Merton Council Moves Forward With Affordable Homes Scheme


Council agrees to re-visit the plans created by its failed property company

Cllr Ross Garrod, London’s Deputy Mayor Tom Copley, and Cllr Andrew Judge at the site at Canons in Mitcham which will be used to build new homes
Merton council leader Councillor Ross Garrod, London's Deputy Mayor Tom Copley, and Councillor Andrew Judge at the site at Canons in Mitcham

Merton Council says it hopes its decision to re-visit the plans created for its failed property company will result in 400 new homes being built in the borough by 2020.

At a special council meeting last month it agreed to spend £300,000 on updating the designs created for Merantun Development Ltd, which it had closed down in 2021 before building any homes.

Four council-owned sites earmarked for development were seen by London's Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, Tom Copley, when he toured the sites last week.

The four sites owned by Merantun Development Ltd, in which £2 million was invested before closure, are at Farm Road Church, Farm Road, Morden; Elm Nursery Car Park, Mitcham; Raleigh Gardens Car Park, Mitcham; land at Canons, Madeira Road, Mitcham.

Merton has said the four sites have been earmarked for more than 90 affordable homes. Earlier this year it had been planning to sell the land off, but has had a change of heart since the May local elections.

The special meeting of Merton’s Cabinet on August 31 agreed to set aside £300,000 to update plans for building affordable homes on the four sites, bringing them up to current building regulations and standards.

The money agreed by Cabinet will be spent on re-engaging a design team and supporting consultants who will update the plans. The work should be completed by March 2023.

According to an "Affordable Housing Delivery" report prepared for the special council meeting, the council now wants to deliver 400 affordable homes in the borough using surplus council land before 2026.

The four sites listed above have been identified as a priority as they have existing planning permission in place.

Councillor Andrew Judge, Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainable Development, told Cabinet: "There is a housing crisis in Merton, and we have 9,500 people on the housing waiting list. That is people who don’t have decent or affordable homes, aren’t able to feel the security or pleasure that comes from having your own home.

"This isn’t a crisis that can be solved easily but in Merton we are doing our utmost to address it. We have land owned by the council that is surplus to our requirements, and we have these four sites that were granted planning permission two years ago."

But local campaigner Mark Gale said Merton "decided they had found a buyer for the election leaflets, then after the election change everything again. I have no confidence in them getting anything right (even though the main decision makers gone)."

Merantun Development designs

Designs for one of the former schemes. Picture: Weston Williamson + Partners

September 26, 2022