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Call to protect open space on Dundonald Rec

by Wimbledon Town & Dundonald Lib Dems on 20 November, 2013

At the Council meeting on 20 November, a motion was proposed by Liberal Democrat and other opposition councillors calling on Merton Council to reconsider their controversial plans to appropriate open space on Dundonald Rec to expand Dundonald Primary.

Cllr Iain Dysart, who signed the motion for Merton Lib Dems, said:

“We were pleased to introduce this motion at the request of local community and sports groups, asking the Cabinet to reconsider its plans to appropriate parts of Dundonald Rec to expand Dundonald Primary.

“We share the serious concerns expressed by local people at the loss of open space and amenities – not to mention the time and effort spent by the Council on trying to remove the historic legal protection against building on the Rec, at the expense of considering other options. Eroding one community asset to provide another is such a negative spiral – once it’s gone, we’ll struggle to get it back.

“Regrettably, this motion was voted down by Labour and Merton Park Residents Association councillors, but we will continue to push the administration to focus on other alternatives rather than wasting more time and money fighting residents.”

   2 Comments

2 Responses

  1. Anonymous says:

    So what is your advice to parents in the Dundonald area who (if you succeed in opposing the school expansion) will almost certainly have no school place closer than Mitcham?

    • As you point out in your previous comment, in 2012 there were 8 children with an SW19 3 postcode who were offered a place at a Mitcham school. As noted in our reply to your previous comment, our solution to the issue of school places is for Merton Council to show the political will to properly invest in a new school or ‘satellite’ site, based on the sites report that the Council commissioned. Instead Merton’s current plan would make Dundonald Primary much more cramped in terms of space for the children, and remove circa 5% of the Rec from being public open space.

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