Letter to the Editor: Is Merton Council fit for purpose?

Your issue of July 12 raised some fundamental questions on whether the current Labour-led Merton Council is fit for purpose.

It would appear to have an obsession about traffic and parking, where it makes decisions at express odds with the wishes of the majority of local residents.

It then becomes totally ineffectual when it comes to taking action to safeguard residents on the key issues of air pollution and abuse of the elderly.

Page 9: The Council decides to keep the much-reviled bus lane in Hartfield Road whose only purpose seems to collect fines – some £300,000 already this year.

Page 6: New Trade Parking Permits are given the go-ahead despite clear evidence the current Business Parking scheme is being widely abused - particularly by local estate agents.

Page 17: The Council is pushing ahead with the experimental road closures for the Belvederes despite the objections of its own Residents Association.

Whilst: Page 8: The Director of Environment and Regeneration has to apologise for unilaterally issuing a license to Rapid Ready Mix Concrete to create its toxic mixes in the open air - fortuitously, the Chief Executive of the Council still has complete faith in him.

The licence has not been withdrawn, no action is being taken to even monitor the damage to the air quality due to the £25,000 cost resulting in the nearby residents being left to breath-in the potentially carcinogenic fumes.

Page 14: The Labour Councillors vote to minimise the action being taken to counteract the growing problem of elderly abuse caused by the escalating costs of care home places.

Something seems very wrong here.

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