September 2026
Merton CIL's Question: The Council's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2024-2026 promised two 'key activities': (1) 'Review of Council phone line with an accessibility lens to improve access for Disabled residents'; (2) 'Conduct accessibility review of Council services and communications to ensure improved access for Disabled residents'. What are the outcomes?
 
Reply from Cabinet Member for Finance, Growth and Corporate Services, Councillor Stephen Alambritis: This work is ongoing, but I am happy to provide a summary of progress to date.
 
A programme of customer experience discovery projects started in May 2026 with our Adult Social Care, Parking, Housing and Children's Services. This included research to identify challenges, redesign aspects of these services, and deliver measurable change for the benefit of all residents, with a focus on accessibility.
The telephone access in our Housing Services has been redesigned and will go live at the end of this month. This has combined the three Housing Services into a single voice response menu, creating a more accessible and inclusive entry point for residents. Whichever housing number they use, they are guided through the same clear set of options and directed to the appropriate team. This reduces confusion, cognitive load, and the need to remember multiple numbers or menu options, which is particularly beneficial for residents with cognitive, memory, literacy or language difficulties.
A new Interactive Voice Response menu has also been designed for our Children’s Services. Like our new Housing Services phone line, this also features a single number entry point and simplified menu options, reducing cognitive load and making it easier to access for children, young people and vulnerable callers.
We are in the process of redesigning our Parking Services phone line to be more accessible for those with cognitive impairments, learning difficulties, memory issues, and neurodivergent needs.
The online channel for residents to give feedback to the support they have received while using our Adult Social Care Services was redesigned and tested with service users. This is due to be launched by the end of September 2026 and has been designed as a fully accessible feedback channel for users with severe learning disabilities.
Improving access to council services for disabled residents has been identified as a topic for discussion by the Disability Forum and will play a key part in developing a refresh of the Council's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy. The Civic Centre's ground-floor reception area is currently undergoing work, following a review. One of the primary reasons to renovate the ground floor was to increase the self-service functionality. This includes supported access to services where staff can show residents how to use online services. We also welcome suggestions from our disabled residents on how we can improve our services to suit their needs. They can contact us and we will take on board those suggestions when updating our EDI Strategy.
 
 

July 2026 

Merton CIL's Question: Following a workshop on 16 May and a meeting on 12 November last year, is the Council still committed to establishing a Disability Forum, and if it is, who is responsible for driving things forward?
 
Reply from Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Civic Pride and Climate Change, Councillor Eleanor Stringer: The Council is committed to the Disability Forum which was established in 2025. The Forum is chaired by the Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care and is managed by the Policy, Strategy and Partnerships department as part of its equalities and community cohesion work. The next meeting is on 15 September, and officers are currently engaging with groups to ensure that a range of people with lived experience will be supported to make a real and meaningful contribution to the work of the Forum going forward.  

 

February 2026

Merton CIL's Question: With £30m earmarked to improve Morden town centre, will the Council commit to ensuring step-free access, emulating last year’s Mitcham town centre ramps project, which was a collaboration with Merton Centre for Independent Living?
 
Reply from Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainable Development, Councillor Andrew Judge: The £30m commitment to Remaking Morden, agreed by Cabinet on 19 January 2026, represents a significant investment in the future of Morden town centre. This funding underpins the work to secure a private-sector development delivery partner and demonstrates the Council’s long-term commitment to supporting Morden’s regeneration and growth. The Council also values its successful collaboration with Merton Centre for Independent Living, which has previously helped to improve access to local shops in Mitcham using grant funding we had available at the time. We remain keen to build on this positive partnership and, should further funding opportunities become available, would welcome the opportunity to work together again to explore ways to improve access to facilities and businesses in Morden - so that all of our residents can participate in and use services fully in our Borough. 
 
 

November 2025

You can see our Policy and Campaigns Manager, Pippa, speak from 14:41
 
Merton CIL's Question: In rebranding as ‘Walk Wheel Cycle Trust’, Sustrans have made explicit their inclusion of people who wheel. Will the Council commit to renaming the ‘Walking and Cycling Strategy’ the ‘Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Strategy’ in order to make explicit the inclusion of people who wheel?
 
Reply from Cabinet Member for Transport and Cleaner Streets, Councillor Stuart Neaverson: Thank you for raising this with me. Please be assured that those who wheel will be included in our Walking and Cycling Strategy.
 
On 24 October, we launched a public consultation on the Council’s first draft of the Strategy, which forms a core part of the borough’s ambition to make active travel accessible, easy, welcoming, enjoyable and safe.
 
Within the Introduction section of the draft Strategy, the following line is included in relation to Wheeling: ‘For the purposes of this Strategy, references to pedestrians and walking also incorporates those wheeling, which includes those using mobility equipment, including self-propelled wheelchairs, powered wheelchairs and mobility scooters.’
 
