Merton invited further comments on their latest modifications to the Plan. These followed the Inspectors’ letters of a year ago when they dismissed the AELTC’s requests to Allocate Wimbledon Park golf course for development, and to reduce the extent of MOL (=Green Belt) protected status at the existing AELTC site. However, Merton have substituted an extensive Policy for Wimbledon Park, which appear to follow much of the AELTC planning proposals, and go well beyond the Historic England concerns that the Park is “at Risk”. This introduces development plans which are wrong and is disproportionate (10 pages when the whole of Wimbledon is given 17 pages). We have therefore proposed a simpler and more effective solution in the attached and await a discussion.
We are particularly concerned to note that during the intervening year Merton do not appear to have engaged with any of the local elected representatives, or the local groups who, they know, take a keen interest in the future of the Park.