Regenerating the town centre

Colliers Wood has a lot to be proud about, it’s just that the jewels in Colliers Wood's crown aren’t that easy to see or get to from the town centre. Merton Council is working in partnership with TfL and the Mayor of London to take forward our Connecting Colliers Wood project.

We’ll be working on making it easier for residents and visitors to the area to walk from the tube station to the beautiful Wandle Regional Park and historical sites such as Merton Priory.

Connecting Colliers Wood will also improve links between the town centre and its industrial heritage at Merton Abbey Mills where you’ll discover the buildings which housed Arthur Liberty’s dyeing and fabric printing works.

Latest news

February 2017

Connecting Colliers Wood Project – nearing completion

Baltic Close

The new, shared surface street had an official opening event in September 2016 and is proving to be a well-used space.  It provides a high quality, attractive main entrance to Wandle Park, that was once obscured by uncontrolled parking on an unmade road.

It now has high quality materials including wood-block paving; bespoke benches and pergola; disabled parking and servicing; tree planting and new street lighting.  There are also new bin-stores for flats and businesses; cycle parking and new railings for the Charles Holden Pub garden.  Pub seating extends into part of the street and there are new boundary walls and piers to the Park entrance.

Wandle Park

The new wall to the High Street frontage has recently been completed to the same style as Baltic Close.  It maintains a clear boundary to the park, but with more open views into it.  The new frontage includes planting, wood-block paving and bespoke wooden seating; and the small parking area has been tidied up.  

Inside the park a new path has been laid from the new and existing entrances into the park, leading to the memorial and a new path has been laid between the river Wandle and wetland area, creating a larger circular walking route within the park.  The existing jogging path has also been restored and upgraded.

River Wandle

Along the River Wandle, between the High Street and Station Road the footpath has been resurfaced, LED lights installed throughout and new river landings created with bespoke seating.  Outside the entrance to Sainsbury’s a new seating area has also been laid out with bespoke benches, retaining wall and wood-block paving.

High Street

Along the High Street between the Tube Station and Sainsbury’s TfL recently implemented a major enhancement to the road layout, creating better facilities for cyclists, wider pavements, reduced crossings, a wide crossing outside the station to Baltic Close, and an upgrade in paving surfaces.  The council has also installed bespoke lighting on the riverside and is installing new street lighting along the rest of Merton High Street to Haydon’s Road.

Local Distinctiveness

The bespoke designs for the project have been inspired by local industrial history and to reflect and reinforce the character and local distinctiveness of the area:

  • Benches are made from solid Oak and are etched with designs from William Morris printing blocks from his works near Abbey Mills.
  • Wooden setts are charred timber, part of the process of charcoal making, from which Colliers Wood gets its name.
  • Glazed tiles on the piers and topping the low walls are a reference to William Morris’ Lustreware ceramic works, once located in Wandle Park.

Other Projects

There are a number of other developments ongoing in Colliers Wood that are contributing to its transformation towards a place with a more focussed and positive character.  Some of these were outlined in the November 2015 newsletter (see below).

  • The new Library building is now well under construction and will provide enhanced facilities for the area at the former Cavendish House, 105-109 High Street.
  • The remaining part of the Tandem Centre is now under construction and will provide a gateway to the area from the south at 118-120 Christchurch Road.
  • The former builders yard at 191-193 Western Road is now nearing completion as mews houses and flats.
  • Redevelopment of the former Provenance/Red Lion PH at 60-62 High Street is now well under way to transform it into flats at the rear and a new retail unit fronting the high street.
  • Planning permission has been granted for a mixed use development of flats and workspace at 52-54 Wandle Bank, with construction yet to start.
  • The council is also engaged with a number of local businesses as part of its programme to improve shop-fronts, looking to continue its success in Mitcham and Morden.

December 2015

  • Comments and amendments were made to the proposed layout of Baltic Close following statutory consultation with residents.
  • The street will now include two disabled parking bays.
  • Residents of Oslo Court will also be able to park in the more convenient CW Controlled Parking Zone (excluding Valley Gardens, North Gardens and South Gardens) rather than CW1 as originally proposed.
    Baltic Close update following consultation – December 2015

November 2015

October 2015

  • TfL completed junction works, the cycle by-pass and paving works around Colliers Wood Station.
  • We started work on Merton High Street and will soon be progressing further planned improvements to the entrance to Wandle Park and along the River Wandle by Sainsbury’s.
  • We adopted Baltic Close from private ownership and began statutory consultation on the proposed pedestrianisation plans with residents.
    Colliers Wood Baltic Close newsletter - October 2015

February 2015

  • We started work on Merton High Street's new paving and street lighting and the upgrade of the railings alongside the River Wandle in front of Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer.
  • We’re also planning improvements to the entrance to Wandle Bank and access into Priory Retail Park.

January 2015

  • TfL began delivering their work package on the A24 road and Christchurch Road around the tower on 19 January.

March 2014