ISSUE 79 AUTUMN 2019 mynews and informationmerton from your council Win a pair of tickets for Curtains at NewTheatre Wimbledon Striding back to school Climate change emergency declared 2 The Leader of Merton Council, Councillor Stephen Alambritis, writes for My Merton Even though my kids are now grown Meanwhile, across the borough, on 22 September in your diary. up, I still get that little flurry of our new refuse service has led to Take to your feet – although don’t anticipation as the new school year an increase in recycling, by making forget an umbrella just in case! – or begins. Although I don’t go as far as it easier for everyone to do their bit apply for your neighbourhood to have buying them a new pencil case, the and reduce waste. a Play Street, to remove traffic from approach of autumn is still a time for Merton is a great place for families, a residential street so kids can kick thinking about our children and the but poor air quality also affects around a football, or you and your future they will have. growing children with their neighbours can have a street party. Earlier this summer the council developing lungs and brains. So we So, whether or not you still had to declared a Climate Emergency, also need to look at ways to cut car buy new school uniforms, I look see page 10, as the planet faces emissions and improve air quality in forward to us all working together this unprecedented levels of warming. the borough. I know that won’t be autumn to making Merton a healthier Our aim is to achieve carbon easy, but we know we need to do more place now and for generations to come. neutrality at the council within 12 to discourage car journeys where years, and I’m looking forward to public transport is available instead. working with colleagues to reach this. I urge you to put World Car Free Day Councillor honoured Part of a new housing development has been named in tribute to one of Merton’s most popular councillors. Three years after Labour councillor Maxi Martin sadly passed away, Haig Housing, which provides homes for veterans and their families, has launched Maxi Martin Court. The development, with 68 energy efficient new homes, is in St Helier ward which Cllr Martin served for 18 years. The Leader of Merton Council, Councillor Stephen Alambritis, said: “It is a fitting tribute to Maxi’s tireless work for the community, particularly children and young people and members of the armed forces and their families.” Cllr Martin was appointed the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services in 2010 and served as Mayor of Merton from 2003 until 2004. The councillor was a frequent visitor to Haig Housing headquarters which is located in the ward she represented. Left to right: The Leader of Merton Council, Cllr Stephen Alambritis; Haig Housing Chief Executive, Brigadier James Cllr Maxi Martin’s son Paul Martin; Richardson said: “This special commemorative opening, Cabinet Member for Voluntary Sector, pays tribute to a much-loved local councillor who was both Partnerships and Community Safety, Cllr Edith Macauley; MP for Mitcham the Borough’s Armed Forces Champion and a special and Morden Siobhain McDonagh; friend of our residents and the trust.” Deputy Leader of Merton Council and Cabinet Member Councillor Martin died peacefully in her sleep during for Finance, Cllr Mark Allison; Armed Forces Champion Cllr Dennis Pearce. Inset: Cllr Martin the evening of 6 April 2016 following an illness. mymerton merton Issue 79 • Autumn 2019 3 proud to be a Fairtrade borough merton.gov.uk Do it online For information about council Contents services or to report it, pay it or apply merton.gov.uk for it online, visit Back to school My Merton is published quarterly and Giving Merton children the best start in life is distributed to 86,000 households in 10 the borough. Clean air For details about advertising and Find out why editorial deadlines, please visit Merton is merton.gov.uk/mymerton declaring a Climate Change Emergency Follow us www.facebook.com/mertoncouncil @Merton_Council @whatsoninmerton 14 www.youtube.com/mertoncouncil Warm Keep up to date with the latest news and in our newsroom: news.merton.gov.uk well Find out what’s on and post your Keeping own event on our events calendar: older merton.gov.uk/events residents healthy The London Borough of Merton does not accept responsibility for or 9 endorse any products or services Pupils from Merton Abbey Primary School, putting offered by advertisers. their best feet forward on the Rainbow Crossing in Wimbledon, installed to support the LGBTQ+ community Whenever you see this logo that means there’s a volunteering opportunity to get involved in. Community My Merton is: Distributed by London Letterbox News Environment 020 8940 0666 The latest news from