London Borough of Merton

The **London Borough of Merton** is a London borough in south west London.

The borough was formed in 1965 by the merger of the former area of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon and the Merton and Morden Urban District, all formerly within Surrey. The main commercial centres in Merton are Mitcham, Morden and Wimbledon, of which Wimbledon is the largest. Other smaller centres include Raynes Park, Colliers Wood, South Wimbledon, Wimbledon Park and Pollards Hill.

The borough derives its name from the historic parish of Merton which was centred on the area now known as South Wimbledon. In a borough with a broad socio-economic range between generally affluent Wimbledon and less affluent Mitcham, the name was seen as a compromise.

## Parts of Merton

The Borough includes the following areas:

* Bushey Mead
* Colliers Wood
* Lower Morden
* Merton Park
* Mitcham
* Morden
* Morden Park
* Motspur Park
* Phipps Bridge
* Pollards Hill
* Raynes Park
* St. Helier
* South Wimbledon
* Summerstown
* West Barnes
* West Wimbledon
* Wimbledon
* Wimbledon Park

## History of the Borough

*for detailed histories of the four historic parishes covered by the borough see: Merton, Mitcham, Morden and Wimbledon.*
In 1236 Henry III met his Barons at the priory to agree the Statute of Merton, an important foundation of modern English common law. The king also brought Queen Eleanor to be crowned at the priory in the same year. Henry VI, the only king of England to be crowned outside of Westminster Abbey in the last 1,000 years, held his coronation ceremony at Merton Priory in 1437. Among those educated at the priory were Thomas Becket and Nicholas Brakespeare, who was the only ever English Pope. As Pope Adrian IV, Brakespeare granted the English king Henry II the lordship of Ireland in 1155. Also educated there were Walter de Merton, a future Lord Chancellor of England and Bishop of Rochester. He is also famous for being the founder of Merton College at Oxford University in 1264. The priory by the river was dismantled in 1538 as part of Henry VIII's dissolution of the monasteries and only a few remnants survive off Merantun Way.

The area soon passed from the hands of royalty into those of successful tradesmen. Industry expanded on the banks of the Wandle, whose fast-flowing waters provided ideal power for the milling process. Flour, snuff, copper, iron, leather and dye works all flourished on the river at points like Mitcham Bridge and Phipps Bridge. By 1750, Merton Abbey and Mitcham had become the main centres of calico cloth printing in England. Increased industrial output in the Wandle Valley led to the construction of the world's first public railway, the horse-drawn Surrey Iron Railway, which opened in 1803.

In 1881, William Morris opened a factory at Merton Abbey producing high quality goods: printed and woven fabrics, stained glass, furnishings, tapestry and carpets. Morris is famous as a founder of the Arts and Crafts movement, which rejected the mass-produced workmanship of the industrial age. His company continued trading until 1940.

Abbey Mills was also the base for Arthur Liberty, another eminent Victorian and founder of the famous Liberty department store. The Liberty works produced thousands of yards of hand printed silks that made the company a household name.

Admiral Lord Nelson moved into Merton Place House off Merton High Street in 1801. The highly respected sailor loved his country home in Merton, and wrote in his diary as he departed for the Trafalgar campaign: "At half past ten I drove from dear, dear Merton where I left all I hold dear in this world to go and serve my king and country". Nelson and his family worshipped at the 12th century St Mary's Church in Merton Park.

London's gentry began to populate Merton soon after the railway reached the borough. Shops such as Elys in 1876 opened to cater for the tastes of the new suburban residents. In 1868 the All England Croquet Club was founded in Worple Road. Its name was changed in 1889 to the now world-famous All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, and it later moved to Church Road. Merton expanded as London grew to become the largest city in the world.

Trams came to Mitcham and Wimbledon in 1906 and 1907 respectively. Motorbuses picked up their first passengers from Raynes Park and dropped them off at Liverpool Street in 1914. The London Underground reached Colliers Wood, South Wimbledon and Morden in 1926. These transport improvements turned Morden from a small farming community of 1,000 in 1900 into a residential suburb of 12,618 within thirty years.

