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?

This weeks local paper

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

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.

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.

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.

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?