CLICK HERE FOR BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND MYSPACE LAYOUTS »

Saturday, November 14, 2009

We won!!!!!!!


I have neglected this blog shamefully! Sorry if you have been following us from afar. Big news is we forced the council to go for consultation. Independent company came in ( see previous post) came in and what do you think they found? Yes thats right - an overwhelming rejection of the Goals! plan.

I think we should say thank you to the council for listening to local opinion. The council cabinet have now formally rejected the goals proposal. You can read the report for yourself by clicking here

I think we now need to create an archive of our campiagn so we can share it with any other residents else where in the UK who face similar proposals.

I love people power! Local democracy is great.

I am now seriously considering standing for council as an independent. Anyone else fancy joining me?

Saturday, May 2, 2009

This weeks local paper

Have a look here at what this weeks paper says about the consultation

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Morden Civic Forum



I have just got back from tonights meeting. Several residents accompanied by children were able to take part in the discussion about consultation over Morden Park. The council have just appointed a company called Dialogue to conduct a proper consultation exercise. You can see a picture of Max and Kirsten above.

I think we need to give Max and Kirsten as much help as possible. We need to encourage as many sections of the community as possible to share their views of what they would like to see in Morden Park.

I really think we should welcome this as an opportunity to kick out the ludicrous Goals scheme and to begin proper discussions about what we do want. The consulatation covers the whole of the park including the leisure centre. It does not cover the registry office or the college.

We may not all agree on what we want the park used for but the big breakthrough is that we have established that the public do not want this land to be leased by a profit making organisation that will take the park out of free public use.

As soon as I have details I will post them here.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Mordern park consultation

I have just found out that Morden park consultation is to be launched tonight Tues 28 April at Civic centre at 7.15 at Morden Community Forum. Please encourage friends and neighbours to come along!

Nice to see Morden Park playing fields being used



This was taken sunday afternoon in the playing field. As well as these kids there was a big informal football game going on, lots of individual families and some knock about tennis action!
One councillor describes this field as a "dogs toilet". I intend to collect some photographic evidence to prove he is wrong! If you have some pictures of residents enjoying the fields please send them to me or to the website.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Free advice from USA. Watch this clip of Obama's director of blogging.

I have been away at an amazing e campaigning conference in Oxford. I had the chance to learn from the most inspirational campaigners. Here is some advice from Sam Graham Felsen- a man who helped put President Obama where he is today.

I really wish I had filmed some of the other participants. Thinking about what Zuhal in Iraq and Tonee from Kenya have achieved with minimum resources aside from their passion and intelligence really inspires me to redouble my own efforts. People power is unstoppable and it starts in local communities!
Yes, I know saving a local park doesn't sound very heroic on the global scale but its a start.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

This is the leaflet we plan to deliver down Hillcross Ave

Saving Morden Park

It looks like the council has changed its mind about allowing the Goals soccer centre proposal to go straight to planning permission. They now accept that the Goals proposal is unpopular and have proposed a further consultation.

You can see the consultation plans for yourself on the council website http://www.merton.gov.uk/democratic_services/ds-agendas/ds-fpreports/754.pdf

You will see that whilst saying they want to explore potential options for Morden Park the Goals proposal is still very much on the table and appears to be the preferred option.

So, whilst being delighted with the announcement of consultation there is still the need to continue to campaign to protect Morden Park from the environmental disaster that the Goals plan represents.

Hopefully this consultation represents a dignified way for the council to withdraw their support from the Goals plan but reassurance is needed that the park will stay in public hands and will be developed for the benefit of the local community and not simply to make as much money as possible for the Council. Until that reassurance is received the campaign will continue.

We will be in touch soon with next steps in the campaign. In the meanwhile if you can get your neighbours to display the green posters you can download them from www.mordenpark.org.uk. Don’t forget to sign up to the email group.


Does anyone have a spare minute to help deliver them?

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Council's plans for consultation

Have a look here at the plans for consultation Merton Council have proposed.

It looks like the Goals proposal is still on the table.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Thursday, March 12, 2009

New consultation is very good news!

It is too soon to celebrate but this new consultation looks like an excellent opportunity to blow the Goals! proposal out of the water. We will have a real opportunity to to make our case for saving Morden Park. Don't take the posters down yet though. We need to ensure the consultant understands the strength of feeling against this lunatic scheme!

Have a look at the local guardian article here.

Watch this space!

Monday, February 2, 2009

New poster!

Watch out for the new posters appearing in windows very soon. My youngest son and I nearly lost the use of our fingers after delivering some in artic conditions today! Click here to download a poster for yourself.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Article in Wimbledon Guardian

Looks like speculation is growing that Morden Park may be the site that Goals abandon. Click here to read the report in todays local guardian.

Thursday, January 15, 2009

I'm back!

Sorry for the lack of posts recently! However I am now back and ready for action. We had a really good committee meeting tonight which has re invigorated the campaign.

We kicked off with a discussion about the news of Goals financial position. Falling profits have led to an announcement from Goals that they will reduce the number of new centres they plan to open in 2009 from 6 to 4. Click here for further details. Let's hope Morden Park is one they plan to abandon!

Over the holidays we recieved the testimonies of a number of residents who back on to Goals site in other parts of the UK. They make for grim reading - complaints about the noise, anti social behaviour and flood lighting are central. There are also lots of comments about matches and socialising often going on long after 11.00pm. We are planning to put them on the website soon and will send them around our email group as soon as possible.