Welcome to my early August community email. Below are some of things I have been doing since my last email:
- Organised a community clean up session with the Raynes Park Association.
- Opened Joseph Hood School’s summer fair.
- Attended the AFC Wimbledon Victory Parade with hundreds of local residents.
- Introduced a hymn chosen by me at the St Mary’s Church open air service.
- Opened the new angling platforms at Cannon Hill Common Lake.
- Spoke to pupils from The Priory School when they visited Parliament.
- Met with Justine Greening MP for Putney and Chairman of Friends of Wimbledon Park to discuss Merton Council’s plans for Wimbledon Park.
- Met with Paul Quinn of Circle Housing to discuss the High Path regeneration.
- Wrote in CityAm regarding infrastructure policy post Brexit.
David Cameron and Theresa May
I am very sad to see David Cameron stand down as Prime Minister. He provided the country and the party with strong leadership and I would like to thank him for his service. He achieved some great things as Prime Minister which he should be very proud of, including equal marriage, stabilising the economy, creating millions of jobs and introducing the national living wage.
We now move forward with Theresa May as Prime Minister, and I am absolutely convinced she is the right person for the job. The country faces a difficult few years implementing the wishes of the British people and I look forward to supporting the new Government in this.
Wimbledon Park Masterplan
Merton Council have begun a process of developing a masterplan for the future of Wimbledon Park. The three options the Council have identified are:
Option 1 - Minimal intervention – representing the least amount of change through minimal intervention. All existing uses and most existing facilities retained. The existing café building is demolished, with existing staff accommodation relocated to a new structure.
Option 2 - Maximising landscape character – representing a large amount of change while retaining all existing uses. The existing Athletics Compound is demolished and replaced with new facilities on the eastern edge of the Park alongside the railway line.
Option 3 – Expanding Commercial Opportunities – representing a substantial amount of change including a new (3 storey) Watersports & Outdoor Centre building and Café. Improved setting for the Lake and providing opportunity for enhanced sight lines from the Great Field.
I am surprised that Merton Council is spending money on the Wimbledon Park and at a time when they are cutting funding to Adult Social Care. Moreover, I understand the Council have not taken advantage of offers from the private sector to help provide facilities in Wimbledon Park. Whilst even the much loved and used Wimbledon Park could be improved, I am not convinced this cost is justified.
Wimbledon is home to the UK’s top hockey club, which has ambitions plans for the infield area. These plans would see an international quality hockey pitch built but see the club significantly contribute to new public facilities. It is also clear that the training activities of the athletics club could still be incorporated in the Park if a plan is developed sensitive to all users. I find it extraordinary that Merton Council has not properly engaged with the Club and its ideas.
The consultation also provides no costings, which residents should be aware of when weighing up the options, and I believe there should have been a status quo option. I recommend that residents carefully consider the validity of this exercise, and I have written in with Justine Greening MP to suggest the status quo, or at worst, minimal intervention should be the preferred solution. You can read our letter here.
The consultation runs from 3rd July to 22nd August – and you can find out more on their website http://wimbledonparkconsultation.com/
There is one more drop in session where you can see and review the proposals, meet members of the project team and share your views on the park. This will be held at Wimbeldon Park Bowls Pavilion, Revelstoke Rd, London SW19 7HX on Sunday 14 August 2016 between 11am-3pm
AFC Wimbledon Stadium
The Mayor of London recently announced a short 14 day consultation before he decides whether or not he should take over responsibility for the Wimbledon Stadium planning application.
As you know, Merton Council last year approved plans to build a football stadium on the site of the Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium on Plough Lane, with 602 residential units.
You can read full details on the consultation, and the GLA’s report here. Comments must be received by Wednesday 10th August, by email to [email protected]
Your local councillors and I support AFC Wimbledon returning to the area, but only if the necessary attention and investment in local infrastructure to support this development is written into the plans.
St Helier Hospital Update
The Chief Executive of St Helier Hospital recently wrote to me about plans to move their corporate services to an office block near Epsom’s town centre. There are the desk based teams who usually work behind the scenes and therefore do not need to be based on the hospital site.
The move allows St Helier to expand its clinical services capacity and undertake some urgent work, including installing a second CT scanner, moving the renal department into a larger area and refurbishing the adult audiology department.
The staff involved are currently being consulted and I will update you as the plans progress.
Ridgway Traffic Survey
In 2014 Merton Council conducted an informal consultation for the Ridgway and roads leading off it, with a view to introduce traffic calming measures due to a high incidence of speeding and significant number of collisions.
The Council proposed traffic calming measures such as raising existing pedestrian crossings and adding mini roundabouts along the Ridgway.
Residents voted in favour of raising pedestrian crossings and against mini roundabouts. You can see the proposals in full, and the associated data online here: www.tinyurl.com/RidgwayConsultation
Following the consultation, Merton Council decided against any action. Since then I, alongside your local councillors, have met with a number of local Residents’ Associations, who are concerned about the ongoing speed and volume of traffic along the Ridgway.
Therefore, we have put together a questionnaire to secure the feedback of residents on this matter, and to see what, if anything, you would like to see implemented along the Ridgway. You can fill in the survey online at www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/RidgwayTraffic
Free Trees for Schools
Over the next four years, Defra is supporting the Woodland Trust to offer 400,000 native British trees, free to up to 7000 state funded primary schools in England.
The new scheme offers eligible schools extra help with planting to encourage them to make their school grounds and local communities greener.
As well as free tree packs, there’s help with finding somewhere else to plant if there isn’t room in school grounds; and there’s on-line curriculum linked resources to support teachers’ lesson plans.
The closing date is September 9th 2016 and schools can apply via the Woodland Trust website. More details can be found here: http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/freetrees
Motspur Park Post Office – 334 West Barnes Lane
The Post Office have written to me to confirm that Motspur Park Post Office will be moving from 334 West Barnes Lane to Eckle, 345 West Barnes Lane. This is part of the Post Office’s modernisation programme.
The current branch will close at 17:30 on Thursday 1st September 2016, with the new branch opening, at Eckle, 345 West Barnes Lane, at 13:00 on Friday 2nd September 2016.
The new branch will be open from 9am to 7.30pm Monday to Saturday and from 9.30am to 6.30pm on Sunday – which is an improvement on the current service.
Facebook and Twitter
Finally, don’t forget you can keep up to date with my work locally and in Parliament by following me onFacebook and on Twitter.