Save Sunny News

by Southfields Triangle Residents Assoc in Wimbledon Park Road

We did it
On 10th May 2016 we successfully raised £9,006 with 118 supporters in 56 days

To support Sunny at the High Court to overturn an unjust planning decision that could see him put out of business and his home.

by Southfields Triangle Residents Assoc in Wimbledon Park Road

 New stretch target

 

Dear Supporter of Sunny News

It’s with a heavy heart and great sadness that we have to announce that, after 30 years of invaluable community service, Sunny will be closing the shop and vacating the premises at the end of March 2018.

The parties were due to attend the trial last Thursday at Wandsworth County Court but, due to the amount of legal fees he would have incurred had he lost the case,  Sunny was left with no alternative but to settle the claim and agree to vacate the premises. We understand that the landlord based their claim for possession on their intention to  convert the premises and live there themselves but as the case was settled, the landlord’s case was never tested at court.

You may be wondering what happened to the money we, as a community, crowdfunded to help Sunny fight this case and why didn’t he use those funds for this recent court case.  Those funds were used to fight his Judicial Review at the High Court earlier this year, to try and reverse the planning inspectorate appeal decision against Wandsworth Council who refused the original application and the Landlord from gaining planning permission allowing him to convert the shop into a private dwelling.

You may not be aware that the shop has always been used as a shop and was built for that purpose where it could be used to serve the local community.  This is something Sunny and Jamie have done in our corner of Southfields admirably over so many years, with our children growing up buying their sweets from Sunny’s and all of us benefitting from having our local paper delivery and so much more.  Most importantly, Sunny and Jamie have served the wider community far beyond from just the other side of the counter, by being a lookout for our young and old alike and being a true community service to our friendly neighbourhood.  This was recognised when the residents association succeeded in having the shop being granted the status of an “Asset of Community Value”.  

Sadly in March next year,  Sunny, Jamie and family will have to closedown and move away from their friends, home and livelihood and try and establish a new life for themselves elsewhere. 

This is really a very sad outcome not only for Sunny but for our whole neighbourhood who will now lose this unofficial community centre, with all its associated services, which is closing against the wishes of everyone!

Thank you all very much for your huge and continued support throughout our Save Sunny News campaign.

Sunny News Campaign Team


THANK YOU edit

Dear Donor

As you will probably know the crowdfund fundraiser is now finished and you have helped to raise a fantastic £9,006 not including the cash and cheque donations we have also received.

We will continue to keep you informed about developments.

In the meantime, on behalf of STRA, Sunny & Jaymi, thankyou for your overwhelming generosity.

Kind regards

Save Sunny News Campaign Team

"We are overfunding, check out what we can do if we reach £20,000 target!” 

Thank you to all of you who have made donations so far as this is a great start to the Save Sunny News Campaign fund.

The legal fees for expert representation for the Statutory Review will be considerably more than our initial target so we will continue to raise funds to support the Save Sunny News campaign and help towards the costs of saving his business.  

Please keep spreading the word so that we can continue to help Save Sunny News as we feel the shop is a vital community asset.  It is really important that we try and raise as much money as we can to contribute to the legal fees.

In order to secure the funds from this crowdfunding site we had to set our initial target at a lower figure, because if we didn't hit the target we wouldn't have been allowed to withdraw the funds and they'd have been returned to donors.  By hitting the first target we are guaranteed the funds raised and can continue to fundraise.

