Leader of the Council, Councillor Stephen Alambritis

Councillor Alambritis provided an anonymous case study of a 96-year-old man who lives independently but on his own. After a fall, he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and already had Type 2 Diabetes. Merton Council’s Reablement team has worked with the resident to create a Reablement Plan including four visits a day, with new equipment to make his home accessible, a MASCOT alarm, and referred him to Age UK Merton for support. The resident is now regaining his confidence and attending Wimbledon Guild to reduce his isolation. 45% of Merton Council controllable income goes on Adult Social Care and also supports groups like Wimbledon Guild and the Warm and Well project with £1m for the voluntary sector. Committed in the July Principles in 2011 to prioritise vulnerable residents.

Merton looks after more than 200 children and has a good rating from Ofsted on children’s services. Four of our care leavers went on to University this year. Merton Council is looking at how we support students with special needs and lobbying the government to help fund this work.

Veolia still not good enough so continuing to push, but still some benefits including £1m in savings increasing recycling to 45% and reducing landfill. Friends of the Earth rated Merton joint 2^nd in London for tackling climate change.

Thanks to volunteers to are essential to providing services. We are continuing to support VCS with £1m including MVSC and Merton and Morden Guild and Friends in St Helier (FISH).

Merton supports regeneration schemes like AFC Wimbledon move to Plough Lane, designating the old dog track for sporting intensity to make sure the site was protected.

We will work to keep all services at St Helier. The hospital is improving but needs new facilities on the existing site as that is where the most need is. 

Merton Council has decided to keep all libraries open, despite 500 libraries closing nationally. The new library in Colliers Wood came second in a Library of the Year competition. Volunteers are vital in keeping libraries going and being innovative.

Nearly all schools in Merton are good or outstanding. Twenty-three primary schools have been expanded to address demand and a new secondary school in South Wimbledon is already oversubscribed. Adult Education also going from strength to strength under Merton College having saved the service from the impact from reduced central government funding.

We are supporting regeneration if three Clarion estates; and supporting other providers like Haig Homes housing veterans. Her Majesty the Queen opened 60 new units last Friday at Haig Homes in Morden.

MyLondon rated Merton as fourth best borough for families, based on the quality of schools, housing costs and services for families.

A Brexit Task Group is looking at the implications especially of a no deal Brexit, and is meeting monthly. We have also updated our Risk Register and have been supporting the 24,000 EU residents in Merton to access Settled Status, through funding a support worker Merton and Lambeth CAB, based in Morden and providing a document scanning service at the registry office in Morden. We are also monitoring Hate Crime incidents and looking at challenge for social care in terms of recruiting staff.

Bishopford Rd Bridge have the monies for the work, will hold a special Cabinet meeting if needed to speed up the process.

A resident asked about active travel, and if there were plans to replace cycling officer. Cllr Alambritis said he would be happy to raise with officers. A resident asked about lids for recycling boxes to stop waste being blown around. These are currently only available from Garth Road which can only be accessed by car so could alternative distribution locations be identified. Cllr Alambritis said he would be happy to look at the options for this.

A resident asked if there would be lift access in the Clarion regeneration for blocks of four stories. Cllr Alambritis said this would be in the detail of the planning applications so would follow up if the relevant details could be emailed to him.