts. There are significant pockets of deprivation and many of the characteristics of inner London. A massive regeneration project, one of the largest in the country has transformed the 1960s Roundshaw estate. The award winning Phoenix Centre and the borough’s fourth leisure centre, Sutton Arena are bringing new life to these areas but there is still more to do.

Last year Sutton Council was awarded the top four star rating by the Audit Commission for its overall performance. We are not complacent and want to make services even better.

Offering both selective and comprehensive education, Sutton is investing in its schools with recently built primary and secondary accommodation Performance in national league tables is high. We were one of the first councils to integrate children’s services within our education department and provide a co-ordinated delivery of services for our young people.

Sutton's refurbished central library has won international awards for its services, and its ground-breaking library service has become a model for libraries around the world. Four multi-purpose leisure centres plus a wide range of other sports facilities cater for most sporting interests. The country's largest junior tennis centre offers unrivalled training facilities with 11 indoor and 18 outdoor courts.

Shoppers from a wide area travel to Sutton - its tree-lined, flower-filled town centre and pedestrianised High Street, the under-cover St Nicholas and Times Square shopping malls offer a superb selection of all the big name retailers, plus many individual shops and plenty of interesting places to eat and drink. Award-winning car parks provide more than 5,000 secure spaces.

We have much to offer those in search of culture too - a state-of-the-art six-screen UCI cinema complex and two popular theatres offer a mix of traditional and experimental entertainment. Echoes of our historic past are to be found everywhere, from fascinating old buildings such as Carew Manor in Beddington, a Grade 2 listed building, and Whitehall, Cheam's 500-year-old Tudor house to the Arts & Craft splendour of Little Holland House in Carshalton. Honeywood Heritage Centre, overlooking Carshalton Ponds brings the past back to life through a changing programme of exhibitions and events.

Sutton, facing the challenges of all London boroughs, has led the way in creating a sustainable future for its residents with an excellent record on recycling.

A pioneering green village has taken shape on a brownfield site in Hackbridge. The council became the first local authority to gain Government approval to sell land below the market price. Social housing provider the Peabody Trust constructed an 82-home sustainable housing scheme, the Beddington Zero Energy, BedZed scheme on the four acre site. More information is available at www.bezed.org.uk.

The Sutton Partnership – our Local Strategic Partnership – is working with our partners to improve outcomes for residents in areas such as environment, education, health and community safety. And we are working closely with our colleagues in Health to promote independent living for our active older population.

At Sutton we want to encourage full participation in the community and, as our vision states: build a community in which all can take part and all can take pride.