The consultation is open until 14 December 2025, and this feedback will be considered as part of the development of the final Strategy document.
 
Merton CIL’s Supplementary Question: Thank you to the Cabinet Member for his reply. Does he agree that adding the word ‘wheeling’ to the title of the strategy would help to make people who cannot travel about the borough on foot feel that the Council is genuinely committed to meeting their needs when it comes to the development of active travel infrastructure?
 
Reply from Cabinet Member for Transport and Cleaner Streets, Councillor Stuart Neaverson: Thank you very much for the original and supplementary question. I do want to reassure her that accessibility at is the very heart of this Walking and Cycling Strategy – one of the things that we want to be a central tenet – and I was delighted to welcome a couple of representatives from her organisation to a round table that we recently held with Will Norman, the Walking and Cycling Commissioner for the Mayor, where we heard firsthand some of the issues they have in Merton and what we can do to address them. I know that in the original answer we mentioned that wheeling is absolutely a core part of this, and I would also really, really encourage her organisation to respond to the consultation that is currently open right now. We would love to hear your thoughts.

 

October 2025 

Merton CIL's Question: Standard accessible toilets don’t provide changing benches or hoists, and most don’t accommodate more than one person. This means that some Disabled people are changed on a toilet floor, putting them and their personal assistant/carer at risk. Will the Council install a Changing Places Toilet in the Civic Centre?
 
 
Reply from Cabinet Member for Civic Pride and Climate Change, Councillor Eleanor Stringer: We are committed to inclusivity and ensuring that all Merton’s residents have services that meet their needs. While existing provision for publicly accessible toilets at the Civic Centre is compliant with current regulations, we would consider any opportunities to enhance the provision with any potential refurbishment works that may happen in the future. We have supported such improvements when buildings are being built or refurbished, for example, installing a new Changing Place Toilet in Morden Leisure Centre when that was rebuilt, and encouraging the Wimbledon Quarter to install a new one when the site was being refurbished. Merton is an inclusive Borough and we continually look at how we can improve accessibility for all our residents.
 
 

March 2025 

Merton CIL's Question: In the Council’s 2024-2026 Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy action plan, the timescale for the aim to ‘initiate and develop a Disability Forum with community representation to shape and influence policy and service delivery, especially in terms of accessibility’ is 2024-2025. What progress has been made towards fulfilling this aim?

 

Reply from Cabinet Member for Civic Pride and Climate Change, Councillor Eleanor Stringer: The Council has a strong commitment to develop a disability forum that is meaningful, robust and sustainable. Alongside the implementation of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy, the Council’s Adult Social Care service has also been progressing work to develop our broader approach to co-production with residents and organisations, and we want to ensure that our work to develop the Disability Forum is consistent with these wider plans. Throughout 2025, the Council’s Adult Social Care service will therefore be working with stakeholders and residents to develop that new co-production strategy and the development of the Disability Forum is very much part of that work. I am pleased also to report that officers are planning an initial workshop to help us develop the Disability Forum with relevant voluntary and community sector organisations. The workshop is scheduled to take place on the morning of the 16th of May and is designed to help us shape the development of the forum as well as providing a clear plan for getting it up and running. Merton CIL will be a key participant in that workshop and have been contacted with a hold the date invite for the workshop, with more details to follow next week.

 

January 2025

Merton CIL's Question: When it comes to communication with Deaf and hard-of-hearing people, what is the Council doing to improve the accessibility of its services? Embedding Video Relay Services, and providing British Sign Language interpretation at public meetings and in audiovisual publicity, for example, are measures that are arguably long overdue.

 

Reply from Cabinet Member for Civic Pride and Climate Change, Councillor Eleanor Stringer: We are committed to ensuring that all residents can engage and communicate with us, and overcoming any accessibility issues. The council’s priorities and its key service information are communicated to residents via a range of channels and platforms. These are accessible by design. As part of this, the council produces regular video content for residents, which is disseminated on social media and through direct mail or messaging. All of these videos are captioned – as standard – to ensure they reach as many people as possible and that those with hearing impairments are able to access the information. Regarding accessibility to services, we have some staff trained or currently training in British Sign Language (BSL) in reception and we offer a hearing loop for those with a hearing impairment. BSL interpreters are available on request for the more complex requirements. Specification for a new delivery model of translations services includes the provision of ad-hoc video conferencing services. Council meetings are held in rooms with a hearing loop. Whilst signing could be made available on request this has not been requested so is not provided as standard. However[,] any adjustments required by Councillors or members of the public can be discussed and requested and we would encourage all those working with residents with accessibility issues to support them to raise any requests with the council when needed.

