They couldn’t find a buyer as offices, so now the owner of 104 Ash Road is applying for planning permission to convert them into flats.

If granted, the two new flats will each have a bedroom, bathroom and an open-plan living room with kitchen and diner.

There aren’t any parking spaces but both flats will have their own secure cycle parking at ground level.

You can read the full planning application for 104 Ash Road online. The consultation period ends on 13 March.

Local residents are invited to a Stonecot community event hosted by Councillor Tony Brett Young and Sutton Youth Service detached team.

The event takes place on Friday 20 February 2009 from 6pm – 8.30pm and is held in the school hall, Brookfield Primary School, Ridge Road, SM3 9LY.

Residents will be able to get to know other local people both young and old, have a chance to offer their views on improvements to local facilities and find out more about the council’s work in the area.

Superintendent Warren Shadbolt from the Safer Sutton Partnership will give a presentation on the Sutton Life Centre, a new community centre, library, youth, IT and educational facility to be built on Sutton Common Road.

There will be music, food, group activites, a community question time and prizes to be won.

If you would like to attend, please contact tony.brettyoung@sutton.gov.uk or Joe Edmonds on 07736 338 732.

More information is available on Sutton Council’s website.

Sutton residents in the Stonecot Hill area will be pleased that brown bin waste collections are back to normal tomorrow. Brown bins were not collected last week due to snow in the earlier part of the week. Waste collection staff were transferred to gritting duties and were unable to catch up with the backlog later in the week. Green and blue recycling bins were collected last week as normal.

As many residents now have overflowing brown bins, Sutton Council has relaxed its usual “side waste” policy and will not be penalising any residents that put out extra bin bags beside their wheelie bins.

For more information see Sutton Council’s waste collection page.

Now that the snow has all but disappeared, here are some photos which readers have sent in. I didn’t get to take many myself as I was out making a video.

Jeannie got creative with this multi-talented snowman. A bit puzzled here...

Stonecot Hill’s shopkeepers have resorted to a spot of GIY — Grit It Yourself — after Sutton Council left local residents in the lurch and the area’s pavements more suitable for Torvill and Dean than safe to walk.

Three days after Sunday’s heavy snowfall, most of the area’s pavements remain ungritted by the Council. The junction between Stonecot Hill and Ash Road and the access to the bus stop has seen dozens of falls, with one lady receiving a cut head and many others thankfully escaping serious injury.

One shopkeeper resorted to spending £70 on his own grit after repeated requests to the Council for a supply went unanswered. Some have taken to chipping away the ice with shovels while others simply shut up shop for the day as too few customers had made staying open unviable.

With temperatures expected to reach six degrees tomorrow and sun forecast for Saturday the thaw is coming slowly, but probably quicker than a council gritter.