Introduction by Chairman of the Raynes Park Association, and Councillor Stephen Crowe who will chair the meeting

The meeting was held in Raynes Park Library Hall, and chaired by Councillor Stephen Crowe, with Chris Edge from the Raynes Park Association (RPA). More than 40 residents attended, as well as five Merton Councillors, and officers from the council and its partners. All the councillors in attendance introduced themselves to residents.

An opportunity to raise any other issue of local interest not covered elsewhere on the agenda. Kindly email your request in advance of the meeting to: chris.edge@ccedge.com and Stephen.Crowe@merton.gov.uk

Raynes Park station – the perimeter fence behind Starbucks is in a poor state of repair as are the support beams under the bridge. Chris Larkman explained these issues have been raised with Network Rail (NR) but they have not been responsive. NR are now using the prospect of Crossrail 2 as an excuse not to invest in the station.

A resident asked about Morley Park. Neil Milligan, Merton Council, said the transfer to Merton Council from the developer had been delayed due to Japanese knotweed. The developer was required to remove the knotweed to date and take out a ten-year insurance plan to ensure the Council has an indemnity against the knotweed returning.

Update on prevention and cleaning of gullies.

Councillor Anthony Fairclough shared an update from Tom Sly at Merton Council about the schedule for gully cleaning.

The routine gully cleansing service is contracted to Veolia, which is managed by Merton’s Public Space team. This service includes the cleaning of highway drainage Systems (includes gullies, footway gully channels, drainage pipes, catchpits, oil separators and soakaways). All gullies across the borough are cleaned a minimum of every two years. In town centre locations, gullies are cleaned three times annually.

In addition, Merton’s Highway team undertakes an annual clean of all high risk gullies. These are locations which are at risk of flooding according to the latest flood risk maps or have a historic flooding or drainage issue. The significant majority of Raynes Park and West Barnes roads are covered by this schedule of work, which is undertaken each winter and early spring. Each gully and the connection pipe, up to the point of discharge into the Thames Water surface water sewer is cleaned by high pressure jetting and any defects or blockages in the receiving sewer network will be reported back to Highways for planned remedial works or Thames Water if sewer related. Approximately 5500 gullies are cleaned each year under the high risk gully cleansing schedule. Blocked gullies can be reported to the Council via the website link:

https://www.merton.gov.uk/streets-parking-transport/street-cleaning/drain-and-sewer-problems

Blocked sewers, sewer flooding or burst water mains can be reported to Thames Water on 0800 3169 800.

Veolia currently use one jetting tanker to undertake the routine scheduled gully service. The High Risk Gully cleansing schedule operates with a specialist 18.5 tonne super-combo tanker. In the event of severe weather, Merton Council can instruct contractors to work overtime and/or provide additional tanker/s if required, subject to priority, the severity of the event and funding being made available.

Under the high risk gully cleansing schedule, the Council issues notices and advertise the roads being cleaned in the Wimbledon Guardian for traffic order. This allows parking to be suspended during the works. The roads are coned off 48 hours before the gully cleansing works are undertaken. Parked cars can be an issue and obstruction to these works. We advise residents to take note of these signs and to move their vehicles when this work is being undertaken.

Cllr Fairclough also shared an update from Thames Water. Since the last meeting Thames water have inspected nine manholes; surveyed around 290 metres of the Network with CCTV; and cleaned 290 metres of sewers. Investigations are ongoing with 670m still outstanding to be cleaned between 11-17 September.

Once they have all the surveys completed, Thames Water will meet with Merton on 20 September to review the information and identify next steps/actions. They will also use the survey information to update our sewer network models. Thames Water would like to attend to the December meeting, to provide a further update.

