The Council meeting scheduled for 15 July 2026 was set to address a range of public service matters, including park maintenance, housing conversions, and road safety. A significant portion of the agenda was dedicated to questions from councillors and the public to cabinet members, covering topics from cultural events and sports facilities to financial management and environmental concerns. Additionally, the meeting was scheduled to consider proposed amendments to a Labour motion concerning maternity and women's health services at St Helier Hospital.

Park Maintenance and Green Spaces

Questions were raised regarding the perceived inequalities in park maintenance across the borough and the specific actions being taken to ensure all residents have access to well-maintained green spaces. The council's commitment to improving park facilities, including investments from the Legacy Fund, was highlighted. The report pack indicated that a new grounds maintenance contract was due to commence on 1 November 2026, with an ambition to increase the number of parks awarded the Green Flag status.

Furthermore, discussions were scheduled to cover the support provided to Friends groups and volunteers who assist in maintaining Merton's parks. The council's plans to increase resources for engagement with these groups, including training in horticulture and conservation, were outlined. The report pack also detailed a programme of works to improve parks and open spaces, with a committed spend of almost £3.5 million. These improvements aim to contribute to heat mitigation, biodiversity, and flood resilience. Specific projects mentioned included the installation of water-filling stations at Wimbledon Park, the creation of pocket parks borough-wide, and the introduction of swales at Holland Gardens to enhance drainage.

The council's approach to managing commercial events in parks was also scheduled for discussion, focusing on how the number, scale, and timing of such events are assessed, and the role of local residents and Friends groups in these decisions.

Housing and Development

Concerns about the conversion of family homes into Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) in the Lower Morden ward were to be addressed. The report pack indicated that new borough-wide planning rules requiring planning permission for all new HMOs had been introduced in 2022 and were extended to the rest of the borough in March 2026. Cabinet and full council were due to consider making these rules permanent. The council also introduced landlord licensing for HMOs and other private rented properties in the east of the borough in 2022, with plans to extend this to remaining wards.

Progress on the delivery of the council's first council homes in a generation was also on the agenda. The report pack stated that three developments, providing 75 homes, had commenced on site in December 2025 and were progressing well, with completion expected in 2027/28. Design work had also started on a further development at Mitcham Gasworks, which is planned to provide 148 social rent homes and complete in late 2029. A housing delivery business plan was to be presented to Cabinet at the end of the summer, seeking approval for a significant council-led development programme.

Transport and Infrastructure

The council's pothole repair service was a topic scheduled for discussion, with a question posed on whether the service was considered adequate. The report pack noted that between January and June 2026, 1,259 carriageway defects were issued for repair, with 1,205 completed, representing a 27% increase in repairs required compared to the same period in 2025. The report indicated an improvement in repair performance since April 2026, with 96% of pothole repairs completed.

Concerns regarding speeding traffic and pedestrian safety at existing zebra crossings on The Ridgway in Wimbledon Village were to be addressed, with a request for a new controlled pedestrian crossing outside Wimbledon Common Preparatory School. Officers had concluded that a signalised crossing was not feasible due to site constraints, but the location would remain under review, and concerns would be raised with the police regarding speed cameras.

The junction between Queens, Haydons, and Caxton Roads was also scheduled for assessment regarding pedestrian safety, with potential improvements to be made subject to funding and competing priorities.

Community Safety and Enforcement

The effectiveness of the Safer Streets Teams, created nearly a year prior, in cracking down on anti-social behaviour and improving residents' sense of safety was to be outlined. The report pack detailed that these teams patrol every ward weekly, using intelligence-led deployment. In May 2026 alone, Wardens completed 126 patrols, engaged with 694 community members and 68 businesses, and issued 19 warning letters. The teams have also been working alongside the police and local businesses through Operation Nexus to combat theft and anti-social behaviour in town centres. The Untidy Land Team was also deployed to tackle neglected private land, resolving around 200 cases of dumping and fly-tipping.

Environmental Issues and Climate Resilience

The council's approach to weed control, including the use of glyphosate, was to be discussed in response to concerns about its potential harm to wildlife and human health. The report pack stated that the council had significantly reduced its use of chemical weed control, with routine herbicide spraying no longer undertaken in parks and green spaces, and spraying in town centres having ceased. Herbicide treatment is now only undertaken where visible weed growth is present, and the herbicide used is legally approved and regulated by the Health and Safety Executive. The council continues to explore chemical-free alternatives.