It would be fantastic if you can share this linkwith three other people.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Here's an email from Zac Goldsmith.     Thank you for taking the time to raise the future of Sunny News to my attention. I commend your efforts to protect local business in your area. It is disappointing to hear that this business has come under threat, and this clearly does highlight the dangers posed to others across our city.   Office to residential conversions is a policy which has been absolutely catastrophic for London. My local borough, Richmond, has lost a third of its office space to residential, and the effect of that is that thriving dynamic local spaces are becoming dormitory zones. It is evident that the issue deserves to be investigated further to prevent it from becoming widespread. I will pass on your concerns to my team and I await the outcome of your appeal to the local authorities with interest.   I am committed to ensuring that London’s small businesses are protected and allowed to flourish. This why I am pushing for 30 mins free parking across London; this will boost local businesses and make it more convenient for residents to shop and go. Charging local residents for parking when they visit their local shops sends the wrong message and discourages people from supporting local businesses, which are such a vital part of our community.  I strongly urge residents to get behind the thirty minutes free parking campaign.   If I am elected Mayor I will ensure that small businesses are protected from landlords seeking to take advantage of the demand for residential housing. Whilst there is a pressing need increase the number of affordable homes in our city, this should not come at the price of businesses that are central to their community. I hope I can rely on your vote on May 5th to protect small businesses across London.   Best wishes,   Zac Goldsmith MP Conservative candidate for Mayor of London   Visit backzac2016.com to see my action plan for London.   Follow me on Twitter @ZacGoldsmith or on my Facebook page zacgoldsmith.

Sunny’s landlord has served him notice under his lease requiring possession of the shop and premises on the basis that he wants to convert the property to a private house and live there.  If the landlord can demonstrate these grounds, then Sunny will be gone within six months.

Key to the landlord’s argument will be that he has planning permission for the conversion.  If permission is granted, then Sunny’s case for remaining will be much weaker.  Objecting to the planning has been a major focus of the fight to “Save Sunny News”.

As you know the application for planning permission to change the use of Sunny News from retail into residential was turned down by Wandsworth Borough Council (WBC) but the Landlord appealed and on 27 January this year he had this successfully overturned by a Planning Inspector. This means that subject to a final period within which the appeal decision can be challenged (a process called a statutory review) consent will be granted and Sunny and Jamyi could be evicted within 90 days. 

This challenge period was six weeks which expired on the 7th March and in that time Sunny has taken advice from local Barristers and Chartered Surveyors who have been acting on his behalf on a no-fee basis.

WBC also considered the case for challenging the decision and led by Cllr Ravi Govindia, met with Sunny and his advisors along with Justine Greening MP, Cllr Walsh, Cllr, Humphries, Cllr Caddy and council officers including the borough solicitor and head of planning.  It was put to WBC that there were significant grounds to challenge the decision and whilst WBC agreed to take its own independent legal advice, it has – disappointingly – decided not to seek the statutory review itself. 

Whilst Sunny has not been able to rely on the support of WBC to help him fight the decision, having carefully considered the advice he has received and given the strength of his argument that this appeal decision is flawed, he has decided to go it alone and apply for a statutory review himself.  This decision is fraught with risk and potential cost to Sunny, but given the strength of his argument and the threat to his livelihood, he feels he has no other option.

The situation Sunny finds himself in is no fault of his own.  His initial lease for the shop had expired and having been renewed once previously, the time had come for it to be renegotiated again.  The Landlord had always told Sunny he was a good tenant.

However, during 2015 the law was changed to allow property such as shops and pubs etc, to have their use changed so they could be converted into residential property.  The legislation was intended to bring disused properties back into use, as opposed to assisting owners in achieving the closure of successful businesses and evicting tenants such as Sunny.  In many cases, other boroughs have ring-fenced commercial properties with what is called an Article 4 direction, to prevent such situations occurring, but in WBC’s case this has not been done, leaving Sunny vulnerable to the fact that property values have risen considerably in London to a level attractive to the landlord wanting to cash in.

In addition to all of you, Sunny has the support of Justine Greening MP, Baroness Jenny Jones in the London Assembly and Zac Goldsmith who agrees the way the legislation has been applied is flawed (see video — https://youtu.be/5pDou0H6hLo ).  However, to date there has been no sign that Government will amend the law and hence Sunny is left to fight the appeal decision alone.

The Statutory Review has been submitted by Sunny.  He is facing a difficult situation on many levels and we are sure you will want to continue the fantastic support you have given so far.  Your letters, emails and support for the petition have made this issue more visible to decision-makers, so thank you for taking the time and effort to show your support.  

