Merton calls on residents to help shape the borough’s future

A town hall is calling on residents to help shape its borough’s future post-pandemic.

Merton Council has launched its biggest-ever community conversation, and is asking local people for their views on what the council’s priorities should be after the pandemic.

They believe that Covid-19 has shown the community at its best, and they want to hear from local people how they can build on that experience.

“Your Merton” is giving people the opportunity to express their views on how the pandemic has changed their lifestyle, and their future ambitions for where they live.

They are asking residents, students, commuters and businesses to give their views.

It is part of the council’s engagement programme, which includes the annual resident survey and a series of discussion groups with community organisations, including charities, faith groups, and young people’s groups.

Councillor Owen Pritchard, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Performance, Recovery and the Local Economy said: “Everyone has felt the impact of the pandemic in different ways – for some of us it has been truly devastating, while for the majority of us it has been life-changing.

“The council – like all of us – is trying to work out what changes to keep, and how to adapt to a post-pandemic Britain.

”Whether it’s changing the way we travel or work, a desire to spend more time outside, or changes to the way we want essential services to be delivered, all of us have an idea on what we want our futures to look like.

“Your Merton is an opportunity for our residents to tell us what they think, what they want – and what they don’t want.

Our job is to listen, understand what’s changed for people, and then build our priorities around people’s views.

“So to anyone who lives, or works in Merton, all I ask is that you take 15 minutes or so or so to visit the website and tell us what you think.”

The “Your Merton” website will remain open until July 7.

The responses will help form the basis of local priorities for the council and its partners from 2022 onwards.

The council will start assessing responses in September/October.

The website is easy to use, and it allows people to highlight local places and tell the council the things they love about the borough as well as the things they want to see changed in the future.

To share your views visit www.merton.gov.uk/yourmerton.