Colliers Wood Community Newsletter Spring 2009

This newsletter is compiled and distributed to 4000 households by volunteers from Colliers Wood and is also available at collywood.org.uk/

Colliers Wood, it’s between Wimbledon and Tooting by Sally Nettleton

Everyone’s heard of Wimbledon, everyone’s heard of Tooting. Colliers Wood is that under-appreciated corridor between the two. Why? We’ve got big shops, free parking and Merton Abbey Mills is absolutely South London’s answer to Camden, but without the falafel. And where else, after a good downpour, do you see the surreal sight of a cyclist gliding through the rising waters of the flooded High Street, past the sandbags keeping the floods out the library?

Of course there’s that Tower. Shouldn’t mention it really, but everyone does. Come out of the Tube station and there it is, looming like the computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey. If aliens ever land in South London the Tower’s the spot they’ll make contact. Like a scene from Close Encounters I’ll be in the grip of some miniature tower-building exercise in my front room. Manically sticking cereal packets together and searching the shelves of Homebase to find the right colour of disgusting brown paint, which will of course be sold out due to high demand. On second thoughts, I’ll go for the mashed potato option...

Yes it’s a top place to live, it’s a secret gem. Next time someone asks me where it is, I might just keep them guessing.

Where will our library go? by C. W. Killerby

The lease on the property that the council rent from Golfrate runs out in 2010 and this provides the Donald Hope Library with the opportunity to move to other, cheaper premises. But where to? The question was raised by 3 local residents at the last Residents' Association meeting in February.

Councilor Nick Draper's preferred option is the old Nissan dealership site on the corner of the High Street and Robinson Road. However, this site is at the very Northern edge of Colliers Wood.

Councillor George Reynolds has proposed the now empty Rainbow Nursery building next to St Joseph's Church on the High Street. Despite needing refurbishment, it seems ideally situated near the Community Centre.

To complicate matters further, the head of library Services in Merton, Councillor Maurice Groves, seems to prefer moving the library to the Sainsbury's building further down at the Southern end of the ward.

Of course moving from the present site will mean that yet another building on the High Street will become completely vacant as the old Job Centre site above still remains empty. One has to wonder if Golfrate wouldn't be better off lowering the rent for the library site in order to keep hold of a reliable tenant as the current economic climate is boarding up High Streets all over the country. But then again, on their website Golfrate still lists its address as "The Tower" - another gem in their colourful property portfolio. Maybe derelict is the new bling!

The library functions as a hub for so many residents in Colliers Wood, it is in our interest to raise issues and objections and to discuss all the options. With this in mind, come along to the next meeting on Tuesday the 7th of April in the Community Centre and discuss the location of our library with Nick Draper and Maurice Groves. If you are unable to attend the meeting but would like to contribute to the discussion please email the editor on info - at - collywood.org.uk or leave a message on our dedicated voicemail on 07588 812078. It is up to us to make the most of the move!

Many thanks to Ms J. Buchanan who brought this matter to our attention.

Parking charges are to go up - again!

In last week's Local Guardian, Merton Council issued a public notice laying out the pricing structure as of April 09. From the implementation, in 1999 (happy 10 year anniversary!), of the Controlled Parking Zones, the price for a visitor's pass (half day) has gone up from 50p to the proposed £2.50! I don't make much of statistics but increased by a factor of 5 in 10 years - is this just another "money-making scheme" after all? Some visitor permits have increased by 67%, and most of the others have increases above 15%. Remind me - what is the inflation rate again? As this newletter is aimed specifically at local residents it seems an ideal opportunity to break the new price scheme down for you here in case you missed it in the paper:

1st Resident Permit: from £60 to £65 (+8%)
2nd Resident: from £95 to £110 (+16%)
3rd and Subsequent: from £120 to £140 (+17%)
Address Permit: from £60 to £65 (+8%)
Annual Visitor Permit: from £120 to £140 (+17%)
Half Day Visitor Permit: from £1.50 to £2.50 (+67%!)
Full Day Visitor Permit: from £3 to £2.50 (-17%)

As full and half day day permits now cost the same it seems silly to still issue half day permits. But up until now, it has been silly to issue full day permits as they cost exactly twice the half day rate and are less versatile.

Now, I'm off to buy an Annual Visitor Permit while they're still only £120... bargain?

Colliers Wood Residents' Association

Where is the library going to move to?
How are the street-dance, football and basketball projects coming on?
Will the unfinished bridge to the Wandle Nature Park ever be completed?
Have you seen the new parking rates?!?
Did you know that Merton's Cultural Olympiad will be held in Colliers Wood Recreation Ground?
Meet our new Community Police Team
Did you know that we have been asked to take part in the Wandle Valley Festival?

Come along to our next meeting on Tuesday 7th April at the Community Centre, in the hall upstairs from 7pm for refreshments, with the meeting starting at 7:30pm.

Do you have a story for our Summer edition? Get it to us by May 15th and yours could be our cover story! Contact the editor, Christopher, at info - at - collywood.org.uk (change the - at - to an @), or leave a voice or text message on 07588 812078.