The importance of street trees for shading and cooling during heatwaves was also a focus, with questions about prioritising roadside tree planting in disadvantaged neighbourhoods and dedicated funding allocations. The council's Tree Strategy outlines a commitment to increasing tree canopy cover, with a focus on wards with the lowest canopy areas.

The opening times of splash pads and paddling pools, and the adequacy of supporting infrastructure such as public toilets, water fountains, and changing facilities, were raised in the context of rising summer temperatures and climate resilience. The council highlighted its extensive provision of water play facilities and ongoing efforts to extend this offer within budget constraints.

Health and Social Care

Merton's marking of Carers Week and the council's support for unpaid carers across the borough were to be detailed. The report pack mentioned a programme of free events during Carers Week, including wellbeing sessions and information events. Increased funding for the Carers Discretionary Grant and the launch of new support services were announced. The council's commitment to supporting carers extends beyond Carers Week, with over 2,500 carers receiving information, advice, and support through Carers First Merton.

Ward health profiles published in May 2026, replacing those from 2020, were to be discussed, with a focus on obesity rates. The data indicated that Merton's overall obesity rate was lower than in London and England, with an estimated drop from 19% in 2020 to 15% in 2026 across the borough.

Education and Skills

The priorities for the Employ Merton pilot programme in its second year were to be explained. The service aims to develop a single front-door offer for employability support, deliver targeted provision for priority cohorts including young people and households in temporary accommodation, and develop a paid work-placement offer.

Home-to-school travel assessments, their frequency, and the number of children benefiting were also to be discussed. The council's policy, in line with statutory guidance, assesses eligibility for children with special educational needs, disabilities, or mobility problems. Currently, 729 children benefit from this support.

Governance and Council Business

The meeting was scheduled to include the election of the Mayor for the 2026/27 municipal year and the appointment of the Deputy Mayor. A vote of thanks to the retiring Mayor was also on the agenda.

Changes to the membership of committees and related matters were to be presented, including noting changes made under delegated authority and approving appointments to various committees and outside bodies, such as the Licensing Committee, Mitcham Common Conservators, and the North East Surrey Crematorium Board. The appointment of Champions, including the Living Wage Champion and Armed Forces Champion, was also to be noted.

The appointment of two Independent Persons for the purposes of Chapter 7 of the Localism Act was to be considered. The report indicated that these appointments were necessary to ensure the council's compliance with the Act and to maintain the promotion and monitoring of ethical standards.

The council was also to receive petitions and note the responses provided to petitions submitted at the previous meeting. These included a petition regarding the protection of local hedgehogs and a petition supporting the introduction of an Article 4 Direction to control the spread of HMOs in Cannon Hill ward.

Finally, the meeting was to receive an update on motions passed by the Council during the 2025/26 municipal year, detailing actions taken in response to these resolutions. This included updates on efforts to keep Mitcham and Wimbledon Police Stations open and protect their front desk services, and discussions to mitigate the loss of service and accessibility following the closure of front desk services at these stations.

St Helier Hospital Services

A significant item on the agenda was a Labour motion concerning the protection of maternity and women's health services at St Helier Hospital. The motion noted concerns regarding potential temporary closures, relocation, or reduction of these services due to estate condition issues. It highlighted the detrimental impact this would have on local residents, increasing travel distances to access care and placing additional pressure on nearby hospitals. The motion also referenced long-standing maintenance issues and financial pressures facing the hospital and the Trust, compounded by government decisions on new hospital programmes and past cuts to public services.

The motion welcomed the council's opposition to downgrading or closing emergency, maternity, and children's in-patient services at St Helier Hospital, and acknowledged funding from the Labour Government for the hospital's Emergency Department and infrastructure upgrades. It also noted the Labour administration's campaigning efforts and the work of Dame Siobhain McDonagh MP.

The council was asked to resolve to continue making clear its strong opposition to any reduction or relocation of Maternity Services from St Helier Hospital. It was also to support formal requests for rigorous scrutiny of the Trust's impact assessment and for proper consultation with residents, Healthwatch, MPs, councillors, and other local partners on the proposed changes.

A Liberal Democrat amendment to this motion was also scheduled for consideration. This amendment sought to reaffirm support for maternity, neonatal, gynaecology, and women's health services to remain within the St Helier estate. It also proposed that should a decant of services be required, the Trust's Board should provide clear evidence of sufficient local capacity at any receiving Trust and a firm plan for the return of services to St Helier. In the absence of such guarantees, the amendment called for the Trust's Board to confirm whether the proposal constituted a substantial service variation requiring formal public consultation and referral to local health scrutiny committees.