Merton Council has big ambitions to remake Morden into one of the best town centres in London for the benefit of the whole borough. Now, the council is announcing its plans to find the right development partner to turn these ambitions into reality. 

The council’s plans for Remaking Morden are to create a greener, more vibrant town centre, with a stronger high street, new homes, jobs and opportunities for local people, and improved places to spend time. 

This announcement, which is set to be endorsed by the council’s Cabinet in September, will begin a competitive process this autumn to find and appoint its development partner to bring the expertise and investment needed to build a better Morden.  

Cllr Ross Garrod, Leader of Merton Council, said:

“We’ve got big ambitions for Morden. We want it to become one of the best town centres anywhere in London and make sure the whole of Merton benefits from its transformation.  

“We’ve been working hard to put plans in place which reflect what residents and businesses told us they want to see in Morden. Now we are ready to take the next major step by starting our search for the right development partner to bring our vision for Morden to life.  

“Remaking Morden is about creating opportunities which benefit the whole borough – including new homes and jobs for local people to build their future, for businesses to invest and grow, for communities to become stronger and healthier, and for all of Merton to prosper for generations to come.”

Preparing Morden for its next chapter 

The move follows significant work by the council to prepare Morden for the next stage, since it made an initial injection of £30million to the programme through the successful sale of a council-owned business. This includes: 

• developing a refreshed long-term vision for the town centre, informed by what residents and businesses have told the council they want to see; 

• looking at how different parts of the town centre could be developed and delivered over time;  

• carrying out detailed work on housing, land, costs and funding; and 

• making important commercial and legal arrangements to ensure any future partner is clear on what Merton Council and local residents and businesses expect the regeneration to deliver. 

The vision for Remaking Morden is formed of six key principles and sets out the council’s ambition for a thriving high street, new homes and jobs and opportunities for local people, more greenery and better public spaces. Sport, leisure and healthier living will become an everyday part of town-centre life, while Morden’s excellent transport connections will help attract visitors, businesses and investment and support a stronger local economy. 

The six principles in the vision for Remaking Morden, are:  

• London’s home of sport – to embed activity and healthier living as a part of everyday life, with new opportunities to take part in and watch sports, and to meet and enjoy events in the town centre.  

• People-focused high street – to create a high street that is a destination from morning until evening with a broader mix of shops, restaurants, leisure, culture and community activities.  

• Bringing the parks into Morden – to bring the character of Morden’s parks into the town centre with more trees and planting and better connections that will make it easier to walk, cycle and get around.  

• Merton’s civic hub – to reimagine a civic hub, bringing together public services, culture, business and community in one place, to bring people together long into the future.  

• Homes and opportunities for the future – to provide new homes for local people and better opportunities, workplaces, and community spaces that strengthen the town centre and help the local economy to grow.  

• London’s southern gateway – to invite people to explore the town centre, support local businesses and strengthen the high street. 

Finding a development partner will be a major milestone for Remaking Morden and brings us a step closer to delivering our vision for the town centre. There is still work to do before construction can begin, as regeneration on this scale takes time.  

Once the right partner is found, the next steps will include developing detailed designs, working closely with residents and businesses, going through the planning process and completing other essential preparations ahead of major construction. 

 Merton Council will keep working closely with local residents, businesses and stakeholders to make sure Remaking Morden creates a town centre which works better for everyone in Merton. 

The Cabinet report was published on Friday 11 September ahead of the Cabinet meeting, where members will be asked to endorse the next phase of the Remaking Morden programme. 

For more information, visit: merton.gov.uk/remakingmorden.