World War II caused considerable damage to Merton. Housing was in great demand in the post-war era and new estates were constructed at Phipps Bridge, Pollards Hill and High Path in Wimbledon. Recovery from the war was painfully slow and food shortages did not end completely until 1956. Redevelopment schemes were remarkably successful and the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1953 marked the beginning of a new era.

Affluence had settled in by 1965, when the creation of the new borough provided impetus for more growth. Five new town centres emerged to form the Merton we know today: Colliers Wood, Mitcham, Morden, Raynes Park and Wimbledon. They are all primarily residential areas, each with their own commercial and shopping centres. People are entertained by theatres, cinemas, greyhound racing, football teams, the international tennis tournament, and cricket played on the world's oldest cricket green at Mitcham.

## Political background of the Council

The May 2010 local government elections saw the Labour Party become the council largest party, following the loss of three seats by the Conservative Party, two to the Liberal Democrats and one to Labour. The current council is under no overall control but run by a Labour minority administration. The number of councillors of each party folowing the 2010 election were:

* Labour: 28
* Conservatives: 27
* Merton Park Residents: 3
* Liberal Democrats: 2

A Conservative councillor for Wimbledon Park Ward, Tariq Lord Ahmad, resigned following his appointment to the House of Lords, and a by-election to fill the vacancy is being held on 3 May 2012.

The May 2014 local government elections saw the Labour Party win an overall majority, following the gain of seven seats from the Conservative Party, and one from UKIP. This followed four years as a minority administration. The current council has a Labour majority of 12 and its composition is:

* Labour: 36
* Conservatives: 20
* Merton Park Residents: 3
* Liberal Democrats: 1

## See also

* Merton London Borough Council
* List of Mayors of Merton

## Media in Merton

A lot of filming for popular ITV police drama *The Bill* takes place in Merton, the set of Sun Hill police station is also located in the Borough.

The main local newspaper in Merton is The Guardian with two editions, Wimbledon along with Mitcham and Morden. This newspaper was founded in 1977 by a former Conservative councillor on Merton Council, since then the paper has been sold on and it's now widely published in different editions across South London. The main difference between the papers is the front page.

The Wimbledon Post is another local newspaper published weekly.

Both newspapers are available free, though there is a charge if bought from a newsagent. They are published each Thursday.

## Demographics and social conditions

In 2001, the census recorded that 25% of the population of the borough was from an ethnic minority. The highest ethnic populations were recorded in wards in the east of the borough (Mitcham, Eastfields and Pollards Hill). The percentage of population from ethnic minorities is predicted to rise across the borough within the next decade.

According to the council's comparative assessment of wards made in 2004, the most deprived wards within the borough were in the south and east where unemployment rates, educational attainment and the quality of health were worst. The most affluent wards were in the north and west of the borough.

Comparative crime rates appear to be unrelated to the deprivation ranking of wards. The wards containing Mitcham town centre are ranked highest for crime within Merton with the wards containing the smaller commercial centres of Colliers Wood and South Wimbledon also featuring high in the ranking.

By London and national measures, deprivation and recorded crime are low with only Mitcham an area affected by high crime.

Merton currently operates a Police Cadet scheme under the Metropolitan Police Service.

## Baitul Futuh mosque

In 2003, the largest mosque in Europe was opened in Morden. The Baitul Futuh mosque can accommodate 10,000 people and was built at a cost of £5.5 million.

## All England Lawn Tennis Tournament

Each year the All England Lawn Tennis Championship (referred to as Wimbledon and one of the four tennis Grand Slam tournaments along with the US, French and Australian Opens) is held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Church Road Wimbledon. Each year, the event takes place over a fortnight at the end of June and beginning of July and is the largest annual sporting event to take place in the United Kingdom with over 200,000 visitors during the Wimbledon fortnight.

## References

1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid `<ref>` tag; no text was provided for refs named `cabinet`
2. ↑ "Candidates For Wimbledon Park By-Election". *WimbledonSw19.com*.
3. ↑ "Elections 3 May 2012". Merton Council.