You may recall last summer we held a concert for the community to show their support for Sunny and Jaymi, although neither of them had asked for this.  From the money raised at this event we were able to pay for the Statutory Review to be issued earlier this month, which had cost Sunny £1500.  This now leaves only a few hundred pounds left in the kitty to support him which isn't enough, especially now that he will have to use paid for professionals (solicitors, barristers and surveyors) to prove his case.

Whilst Sunny is not fighting this alone, he is risking significant costs against him if he fails so we the (Southfields Triangle Resident's Association - STRA) are launching this crowdfunding campaign to help raise some more funds to support Sunny in his fight to defeat the Planning Inspector and his landlord's claim for possession.

We would be very grateful if you are able to make a donation to help the Save Sunny News campaign to save the shop.  The legal challenge is to stop our local shop from being forced to close but it will have a wider impact, if successful, of helping to protect other small, independent businesses which are now also threatened.  

You can help spread the word by forwarding a link to this site on to others who may be able to help.  We will keep you posted with updates on how things develop. 

Thank you for your continued support to help Save Sunny News.

Rewards

This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.

£5 or more

£5 Reward

Thank you for supporting the Save Sunny News campaign. Every donor's name will also be automatically entered in a raffle.

£10 or more

16 of 100 claimed

£10 Reward

Free Chocolate or Crisps Thank you for supporting the Save Sunny News campaign. As a small gesture to show our appreciation, we'd like to thank you when you next go into the shop by offering you a bar of chocolate or a packet of crisps. This would include any standard size bars such as Twix, Snicker, Mars, Wispa, etc or a bag of Walkers crisps. Every donor's name will also be automatically entered in a raffle. Please mention your support to Sunny to claim your reward as, with so many customers, it may slip his mind!

£20 or more

16 of 100 claimed

£20 Reward

Free bar of Chocolate or Crisps + a Soft Drink Thank you for supporting the Save Sunny News campaign. As a small gesture to show our appreciation, we'd like to thank you when you next go into the shop by offering you two bars of chocolate or packets of crisps. This would include any standard size bars such as Twix, Snicker, Mars, Wispa, Crunchie etc or a bag of Walkers crisps. Every donor's name will also be automatically entered in a raffle. Please mention your support to Sunny to claim your reward as, with so many customers, it may slip his mind!

£20 or more

13 of 50 claimed

£20 Reward

Free Box of Quality Street Thank you for supporting the Save Sunny News campaign. As a small gesture to show our appreciation, we'd like to thank you when you next go into the shop by offering you a box of Nestle Quality Street (265g box). Every donor's name will also be automatically entered in a raffle. Please mention your support to Sunny to claim your reward as, with so many customers, it may slip his mind!

£20 or more

7 of 50 claimed

£20 Reward

Free Gin & Tonic, Vodka & Cranberry, Rum & Coke Thank you for supporting the Save Sunny News campaign. As a small gesture to show our appreciation, we'd like to thank you when you next go into the shop by offering you a can of either Gordons Gin & Tonic, Smirnoff Vodka & Cranberry or a Captain Morgan Rum & Coke. Every donor's name will also be automatically entered in a raffle. Please mention your support to Sunny to claim your reward as, with so many customers, it may slip his mind!

£25 or more

£25 Reward

Free Gin & Tonic, Vodka & Cranberry, Rum & Coke Thank you for supporting the Save Sunny News campaign. As a small gesture to show our appreciation, we'd like to thank you when you next go into the shop by offering you a can of either Gordons Gin & Tonic, Smirnoff Vodka & Cranberry or a Captain Morgan Rum & Coke. Every donor's name will also be automatically entered in a raffle. Please mention your support to Sunny to claim your reward as, with so many customers, it may slip his mind!

£50 or more

25 of 50 claimed

£50 Reward

Free Sunday News Paper Thank you for supporting the Save Sunny News campaign. As a small gesture to show our appreciation, we'd like to thank you when you next go into the shop by offering you a free Sunday newspaper either collected from the shop or delivered to your door (delivery is offered within the usual delivery area only). Every donor's name will also be automatically entered in a raffle. Please mention your support to Sunny to claim your reward as, with so many customers, it may slip his mind!

