Category Archives: Cricket Green Conservation Area

Cranmer School development proposals – our response

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The growing school population has resulted in plans for a new building at Cranmer School to accommodate a 50% increase in the number of pupils.

The new building runs along the boundary with the Wilson Hospital and it is a concern that this is prominently located in the green corridor which links open spaces in the area. The design is striking and has a green roof (made of sedum plants).

We have welcomed the general approach while encouraging a more sympathetic design to the main frontage.  A serious concern is the impact on the school run which is already a source of major disruption even before the school grows in size.  To address this we are asking for any planning permission to include a school travel plan that is agreed with the local community and reduces the impact to below current levels even after school numbers have increased.

This will need a clear commitment to monitoring and enforcement to be effective – something which has failed to materialise in other parts of the Borough.

A final comment is that we have discovered a large number of basic errors and weaknesses in the reports used by Merton Council to support the application and suggested they tender again for their consultancy work.

You can read our comments on the planning application here

Galvanised steel fencing along Willow Lane wholly inappropriate

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If you read our earlier post about the Council opening up Willow Lane to traffic you will know that we are concerned by the impact on this semi-rural lane of the new kerbs, yellow lines and a remarkable 26 (yes – 26!) new road signs.

We posted some photos of the works at our Flickr site. 

And we made a formal response which you can find here.

We have now made a new representation which focuses specifically on the plan to erect 2.5m high galvanised steel fencing along the edges of Willow Lane.

Not only are the proposals unclear on where this fencing is to be placed (though three different areas are suggested), we believe such fencing is wholly inappropriate for the semi rural setting and totally wrong for the border of Mitcham Common.

These photos illustrate the newly opened up Willow Lane and the kind of fencing  which is proposed.

Willow lane fencing photos April 2013

Read our response on the fencing in full here.

Cricket Green Charter published

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We launched the Cricket Green Charter at the Mitcham Community Forum on 15 April. 

This was developed through the Tune In Cricket Green workshop with local residents, organised in partnership with Merton Council and our local ward councilors.  The full report of the workshop is now available and can be downloaded here. 

The 21 point Charter sets out our ambitions for the future of Cricket Green for the first time.  We want it to be used to guide all future policies and planning decisions.

The rich story of Cricket Green told through its buildings, open spaces and people should set the standard and makes development in the area a privilege.

The Charter asks that all development is required to show how it matches up to the quality of Cricket Green and contributes positively to its future. We look forward to working with Merton Council and others to bring it to life.

You can read the Cricket Green Charter here.

Opening up Willow Lane

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The old route into Willow Lane from Carshalton Road near Mitcham Junction station is being opened up to vehicles again after nine years.

The diggers arrived out of the blue and have been hard at work.

Merton Council has only recently consulted on the proposals, well after the works began, and a copy of our views is available here.

The Council’s plans are available here.

We are concerned by the impact on this semi-rural lane of the new kerbs, yellow lines and a remarkable 26 (yes – 26!) new road signs.

With the road restricted to vans it is unclear whether the economic benefit is worth the financial and environmental cost.

We are also asking for the work to improve the condition of the two Victorian railway bridges, noted by eminent local historian Eric Montague as being remarkably unaltered since the 19th century.

We’ve posted some photos of the works at our Flickr site. If you have any pictures you’d like us to add, please send them to info@mitchamcricketgreen.org.uk with a description.

Merton Council in the process of reopening Willow Lane to traffic and turning a quiet, pedestrian friendly county lane into a modern road. We understand consultation of local households was poor

Merton Council in the process of reopening Willow Lane to traffic and turning a quiet, pedestrian friendly country lane into a modern road. We understand consultation of local households was poor.

Fair Green bus lane – we support the Mitcham Society

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The Mitcham Society has published a helpful position statement on Merton Council’s proposals for driving a bus lane across Fair Green.

This is available here.

We are pleased to support it.

It is important that the value of Fair Green – which is part of a network of common land and open spaces that includes Cricket Green – is properly recognised.

The Mitcham Society also reports a survey showing that over 80% of traders and shops in the town centre oppose the bus lane proposals. You’ll find a report on this at the Local Guardian newspaper web site here.

We are keen to see other options to a bus lane being put forward by Merton Council when it consults on the next phase of the “Rediscover Mitcham” project in the next few weeks.

It is possible to increase the number of people visiting Mitcham without building a new road through its heart.

Bus lane plans will carve up Fair Green

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Merton councillors recently gave the green light to develop detailed designs for a new road across Fair Green for buses as part of the investment plans for Mitcham town centre.

This followed an earlier rejection of the bus lane idea by the council’s own Street Management Advisory Committee.

There will be further public consultation in the spring and we will be campaigning for a less damaging alternative.  We believe there should be consultation on an option which improves the location of the existing bus stops and makes it easier to cross the road junctions and to get to and from London Road and Fair Green.  These simple measures could bring many more people into the centre at much less financial and environmental cost.

Mitcham town centre already has a lot going for it.  It is proving more resilient to recession than many and has only a handful of empty shops and an unusual concentration of successful banks and financial services.

We believe the key to its success lies in working with the community, local businesses and the market to boost local pride; manage the market stalls, shop fronts and green spaces; and promote more activities and events which bring people in.  This is much more likely to be successful than a new road carving across Fair Green.  The success of the Valentine’s Day event is just the beginning.

Fair Green is central to all this – it is the ace in Mitcham’s pack.  This is not just another open space in a town centre but a unique fragment of common land that connects Mitcham to its past and to its surroundings.  It may be bruised and battered and a little frayed around the edges but in Fair Green, Mitcham has something truly important.  Let’s not kid ourselves its value will be realised by carving it in two and then adding some token patches of green space to its edges in compensation.

These are exciting times for Mitcham – let’s hope we can agree the best approach for its future.