London’s best-kept secret
Merton, in southwest London, encompasses the areas of Mitcham, Morden and Wimbledon, and has a vibrant, growing population of more than 220,000.
We’re a borough going places, with an exciting and ambitious plan for the future; a raft of community improvements already underway; and some of the best sporting heritage in the world.
Our aim is to generate civic pride, build a sustainable borough for the future, and become London’s first-ever Borough of Sport.
Video: London Borough of Merton Council Plan 2023-26
Video transcript
People just love where they are. It's beautiful. It's amazing.
And we're so grateful that we have all these facilities, a great place.
I like the variety of people. You just get to have lots of fun.
I just love everything about it.
Merton is London's best kept secret and one of its most vibrant, diverse and well-connected places.
With some of London's biggest and most beloved parks and green spaces, outstanding schools, support for older people, world renowned sporting heritage and a growing local economy that will generate jobs and breathe new life into our town centres and high streets.
Merton is a place you can call home.
I'm proud of Merton, but I'm also ambitious for our future.
Our new council plan, Building a Better Merton Together, sets out our promises to the borough and our ambitions for the next four years, focusing on three exciting priorities: nurturing civic pride, building a sustainable future, and creating London's Borough of Sport.
We want you to feel proud of the place you live and more connected to your communities.
That's why we're investing millions into cleaning up our streets, rejuvenating high streets and town centres, providing good quality schools, and staying in one of the safest boroughs in London.
I love living in Merton because there's loads of plants, trees and parks every where, and I love going to them with my friends.
Our communities are at the heart of our plans for Merton, which is why we're pledging to do more to support them.
Last year, we awarded more than £2 million to local causes and we will maintain this level going forward.
We also want everyone in Merton to earn a fair day's pay for a fair day's work.
That's why Merton Council is now a London Living Wage accredited employer and has put a plan in place to ensure all contractors also pay at least the London Living Wage.
We want to get the basics right and create places that everyone wants to visit, work and live in.
To build a truly sustainable future for Merton, we know how important good, quality, affordable homes are.
That's why we're building 400 of these homes and taking action to improve housing standards.
We have a strong record of climate action and we will go even further through our commitment to help homes and businesses save on their energy bills and our ambition to become London's most EV friendly borough for owning an electric car.
Merton's tree canopy will continue to increase, adding to the 10,000 trees we planted this year, and our award winning parks and open spaces will be protected, restored and managed to ensure you can enjoy their physical and mental wellbeing benefits.
We will also be working with our health partners to ensure everyone has local health provision that meets their needs now and in the future.
Why do I like it? It's the centre of sport. I love sport. Merton is the home of sport.
Merton has a long sporting heritage, which we can all take pride in.
We want to spread the word and get more people in Merton active and involved in our borough's fantastic range of sporting activities.
We are working with London Sport on how we will do this with a focus on supporting grassroots and increasing participation, particularly for the under 16 and over 65.
And we will be investing in our sporting infrastructure to open up opportunities for our communities.
This plan is ambitious for Merton, but it's not the limit of our ambitions.
We will remain alert to the challenges you face and will be responsive to the needs of the community.
Being innovative in our approach whilst continuing to deliver the excellent services we all rely on, we are ready to unlock the potential of this great borough as we build a better Merton together.
Now let's get to work.
I grew up in the area. I've lived here most of my life. My family still live here. I bought my first flat here.
I'm completely invested in it. And for me, it's personal.
I think what I want from residents is to be part of this plan, to feel that we're listening, that we're responsive to the needs and the challenges that they're facing.
It's time to put Merton on the map, and that's our job over the next few years to achieve that.
I love Merton. It's my home, it's my safe place. Yeah, it's really cool. I love Merton. Merton's brilliant. It's a friendly place. I like it.
A beautiful environment
We are one of London's greenest boroughs with many acres of parkland, including Wimbledon Park; the National Trust’s Morden Hall Park; and Canons Hall and grounds in Mitcham. These are some of the most beautiful and best looked-after spaces in London.
Wimbledon Common
Mitcham Carnival
Canons House and Grounds
Regenerating southwest London
We’re investing in our people and our place to make Merton an even better place to live, work and visit. We are building 400 new homes over the next four years – all of which will set the bar for sustainable housing development.
We’re also planning to transform Morden town centre – at the start of the Northern Line and just 20 minutes from the heart of the city – into a thriving hub with new homes; better transport links into the rest of the borough; revamped streets and improved public spaces; and revitalised shopping, nighttime and business space.
London’s Borough of Sport
Every summer the eyes of the world turn to Merton, as the home of Wimbledon Tennis Championships, the world's oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament.
We’ve also got AFC Wimbledon – one of the greatest stories in football; and are home to the rugby national league team, London Broncos RFC.
We’re working to become London’s Borough of Sport, with a mission to make it easier for everyone to become more active, especially under-16s, older residents and those who face barriers to taking part.
© AELTC / Joe Toth
South London’s best-connected borough
Merton's connectivity is unbeatable in south London. We are at the start of both the Northern and District Lines, which offer direct access into central London in just 20 minutes. We have 14 National Rail stations; five Underground stations; and we enjoy the London Tram Service, linking Wimbledon, Morden and Croydon.
Morden and Wimbledon stations both offer excellent bus service connections to surrounding areas. And if you need to use your car, you’ll find fast access to the M23 and M25.
Out and about
Heading out in the borough? Merton, consistently in the top five safest London boroughs, is a place packed with rich history; an exciting and emerging culinary scene; connection to nature; sporting heritage; and some of the best theatre outside central London.
Check out Merton Abby Mills, for independent shopping; Deen City Farm, one of London’s oldest urban farms; New Wimbledon Theatre; the Wandle River trail for wildlife spotting; the Grade II listed Canons House and its recently restored facilities; the National Trust-managed Morden Hall Park; and Wimbledon Windmill. Our enviable libraries host live music and exhibitions, have modern, collaborate workspace, as well as community arts and digital learning space.