Councillor Stephen Alambritis, will provide an update on key issues with the Council and take questions

Councillor Stephen Alambritis provided an update and responded to questions. Finances across local government remain stretched and Merton was no exception. The latest Medium Term Financial Strategy shows that there is a budget gap of £19m from 2019/20 to 2022/23. This would be met through a mix of savings and income generation. Much of the cost pressures relate to Adult Social Care where the Council has a statutory duty to provide for some of the most vulnerable people in Merton. The Council has invested an additional £9m in Adult Social Care to help meet these challenges.

Children’s services where the Council is a corporate parent to 135 children and young people are also a high priority. The recent Ofsted inspection found that the Council was good with outstanding features and one of the top ten authorities in England.

Working in partnership with other boroughs has also helped reduce costs. Merton leads a legal services partnership on behalf of four other boroughs; shares regulatory services like licensing across three boroughs and has even let out three floors in the Civic Centre to colleagues in the NHS. Renting out parks has also brought in additional revenue but can cause residents concern which the council is sensitive to.

The new dementia friendly library in Colliers Wood was recently short-listed for the 2018 Library of the Year award.

The Council has created an additional 4400 extra primary school places since 2010 by extending 23 schools and a new secondary school, Harris Wimbledon, has opened in the former adult education site at Whately Avenue. The school will then move to a new building on High Path in South Wimbledon for the 2020 intake. There are now 15 outstanding schools in Merton, including the most recently Harris Morden, a school which had previously rated as inadequate. The Council’s School Improvement Team continues to work across the borough to support schools. In last year’s GCSE results Merton had the highest scores for the Progress 8 school which measures progress from Key Stage 2 to Key Stage 4.

There a number of important regeneration projects underway. Clarion Housing is investing £1billion in improving three estates, that will result in better quality homes and no loss of social housing. The More Morden regeneration is back on track, with a new local plan being developed in 2018, and a development partner being appointed to begin works on improving the public domain in 2021. The new £13m Morden Leisure Centre is due to open later in the autumn with a six-lane pool, diving pool, café and gym. The old leisure centre will then be demolished and returned to park land. On Plough Lane work is progressing on the new football stadium for AFC Wimbledon. The club will hopefully move in for the 2020/21 season. There will also be 600 new homes, at least 30% of which will be affordable.

Cllr Alambritis thanked all those who volunteered in Merton. Volunteers are an essential part of life in Merton and he was pleased  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

Hannah Pearson spoke about the Merton Clinical Commissioning Group’s plans and the conversations they have been having with residents. A presentation is available in Appendix 1.

Hannah said the role of the CCG is to improve health and well-being, reduce health inequalities, and ensure equal access to quality services. Every year the CCG produces new plans and speaks to residents about services. Since August they have been speaking with community groups across Merton. They are facing a number of challenges including:

•           We know patients have to wait longer than they would expect to, to access some services

•           The NHS is facing unprecedented financial challenges

•           The quality of some of our services are variable

•           Not all of our NHS buildings are in the best condition and need repairs

•           Having good access psychological therapies remains a challenge

•           There is expected growth in our population which will put pressure on services now and in the future

•           There is an increasing demand for new treatments and therapies

The CCG has three priorities areas:

Start Well - Integrated support for children and families; Emotional wellbeing and mental health

Live Well - Wellbeing and long term conditions; Mental health and wellbeing

Age Well - Complex health and care needs

Hannah asked residents for feedback on local services. Residents said that services at the Nelson were brilliant. A question was asked about the closure of the walk-in centre, Hannah said that the creation of GP Hubs had created more appointments and helped the CCG work out when demand is highest. Social prescribing had proved effective and is being rolling out across GP surgeries, so far nine practices in the East but with expansion to the Nelson and three other surgeries in the West.

Patient Participation Groups in GP surgeries vary considerably so there is more work to do in some areas. The PPGs feed into a borough wide Patient Engagement Group.

Update from Tony Edwards on:

•              Seating on south side of Skew Arch        

•              Possible Removal of Bins on North of Skew Arch

•              West Barnes Lane Community Infrastructure Levy [CIL]

•              Land purchase corner on South side of Station entrance

Chris Larkman, Raynes Park Association, provided updates

South side of skew arch: The Astroturf installed has survived well so the plan is now to add seating.

