Merton Council asks for ideas every year about the issues and services it should review to respond to local people.

So we have taken it at its word and made thirteen suggestions.

Unfortunately, we have asked for a number of these to be looked at in both 2015 and 2014 but they haven’t been and Merton Council doesn’t appear to provide feedback to people responding to its invitation.

This year we’ve asked to be informed about what is chosen and how many of the reviews are down to issues raised by the community rather than local councillors.

Our thirteen topics needing extra scrutiny are:

1.    Consultation procedures on planning applications
2.    Officer conduct at Planning Applications Committee
3.    Effectiveness of street cleaning
4.    Design Review Panel transparency
5.    Quality of consultants used by Merton Council on its own planning applications
6.    Effectiveness of Mitcham Common Conservators
7.    Contracting out procedures
8.    Tree watering (lack of)
9.    School run and travel plans
10.    Planning enforcement
11.    Vacant buildings
12.    Pedestrian priority on crossings
13.    Shopping parades

Read our full response to the request for topics for scrutiny.

here and you can feed your own suggestions in before 20 March to scrutiny@merton.gov.uk