 

November 2024

Merton CIL's Question: For each of the three Clarion regeneration sites (Eastfields, High Path, and Ravensbury), what percentage of homes, upon completion, will be: (a) for social housing tenants; (b) M4(2) standard; (c) M4(3)a standard; (d) M4(3)b standard?

 

Reply from Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainable Development, Councillor Andrew Judge: The Merton Estate Regeneration Programme being delivered by Clarion Housing Association creates a holistic approach to regeneration that provides existing residents with 1000 new homes, significantly increasing the number of bedrooms to address overcrowding for existing social tenants, as well as providing a future supply of 1,800 new homes across Merton.

(a) Social Housing

The following percentage of affordable homes will be created across all three estates (Eastfields, High Path and Ravensbury estates) in accordance with the signed S106 Legal Agreement:

  • 33% of the Residential Units to be constructed across the Eastfields Development as Affordable Housing;
  • 21% of the Residential Units to be constructed across the High Path Development (including the units constructed as part the High Path kickstart development at Station Road) as Affordable Housing;
  • 55% of the Residential Units to be constructed across the Ravensbury Development (including the units constructed as part of the Ravensbury kickstart development, Ravensbury Garages) as Affordable Housing.

 

(b,c,d) Wheelchair Accessible units

Across the whole Merton Estate Regeneration project, at least 10% of units will be M4(3) wheelchair accessible and the remaining new homes will be M4(2) wheelchair adaptable in accordance with planning policies.

 

The breakdown by estate is:

Eastfields

(b) M4(2) wheelchair adaptable – (90%) 720 homes

(c,d) M4(3) wheelchair accessible – (10%) 80 homes

Total number of homes in Eastfields across Phases 1-3 – 800 homes

 

High Path

(b) M4(2) wheelchair adaptable – (90%) 2045 homes

(c,d) M4(3) wheelchair accessible – (10%) 227 homes

Total number of homes in High Path across Phases 1-7B (including revised phases 4-7B) – 2272 homes

 

Ravensbury

(b) M4(2) wheelchair adaptable – (90%) 180 homes

(c,d) M4(3) wheelchair accessible – (10%) 20 homes

Total number of homes for Ravensbury across Phases 1-4 – 200 homes

 

July 2024

Merton CIL's Question: A member of staff at an organisation based in Vestry Hall is prevented from working in the organisation’s office because there is no Changing Places Toilet. Will the Council commit to turning the downstairs ladies’ toilet into a CPT? Such provision will obviously be of wider public benefit.

 

Reply from Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services, Councillor Billy Christie: I am sorry to hear that an individual is having difficulty working from Vestry Hall, and I am committed to expanding the provision of fully accessible Changing Places toilets wherever possible. Changing Places Toilets contain far more equipment than a standard toilet facility and hence its size must be such to accommodate it. The Changing Places Consortium has provided design guidance and recommend a CPT is a minimum of 3m x 4m. The current female toilet on the ground floor at Vestry Hall is 5.4m x 1.9m. This is too narrow for a CPT, so to meet the 3m wide recommended width will require building work to extend the toilet into the adjacent office. Access is hindered by the stairs to the basement encroaching into the corridor making it 0.77m wide at its narrowest point, which is below the ideal recommended width of 0.9m, although above the minimum recommended value of 0.75m. Accessibility is very important to us. Despite this being a challenge in a Victorian era building such as Vesty Hall, we have worked hard to increase accessibility by installing ramped access and a lift, with accessible (though not CPT) toilets on the first floor. The team at Vestry Hall and the site facilities project manager are able to meet with you on site to discuss this matter further, if you feel this will assist. 

 

November 2023

Merton CIL's Question: Of the 400 homes that the Council is aiming to build on Council-owned land, how many will be M4(2) units (i.e. accessible and adaptable dwellings) and how many will be M4(3) units (i.e. wheelchair user

dwellings)?

 

Reply from Cabinet Member for Housing and Sustainable Development, Councillor Andrew Judge: The designs for the homes are still being finalised, so we are not able to give numbers for these units at present. However, all schemes will be designed to be London Plan compliant in terms of the number of accessible and adaptable dwellings and wheelchair user dwellings.

 

September 2023

Merton CIL's Question: With reference to objective 1.13 (1) of the draft Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, are you open to working with Merton CIL to try to ensure that adult social care charges do not have a disproportionately negative impact on residents for whom essential disability-related expenditure already has an adverse effect on their financial security?

 

Reply from Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, Councillor Peter McCabe: Any review or refresh of our adult social care charges policies would require us to engage and consult with our community and we recognise the financial difficulties many people with disabilities face. We are of course open to working with our voluntary and community partners, in particular those who represent people with protected characteristics under the Equalities legislation.