Merton Borough Council has now published the next document of its draft long-term borough plan – in fact, those of you who responded by e-mail to the last consultation should have already received a link to the document on the internet.
The new plan – called the local development framework (LDF) – will replace the current unitary development plan, setting out strategies and policies for the development and use of land in Merton over the next few years.
The document which has just been published is the Core Strategy, an important part of the LDF which will set out what can and cannot be built, and what should be protected in Merton, until 2030. It is called the Pre-Representations Consultation, and the council is asking for comments on it.
As many of you will be aware, the LDF gives us a golden opportunity to help bring the Dons back to Merton by ensuring the plan makes provision for a football or sports stadium within the borough boundaries should the opportunity arise.
We know that the club couldn’t afford to spend millions on a stadium at present. We know there are few obvious sites, apart from the greyhound stadium, which is privately-owned.
But 2030 is a long, long way away, and anything could happen before then. If and when AFC Wimbledon is in a position to consider moving back, a commitment by Merton Council to help us return, enshrined within the plan, would be of crucial importance.
Two years ago, WISA held a well-attended open meeting in Wimbledon where fans could quiz a planning officer about the possibility of the Dons returning to Merton. We also organised a write-in campaign which resulted in a substantial response from our fans. The provision of a stadium was the single biggest issue which prompted a response in the entire consultation process, and subsequent council documents have referred to popular support for this.
We have spoken to Merton Council about the latest consultation, and they would like to hear from you again!
So how is WISA planning to help?
We are currently talking about the possibility of holding another open meeting in the next few weeks, and the council have said they will be happy for a planning officer to come along.
We’ll also be encouraging you to reply to the Core Strategy document. But as last time, it is very technical, and we’re aware that most of you will probably welcome a model reply you can use.
We will therefore be scrutinizing the document to work out the key comments that need to be made. We’re lucky in having the help of Graham Timms, a planning consultant by profession, to give us the input we need on this.
Once we’ve got a model response, we’ll let you know, so you can make sure your voice is heard. We’ll also be providing hard copy help to those fans who prefer to reply on paper.
The deadline for replies is Friday, 16th October, which gives us all six working weeks. We’ll keep you posted once we have some firm plans in place.
Let’s show Merton Council just how important it is to pave the way for a possible return home!
|
