Issues and SWOT

strength

Make the improved pavilions useful to local groups

Completed kitchen and changing improvements support community activity.

Proposed response: Keep booking and access affordable and clear.

Evidence

strength

Bring support closer to people in poor health

3.4% of people reported bad or very bad health in Merton council area (21 March 2021). Across England, the figure was 5.2%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 1.9% in Wimbledon Town & Dundonald to 4.9% in Cricket Green — a gap of 3 percentage points.

This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.

strength

Connect local skills to local opportunities

50% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Merton council area. Across England, the figure was 33.9%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 6.4% in Wimbledon Town & Dundonald to 21.9% in Cricket Green — a gap of 15.5 percentage points.

Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.

weakness

Match new housing to different household sizes

The three council-housing sites contain different types of homes.

Proposed response: Use allocation planning to match the mix to residents’ needs.

Evidence

weakness

Make room for homes people can afford

Average private rent is £2,172 a month (August 2026) in Merton council area. This is £713 higher than the England average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 15.7% in Lower Morden to 42.1% in Hillside — a gap of 26.4 percentage points.

Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.

opportunity

Set clear public benefits before choosing a partner

Morden is at the procurement stage, before a full development programme.

Proposed response: Make affordable housing, public space and service requirements clear.

Evidence

opportunity

Plan homes and care around an older population

12.6% of people in Merton council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 8.1% in Abbey to 21.9% in Village — a gap of 13.8 percentage points.

Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.

opportunity

Target safety work where problems repeat

Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Merton council area.

Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.

opportunity

Turn published plans into visible progress

3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.

A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.

opportunity

Target support where disadvantages overlap

Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 6.8% in Village to 24.5% in Cricket Green — a gap of 17.7 percentage points.

These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.

threat

Protect town-centre trading during a long rebuild

Remaking Morden is a long-term development process.

Proposed response: Plan business continuity before construction decisions.

Evidence