Recycling – it’s in our www.londonletterbox.co.uk around the borough 4 own hands 20 Designed by Domino4 01932 988677, [email protected] Community safety www.domino4.co.uk Features Consultation on crime Printed by Cliffe Enterprise Print Working life and anti-social behaviour 22 Partnership 0845 601 9478 Conor McCormack on special [email protected] www.cliffe-enterprise.com educational needs support 13 What’s on Your guide to all that’s going My Merton costs only 12p a copy to produce. The magazine Enforcement in action on in Merton this autumn 25 is printed on fully recyclable paper, which is accredited Combatting enviro-crime 16 by the PEFC Council (Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes). This edition ofMy Merton 5 minutes with... is distributed from 12 September 2019. History Dr Mohan Sekeram from Halloween tales from Merton 19 Wide Way Medical Centre 32 When you have finished with this magazine please recycle it. news 4 Keeping Merton informed It’s all go for new cycle and walking route A traffic-free route for people new path, which runs parallel to enjoy walking and cycling to a railway line on land owned between Merton and Kingston by Thames Water, passes under was officially opened at a the A3 Kingston bypass. fun day. Merton Council collaborated The new 1.2km tree-lined on the new route, which is part path has made the journey of Kingston Council’s Go Cycle between Raynes Park network, funded by Transport Recreation Ground and New for London. National cycling Malden Railway Station faster, charity Sustrans, which worked safer and far more attractive. on the design and delivery of The project has also created a the project, described the link ‘green corridor’ for people to between the two boroughs as a enjoy the environment and ‘jewel in the crown’ of the Go wildlife along the route. The Cycle network. The official opening of the Go Cycle route between Merton and Kingston World-class £1m funding for Merton parks community projects The council has agreed to allocate nearly £1m from its Neighbourhood Fund to 14 projects. Merton’s Neighbourhood Fund comes from the charges the council makes to developers for infrastructure or community facilities needed to support new homes and businesses in the borough. A key component of awarding funding was ensuring that projects would contribute to Merton’s community plans and priorities. More than £405,000 of funding has been earmarked for projects that help address income, health, and Six Merton parks have kept their all its open spaces. The parks skills gaps between the east and west of the borough. These prestigious Green Flag awards. awarded the internationally- include supporting Commonside Community Development The award flags up that an open recognised Green Flag accolade Trust’s projects for residents on the Pollards Hill estate and in space boasts the highest possible are Abbey Recreation Ground, east Mitcham, as well as a project to make improvements to environmental standards, is Colliers Wood Recreation the Bramcote Avenue shopping parade in Mitcham. beautifully maintained and Ground, Dundonald Recreation A number of projects will also help support the demands has excellent visitor facilities. Ground, John Innes Park, Sir that Wimbledon Stadium development in Plough Lane will Merton is one of the greenest Joseph Hood Memorial Playing place on the borough, including one to renovate Haydons boroughs in London and Field and South Park Gardens. Road shopping parade. autumn is a great season for find out more families to make the most of www.greenflagaward.org.uk news Keeping Merton informed 5 Celebrating exam success Thousands of teenagers and their teachers were Merton Council’s Cabinet Member for praised for their hard work and achievements Schools, Councillor Eleanor Stringer, who Love your as the results of exams were revealed. visited Ricards Lodge High School in Secondary schools in Merton have Wimbledon, said: “It was a privilege to neighbourhood continued to perform very well despite the be invited to see pupils finding out their There are more than 850 tougher new grading system introduced GCSE results and congratulate them on registered voluntary and for GCSEs this year. all their hard work. community organisations, The eagerly awaited A level results “I also enjoyed meeting some of the and hundreds more revealed 77.5% of Merton students achieved dedicated teaching staff, whose hard informal groups in Merton, A*–C grades, which is above the national work has helped to ensure that all our which are all working to average. 72.8% of Merton pupils have secondary schools have been rated as Good enhance the quality of life achieved grades 9–4 for their GCSEs in both or Outstanding by Ofsted.” for all those who live or English and maths.