£50 or more

10 of 50 claimed

£50 Reward

Free Bottle of Chenin Blanc 2014 White Wine Thank you for supporting the Save Sunny News campaign. As a small gesture to show our appreciation, we'd like to thank you when you next go into the shop by offering you a bottle of Chenin Blanc 2014 white wine, from the Classic Collection of South Africa. Every donor's name will also be automatically entered in a raffle. Please mention your support to Sunny to claim your reward as, with so many customers, it may slip his mind!

£100 or more

7 of 50 claimed

£100 Reward

Free Daily Newspaper Thank you for supporting the Save Sunny News campaign. As a small gesture to show our appreciation, we'd like to thank you when you next go into the shop by offering you a free daily newspaper for a whole week, alternatively have it delivered to your door (delivery is offered within the usual delivery area only). Every donor's name will also be automatically entered in a raffle. Please mention your support to Sunny to claim your reward as, with so many customers, it may slip his mind!

£100 or more

16 of 50 claimed

£100 Reward

£10 Gift Voucher & a bag of Haribos Thank you for supporting the Save Sunny News campaign. As a small gesture to show our appreciation, we'd like to thank you when you next go into the shop by offering you a £10 Sunny News gift voucher* plus a large bag of Haribos. Every donor's name will also be automatically entered in a raffle. Please mention your support to Sunny to claim your reward as, with so many customers, it may slip his mind! *Not redeemable for Oyster, Lotto, phone top ups, stamps or tobacco products.

£250 or more

1 of 2 claimed

£250 Reward

Free Indian Dinner for 4 people Thank you for supporting the Save Sunny News campaign. As a gesture to show our appreciation, we'd like to thank you. Jamyi will cook an beautiful indian dinner for four people and deliver* it to you. Jamyi would consult with you about her menu suggestions. Every donor's name will also be automatically entered in a raffle. Please mention your support to Sunny to claim your reward as, with so many customers, it may slip his mind! *Local delivery only.

£500 or more

£500 Reward

Free Indian Dinner for 8 people Thank you for supporting the Save Sunny News campaign. As a gesture to show our appreciation, we'd like to thank you. Jamyi will cook an beautiful indian dinner for eight people and deliver* it to you. Jamyi would consult with you about her menu suggestions. Every donor's name will also be automatically entered in a raffle. Please mention your support to Sunny to claim your reward as, with so many customers, it may slip his mind! *Local delivery only.

£250 or more

4 of 4 claimed

£250 Reward

Free Indian Dinner for 4 people Thank you for supporting the Save Sunny News campaign. As a gesture to show our appreciation, we'd like to thank you. Jamyi will cook an beautiful indian dinner for four people and deliver* it to you. Jamyi would consult with you about her menu suggestions. Every donor's name will also be automatically entered in a raffle. Please mention your support to Sunny to claim your reward as, with so many customers, it may slip his mind! *Local delivery only.

£500 or more

2 of 2 claimed

£500 Reward

Free Indian Dinner for 8 people Thank you for supporting the Save Sunny News campaign. As a gesture to show our appreciation, we'd like to thank you. Jamyi will cook an beautiful indian dinner for eight people and deliver* it to you. Jamyi would consult with you about her menu suggestions. Every donor's name will also be automatically entered in a raffle. Please mention your support to Sunny to claim your reward as, with so many customers, it may slip his mind! *Local delivery only.

£500 or more

2 of 2 claimed

£500 Reward

Free Indian Dinner for 8 people Thank you for supporting the Save Sunny News campaign. As a gesture to show our appreciation, we'd like to thank you. Jamyi will cook an beautiful indian dinner for eight people and deliver* it to you. Jamyi would consult with you about her menu suggestions. Every donor's name will also be automatically entered in a raffle. Please mention your support to Sunny to claim your reward as, with so many customers, it may slip his mind! *Local delivery only.

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