By T Stiff, Mitcham

I'm starting to believe the Labour councillors running Merton Council are far cleverer than some people give them credit for.

Let me explain.

After unsuccessfully trying to regenerate Mitcham back in 1993 by building a new road, redirecting traffic, making some areas pedestrian only and repaving the Fair Green, they have now decided to spend a great deal of our money to ask Mitcham residents how they wish the area to be regenerated.

They have produced a very lengthy (read: expensive) brochure asking for our comments on their various ideas including proposals to reverse the road layout - changed by Labour themselves in the 1990s.

This brochure has been delivered to every household in Mitcham at some considerable cost.

The council will then choose the one most suited to the area and guess what: this time they can blame Mitcham residents when it doesn’t work.

The only way the area will actually improve is if Mitcham is no longer used as a dumping ground for some of the poorest in our society.

This means getting a better balance between social housing and private family homes.

I just wonder how residents of other areas of Merton i.e. Wimbledon, Raynes Park, Colliers Wood and Merton Park feel about their council tax money being used to suggest yet a further regeneration scheme for Mitcham.

So by all means, complete the questionnaire and return it to the Council, but don’t be fooled into thinking this will mean a cleaner, safer or brighter Mitcham.

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