Bins on north side of skew arch: Chris and Cllr Crowe hope to meet with The Waste Services Team on site to encourage progress.

Corner on South Side of Station –still waiting for approval from NR to make improvements and transfer land to Merton Council.

The Raynes Park Safer Neighbourhood Team are looking for residents to participate in their consultative group.

•           New Malden to RP Pedestrian and Cycle link

•           Advertising hoarding between station and Waitrose

•           Planning matters

Neil Milligan provided update on planning and other local issues.

New Malden to Raynes Park Cycle Link – has now received planning permission from both boroughs and should be completed by May 2019.

Advertising hoarding between station and Waitrose – should be removed tomorrow.

All England Club sports fields Grand Drive – 18/P1024. Major application for the new club house, car park, second air dome, groundsman’s maintenance buildings and courts on the sports fields off Grand Drive. Approved by Committee and work progressing on S106.

557 Kingston Road – Dundonald Church – 17/P0763 - proceeding towards finalising the S106 for the new church with flats above and then issuing planning permission. No progress since last update.

559-589 Kingston Road – Manuplastics and land to the west – 16/P1208 -  work commenced on sorting out the S106. There is also a second application for 103 units (17/P2529) which is now in abeyance. The agent has said his client will review whether to withdraw the second application pending the outcome of work on the S106. Following a successful meeting with the applicant’s team officers are now confident that the appeal can be avoided and that permission should be ready to issue within the next week.

South side of Wyke Road – 17/P0609 -. Construction of three apartment blocks (two three storey blocks and one four storey block containing 10 x 1 bedroom flats (Amended scheme). The application as amended is being reported to PAC on 20th September with a recommendation to approve subject to completing a S106 to make the scheme permit free and to deal with any necessary adjustments to kerbside/pavement parking and conditions.

Rainbow – non material amendment applications with to add/amend conditions so as to enable phased development – 18/P0258 and 18/P0259. Otherwise – no news.

3/3A Orchard Lane - 17/P3256 – 5 dwellings on backland site – approved but nothing in the form of discharge of conditions since then. No change.

80-86 Bushey Road - 16/P1317 - Major retail/food and drink development.

most unoccupied buildings now demolished. Unclear as to how the approved scheme might progress for the time being as occupied buildings like Pets at Home remain and the scheme would need to somehow work around these.

Perhaps they will decant once a suitable unit becomes available in the new development. 

32-34 Bushey Road 18/P2619 – 34 flats – Consultation completed and the case officer  is meeting with the applicant tomorrow (13/09/18) to discuss concerns (bulk/design/layout).

·         Feedback from Ride London Sunday 29 July 2018

·         Feedback from Raynes Park Summer Festival 29 June - 8 July 2018

·         Citizens UK – Merton Branch Peter Brierley

·         Reminder Christmas Festival 7th December 2018

Ride London event took place on 29 July 2018. A street party took place despite the poor weather.

My Raynes Park Summer Festival

Tom Underwood updated the meeting on events at this summer’s festival, the seventh year it has taken place. Events took place from 29 June until 8 July, ending with ‘Lark in the Park’ on the final day attended by more than 500 people.

Tom also informed the meeting that the Scout Hut on Cottenham Park Road will be one of the venues hosting Attic Theatre’s production of “The Rebellious Women of Wimbledon”, a new play about the Suffragette movement in Wimbledon. The play will also be performed at West Barnes Library. Details are available at www.attictheatrecompany.com   

The Christmas Fair will take place on Friday 7 December in the Waitrose Car Park. (bulk/design/layout).

Thursday 6 December 2018

Tuesday 26 March 2019

All at 7.15pm in the Library Hall

Thursday 6 December 2018

Tuesday 26 March 2019