Date Valley School proving to be a bad neighbour

Date Valley School is located at the end of one of the most characterful streets in Merton.

Cricket Green road is a cul-de-sac framing the historic cricket ground and lined with listed and locally listed buildings.

The travel demands of a school in such a sensitive location were always going to be problematic and so it has proved.

The school has a travel plan which bars parents from driving up to drop off and collect children and it encourages a walking train from The Canons.

It is honoured only in the breach. Major parking problems along Cricket Green and in Chatsworth Place are a more than daily occurrence during term time, including fly parking, obstruction of residential spaces, flagrant breaches of the school travel plan and illegal parking on private land alongside a failure to enforce the parking restrictions introduced when the school opened.

We also have regular reports of verbal abuse being levelled at local residents who challenge drivers in breach of the school travel plan and the police have needed to attend incidents which have arisen.

Despite this Date Valley School has applied for planning permission to open on Saturdays till 1.00pm and to extend its hours of activity into weekday evenings.

A similar proposal was turned down by Merton Council in 2014.  We believe the boundary of acceptability has already been crossed and an extension of hours will make an already intolerable situation worse.  The application should be refused.

Read our comments on this application.

Community backs Mitcham cricket pavilion campaign

Our Community on the Green celebration was buzzing this year.

The future of Mitcham cricket pavilion in the face of development plans for a hotel on the Burn Bullock site was the focus of attention.

The strength of community support for securing the future of the pavilion was palpable.

Our community photo call was a great success.

The campaign will move up a gear over the summer as Merton’s planners provide feedback on the development.

Campaign for Mitcham cricket pavilion

We are working with Mitcham Cricket Club to secure the transfer of Mitcham cricket pavilion to the community as part of development plans for the Burn Bullock site.

The campaign has received important all-party backing from Merton’s politicians who have agreed the following statement:

 

Merton is immensely proud of the 333 year tradition of playing cricket on the Green in Mitcham – the longest record for any ground in the world. We are aware of the difficulties faced by Mitcham Cricket Club due to the uncertain tenure of Mitcham cricket pavilion. The cricket pavilion is recognised as the first asset of community value in Merton. We are also aware of the troubled recent history of the Burn Bullock site and of the development and restoration plans which have the potential to bring a lasting solution.

As part of any development proposals for the site we are united in our desire to see the transfer of Mitcham cricket pavilion and all its operational land and buildings into community ownership and management through transfer of the freehold or provision of a 999 year lease at a peppercorn rent ahead of any new development.

Councillor Stephen Alambritis, Labour Group Leader, Merton Council
Councillor Oonagh Moulton, Conservative Group Leader, Merton Council
Councillor Anthony Fairclough, Liberal Democrats Group Leader, Merton Council
Councillor Peter Southgate, Merton Park Independent Residents Group Leader, Merton Council
Siobhain McDonagh, Member of Parliament, Mitcham and Morden

 

The latest plans are for a hotel linked to restoration of the Grade II listed Burn Bullock as a restaurant and pub. We would welcome a well designed hotel and the Burn Bullock’s restoration is long overdue. Unfortunately, the plans demolish Mitcham Cricket Club’s equipment shed and the owners have said there are no guarantees they will fund a replacement in an extended pavilion. This puts at risk the 333 year old record of cricket being played on the Green, longer than anywhere else in the world.

We are delighted by this all-party support and are now working to ensure any planning decisions secure the future of the pavilion, its shed and operational land in community hands.

Community on the Green Wednesday 25 July 2018 – all welcome

Mitcham Cricket Green Community & Heritage invites you to join us on Wednesday 25th July for our annual celebration of Cricket Green and everyone who lives and works here.

This year we will be gathering your thoughts on favourite places in the Conservation Area and sharing news on the plans for the Burn Bullock and cricket pavilion. There will also be a free guided walking tour to discover the remarkable trees of Cricket Green and The Canons. Cricket will be played on the historic ground during the evening.

Community on the Green includes:

  • exhibitions and displays about what is going on in Cricket Green
  • The Canons marquee with news and information about the multi-million pound Lottery project
  • Wandle Industrial Museum display
  • a celebration of our contribution to the first London National Park City week
  • short speeches at 7pm
  • a guided tree walk at around 7.30pm
  • a celebration of the oldest cricket ground in the world
  • opportunities to visit Mitcham cricket pavilion, Merton’s first registered Asset of Community Value
  • information about plans for the Wilson hospital
  • a demonstration from Oomph! Wellness of its Walk’n’Talk Programme
  • drinks and light refreshments
  • and more!

We hope you will join other organisations, businesses and the local community for what will be a relaxed, enjoyable and informative evening.

It would be helpful if you could tell us you’re coming – email us at  info@mitchamcricketgreen.org.uk.

We look forward to seeing you!

Local elections 2018 – Cricket Green candidates respond to our questions

The forthcoming election on 3rd May is an important moment for Cricket Green. Two longstanding ward councillors are standing down, and so whoever is elected we will see fresh faces representing our ward within Merton Council and standing up for Cricket Green.

As the local civic society we have asked questions of all 11 candidates standing in Cricket Green ward about their views on key local issues.

These range from the future of the Wilson Hospital and cricket on the green to their attitude to protecting the Conservation Area and priorities for Merton’s next Local Plan. We have also asked them about their favourite place in Cricket Green.

We have received responses from all five political parties and a number of the individual candidates. Their answers are revealing.

As a local charity it is not for us to take sides in the election. The responses speak for themselves and we hope you find them useful.

Local election 2018 – party responses

You can compare the 2018 responses to those we received to our questions to candidates in the previous local election in 2014

Annual Review 2017 published

We published our Annual Review for 2017 at our AGM on 24th April 2018.

This presents highlights of our work during 2017 – it is a good place to find out more about what we do and some of our achievements during the year.

Highlights of 2017 include :

  • Playing our part in the success of achieving a £4.7m Lottery award for The Canons Mitcham, and looking forward to seeing this project through to fruition
  • Working hard to protect our much valued green spaces from fly-parking and unauthorised work on green spaces, including the removal of front gardens
  • Forging working relationships with Merton Council’s contractor for green spaces management, idverde
  • Achieving Grade II listing for the war memorial at Lower Green West
  • Continuing our relationship with SUEZ and working with the company on its planned departure from Mitcham – which will leave its site with planning permission for housing
  • Achieving local listing for a number of Mitcham landmarks
  • Continuing to fight for a resolution to the Burn Bullock
  • Commenting on many planning applications – a large number of which seem opportunistic and without appropriate consideration of their statutory duty to ‘enhance’ the Conservation Area.
  • Organising events such as Mitcham Heritage Day and Community on the Green

…… and much more

Get your copy of our annual review:

MCGC&H Annual Review 2017 – read on screen

MCGC&H Annual review 2017 – print double sided and fold into booklet