Merton Council has published its Meanwhile Action Plan for Morden, bringing to life the community’s ideas on brightening and refreshing Morden town centre.
The plan includes seating and public space improvements; art and murals; and planting and greenery to enhance the ambience of Morden town centre.
The council engaged broadly with local people through a series of workshops and pop-up events in Morden to understand which improvements would make the most impact in the short to medium-term. The action plan brings together these ideas, meeting the priorities that matter most to the community.
The ideas are grouped by theme:
- Events, activities and programmes that nurture civic pride and build new and exciting partnerships,
- Culture and wayfinding trails to tap into Morden’s rich and diverse history and reflect its ambition for the future through public art,
- Local interventions, such as installations, that create unique moments and brighten up areas of the town centre and encourage residents and visitors to stop, pause and enjoy, and
- A greening strategy to create more planting and greenery in Morden to improve its biodiversity and build a more sustainable future.
The council will select a number of action plan ideas to take forward based on their impact and benefit to the local community.
Improvements such as better seating, artwork and events have already been rolling out in Morden including new street furniture, paintings on shopfront shutters and a car-free festival on Abbotsbury Road. The council will be bringing more ideas to life over the coming 12 months including an event in Morden as part of the borough’s celebrations for Merton 60, marking its 60th Anniversary.
Merton Council is using the Community Infrastructure Levy, a charge on new developments, to fund the improvements which will provide a boost to Morden ahead of planned longer-term development for the area.
London Festival of Architecture (LFA)
Merton Council has joined forces with the London Festival of Architecture to help create some of Morden’s improvements through a new design competition called ‘Morden Moments’. The competition invites architects, designers, and artists to provide creative solutions to the ideas in the action plan, with the winners to be announced in June 2025.
Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Civic Pride and Climate Change Councillor Eleanor Stringer, said:
We recognise the huge potential in Morden to create a more modern and vibrant area. Morden already has so much to offer, from beautiful green spaces, great transport connections, diverse small businesses and a close community, but we want local people to be even more proud to call it their home by creating a place which works for everyone.
“The community has told us which improvements they would like to see to make the town centre brighter and fresher, and this action plan is our guide in bringing these changes to life.”
Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainable Development Councillor Andrew Judge, said:
Our commitment to improving our borough’s town centres is unwavering. The improvements in this action plan will enliven Morden town centre, bringing benefits to the local community and environment, as we work to deliver on our longer-term regeneration plans for the area.”