The Coronation of His Majesty The King is going to be one of the biggest celebrations the country has seen in decades – and we’ve got events happening right across Merton so you can be a part of it!

Please post pictures of your street parties, Big Lunches and joining in with the Big Help Out on social media, using the hashtag #MertonCoronation and we will share as many as we can.

I’m proud to have grown up in Merton and special occasions like this reminds us what an incredible community we live in. It is a privilege to be leading the borough, and as we look to its future, I wanted to share Building a Better Merton, Together with you – our ambitious plan for Merton between now and 2026.

It has been developed in consultation with residents and following discussions with businesses, charities, community groups and a range of public services, including the police and the NHS, who we will continue to work in partnership with to shape Merton’s future. 

The plan focuses on three priorities: nurturing civic pride, building a sustainable future and creating a Borough of Sport.   

Nurturing civic pride

I want everyone in Merton to feel proud of the place where they live. That is why we are investing millions into cleaning up our streets, rejuvenating high streets, providing good schools and looking after our beloved parks and green spaces.

We will do more to support organisations at the heart of our community by continuing dedicating £2million every year to civic pride grants. This is in addition to Merton investing more than £22million into real, practical solutions to help people through the cost of living crisis.

Building a sustainable future

To build a sustainable future for Merton, we know how important good quality, affordable homes are. That’s why we will build 400 new affordable homes and are taking action to improve housing standards for people in Merton.

We have a strong record of climate action – and will go even further. We have already increased Merton’s tree canopy by 10,000 trees over the last year, and we are well on our way to becoming the best outer London Borough to own, rent or share an electric vehicle.

We will work closely with health services to ensure they are meeting everyone’s needs and continue the campaign to keep services at St Helier Hospital.

Creating a Borough of Sport

Merton has an impressive sporting heritage and iconic venues – we want to spread the word and get more people in Merton active and involved in the fantastic range of sporting activities the borough has to offer.

We are working with London Sport on how we will do this, with a focus on supporting the grass roots and increasing participation – particularly for the under 16s and over 65s. And we will be investing into our sporting infrastructure across Merton to open up opportunities for our communities.

I will share more details about these exciting plans as they develop and I’m looking forward to working with you all to build a better Merton together.