The Eastern sector of the town of Sutton encapsulates Rosehill on the West, and the Wrythe on the East. Taking under its wing Sutton Common station, Rosehill recreational ground, and the historic St Helier Hospital, this neighbourhood makes up a key part of Sutton. The area has a good mixture of residential, commercial and industrial space; architecturally you can find anything from Victorian properties to postwar flats. When visiting the area, you’ll come across residents, mostly commuter families, enjoying the green spaces in Rosehill park, or having an English breakfast at the Rosehill Café.

Sutton has had human inhabitants dating all the way back to the Neolithic period; however, it really got its reputation during the 17th century when it was used as a key pit stop for those going between the Southern coast and London. The town, and area around the Surrey heaths in general, became associated with dodgy highwaymen, seeing it rise to a position of infamy. In fact, by 1718, the highway was declared to be dangerous to people, horses and cattle, rendering it impassable for five months a year; however, with the arrival of the railway, the town began to expand and shed its nefarious reputation. In fact, in just ten years after the arrival of the first station in the mid 19th century, Sutton’s population doubled.

St Helier’s hospital is one of the apples of Sutton’s eye. It was in this hospital in 1974 that the first ever kidney transplant occurred, after a young man received a kidney from his sister. Additionally, St Helier’s was the first comprehensive children’s hospital in the UK.

A key issue that frustrates and befuddles many residents is that despite being in Greater London, Sutton in general lacks any underground or over-ground service. This can be particularly infuriating when considered alongside the expensive and unreliable nature of the railway companies that service Sutton.

This eastern segment of Sutton is seeing some key developments in transport, academia, and residential space. There are plans to create a new secondary school and sixth form on grounds around Rose Hill Park. While the need for such educational spaces is definitely still present in the area, the council has been battling with the developer who took on the project to provide facilities more adequately designed than those proposed. The council refused the initial planning application on those grounds but the government overturned the council’s decision following an appeal, despite central authorities also agreeing with the council that the proposal was subpar in terms of its design quality. The council has since been trying to find alternative ways of satisfying the need for additional school spaces, but it seems the proposal by the developers is more popular amongst locals than the council.

Plans for a tramline that would connect Sutton to Colliers Wood have been in the pipeline for quite some time now though the project has yet to be initiated. While some of the funding to deliver the project is currently in place, other sources of funding need to be confirmed if the project is to move forward. In the longer term, a £100 million extension beyond Sutton town centre to the planned London Cancer Hub at Belmont, which may accommodate up to 10,000 new jobs, will also be considered, assuming the initial scheme gets the green light. The Council has also been working on the development of several sites across the borough, including one in Rosehill on Wrythe Lane for four 2-bedroom semi-detached houses.