Deseret House – a case of desperate design

Mitcham town centre has been a focus for significant public investment in the last couple of years.

This has generally upgraded the public spaces and set a higher standard for design and development.

It is all the more disappointing therefore to find crude plans to build an extra two floors above Deseret House, next to the former Tesco on London Road.

This development lies on the edge of the Cricket Green Conservation Area and is far too bulky for the site. It would damage the retail parade and have a negative impact on Glebe Court.

Mitcham deserves better and we’ve teamed up the Mitcham Society to spell out why we think Merton Council should give the application short shrift.

Read our views here.

Intrusive flats planned for Sparrowhawk yard

The Sparrowhawk’s are one of the most significant Mitcham families and have long associations in the area.

The former Sparrowhawk scrap metal yard lies on the edge of Cricket Green Conservation area by Beehive Bridge and across the road from Three Kings Piece.  It is a large and prominent site now subject to a planning application for 29 flats on four storeys.

We have reviewed the plans and are unimpressed by the design.

It is a greedy development using up too much of the site and highly visible from the Conservation Area and Three Kings Piece.

The prominent balconies and failure to respect the surrounding 1930s suburban housing is especially notable.

We support the site being used for housing and believe its size means that the highest quality of design can be expected along with other public benefits, including communal space and improving the local public realm.

Read our views here

Mitcham Heritage Day – Saturday 9 September 2017

10.00am to 4.30pm Saturday 9th September at Mitcham Cricket Green

Come and enjoy the heritage on your doorstep and find out more about where you live.

Just some of the things you can do for free!

  • Learn about Mary Tate Almshouses
  • Visit the bell ringing chamber in the Parish Church
  • Find out about the history of cricket in Mitcham
  • Discover the fascinating industrial history of the river Wandle
  • See an exhibition of historic postcards about Mitcham
  • Take a guided tour of the Parish Church graveyard
  • Listen to the choir at Mitcham Methodist Church
  • Visit the 14th Century arch at Cricket Green School
  • Join a guided walk around historic Cricket Green and The Canons
  • Watch cricket being played from the balcony of the historic cricket pavilion
  • Take a guided tour of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church
  • …….and much more

Refreshments available through the day at most venues.

Round the day off with a choral concert including music specially composed to celebrate Mitcham’s heritage. Full details on our leaflet (below).

Helping make Mitcham Heritage Day possible:

  • Mitcham Parish Church
  • Mitcham Cricket Club
  • Wandle Industrial Museum
  • Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church
  • Cricket Green School
  • Mitcham Methodist Church
  • Merton Heritage & Local Studies Centre

To see the full itinerary Download our leaflet

 

 

 

 

 

To help with the publicity print and display our poster

Mitcham Heritage Day is participating in Heritage Open Days.

Mitcham Heritage Day  has been supported by a grant from Big Lottery Fund Celebrate England

 

Cricket Green war memorial gets national listing

We’re delighted that the Secretary of State has accepted our nomination for the war memorial on Lower Green West to be nationally listed.

We proposed the listing on Remembrance Sunday last year and have secured a Grade II listing for this important memorial at the heart of the Mitcham community.

The volunteer research behind the nomination has now been accepted on the official record.

The war memorial has been listed on three grounds:

  • As an eloquent witness to the tragic impact of world events on this local community, and the sacrifice it has made in the conflicts of the C20
  • As an elegant wheel-head cross memorial with well-executed carved details and sculpted bronze swords
  • For its relationship with the Grade II-listed Mitcham Parish Rooms.

We’re proud to have played our part in securing national recognition for this monument to the contribution Mitcham’s community made in the two World Wars. It stands as witness to the impact of conflict on Mitcham and we’re delighted to see the war memorial recognised and protected for the future.

The memorial was unveiled in 1920 at a ceremony attended by 5,000 people and has 588 names inscribed on the four panels.

This national recognition also supports the war memorials programme promoted by Civic Voice as the national organisation for local civic societies like Mitcham Cricket Green Community & Heritage.

Read the official listing notice

Launched – our interactive community map

Today we are delighted to launch our interactive community map.

This is a collection of what people feel makes Cricket Green special.

Anyone can contribute.

If there is a building, open space, tree, view, feature or something else you like or enjoy looking at, please let us know by adding it to the map.

Create a bookmark on your phone and add new places as you see them. Don’t forget to add  a photo.

Browse the map and add your own comments to places that other people have already added.

To add your favourite things to the Community Map start here.

The development of this map was support by a grant from Big Lottery Fund Celebrate England

Local list – our proposed additions accepted

Merton Council maintains a “local list” of buildings and structures which are of historic interest and add character to the area.

We have been pleased to help ensure a clear process for making additions based on input from the local community.

This year we proposed five additions to the local list for Mitcham Cricket Green:

  • Bramcote Court and Parade – a distinctive 1930s residential development in the “moderne” style
  • The Canons walls and well – these impressive structures include examples from both the 18th and 19th century and have been identified as being highly significant in recent investigations of The Canons as part of the successful Lottery bid that we are centrally involved with
  • Mitcham running track – the remnants of the cinder track on the former news of the World Sports Ground are the last vestige of a sporting heritage which included the training of Olympic athletes. Restoration of this track is part of the successful Lottery bid
  • The Canons Lodge lamp stands – these are a distinctive addition to the Lodge which is already locally listed
  • Gas lamp post – this elegant cast iron structure stands opposite The White Hart as a reminder of the days before electric street lamps and dates to the 1850s.

Four of these were accepted as additions to the Local List by a Council Meeting on 12 July. The Canon walls have been confirmed as being nationally listed.

If you have any thoughts on further structures that might be added to the Local List, please let us know.

Meanwhile, view the Local List here.