St. Helier Pub Group - A co-operative pub for Morden

Pictures of the Future Site

2013-10-29T15:17:00.003-07:00

Here is the view of the bar / restaurant extension, which we have been denied, yet again an ACV for. Handy seats for local teenagers to hang out on drinking there tins from Sainsbury’s. Note that the buildings here as almost as tall as the Tavern themselves.

...and here the trees block any possible comparison.

Note how they make the new buildings look shorter than the existing houses.

St Helier Now Has A Little Less History

2013-10-28T19:10:00.002-07:00

Sainsbury's application for 3 neon signs on the Morden Tavern site

2013-10-10T12:22:00.001-07:00

Sainsbury’s have applied to erect three neon signs on the historic Morden Tavern. To add insult to injury they want to move the pub sign further up the site and place one of their own signs on it. The developer promised to enhance the look and feel of the Morden Tavern, but instead will turn it into an eyesore and destroy the look of the building.

Sainsbury’s will be open from 6am to 11pm everyday – these lights will be on every evening, creating light pollution and adding to the light falling on properties surrounding the pub. We would like to see the traditional signage illumination used to retain the historic feel of this building, which was specifically built for our community's benefit.

Please support our objections to this planning change by writing or emailing:

planning.representations@merton.gov.uk

REF: 13/P2866

Nanyaa Ampoma

Development Control

London Borough of Merton

Merton Civic Centre

London Road

Morden

SM4 5DX

You can include:

Application reference number: 13/P2866
Your name
Your address
Planning application description
Your comments

Please note that comments submitted to the council cannot be treated as confidential and will be made available for public inspection without exception. This includes your email address if you send an email.

DEADLINE to object is 18.10.13.

Example email:

To: planning.representations@merton.gov.uk

REF: 13/P2866; APPLICATION FOR ADVERTISEMENT CONSENT FOR THE DISPLAY OF 3 X EXTERNALLY ILLUMINATED FASCIA SIGNS, NON-ILLUMINATED WALL PANEL SIGN, WALL MOUNTED ATM SURROUND, DISABLED SPACE SIGN, TOTEM AND STATUTORY SIGN.

For the attention of Merton Planning Department:

I wish to object to the above planning application for new signage on the Morden Tavern. There is no need for such a bright and intrusive sign, which will damage the look and feel of this locally listed building and cause unnecessary light pollution to the area. I would like to see the existing, 'spotlight' illuminated signage style reproduced to keep the character of this building and maintain the current levels of illumination at the site. There is a proposal on this application to move the pub sign pole. I would like to see it keep its current position on the spot it has had for over 80 years.

Name:

Address:

Date:

September 2013 Update

2013-09-30T13:50:00.002-07:00

Key Facts:

The Morden Tavern development will have houses, flats & some shop units.
A bar/pub or restaurant will remain on the site.
The Morden Tavern Group hopes to form a co-operative to rent the bar with community shares.
There is an approved business plan & many potential investors.
The Morden Tavern Group has applied for it to be registered as an ‘Asset of Community Value’. This would enable the community to bid for a unit on the site.
St Helier Estate is the only estate in Merton without a community centre.

Please see below for how you can support the ‘Asset of Community Value’ application.

Support the Morden Tavern Groups’s application to have the Morden Tavern listed as an 'Asset of Community Value'

2013-09-19T16:12:00.000-07:00

19/9/13

Please support the Morden Tavern Groups’s application to have the Morden Tavern listed as an Asset of Community Value, (click on the image below if you’d like help). If you live on the St Helier Estate please email all three ward councillors who will be consulted on this application. They are; Maxi Martin, maxi.martin@merton.gov.uk , Dennis Pearce; dennis.pearce@merton.gov.uk and Stan Anderson; stan.anderson@merton.gov.uk.

Please get as many residents on the estate to do the same. If you live in Merton but not in St Helier you can email council officer Howard Joy; howard.joy@merton.gov.uk to register your support.

You can copy and paste this message into an email:

I am a St Helier resident and I support the Morden Tavern Group and their application to have the Morden Tavern listed as an asset of community value. Over 450 residents have already signed a petition asking Merton to do this and I feel it is important that you support the wishes of the community you represent.

I look forward to hearing from you on this matter soon.

Regards:

Name:

The St Helier Pub Group always welcomes new members and supporters. If you would like to join or support the St Helier Pub Group, contact us at: Tavern.development@virginmedia.com

You can also 'like' us on facebook to support our campaign: facebook.com/MordenTavern and follow us on twitter: https://twitter.com/SaveMordenTav

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT

Watch the Merton Council debate on the Morden Tavern

2013-09-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

12/9/13

Merton Council debates the conservative motion regarding Assets of Community Value. The Morden Tavern gets several mentions. Well worth a look; go to 01:35 to 01:52 to watch what happened.

http://www.merton.public-i.tv/core/portal/webcast_interactive/112355

Merton Conservatives's Agenda

2013-09-10T16:07:00.000-07:00

10/9/13

Merton Conservatives will be placing a motion before the full council on Wednesday in support of local communities trying to ‘list’ local assets. The Morden Tavern gets a mention.

http://www.merton.gov.uk/democratic_services/w-agendas/w-reports/_9000-9999/9977.pdf

Morden Tavern Group submits application to have the Morden Tavern listed as an 'Asset of Community Value' with 34 signatures

2013-09-01T16:04:00.000-07:00

1/9/13

On the 28th of August, the Morden Tavern Group or MTG submitted an application to have the Morden Tavern listed as an Asset of Community Value. The group currently has 34 members who all live on the St Helier Estate and they all signed the application, which only required 21 signatures to make the application legally valid. The St Helier Pub Group offered its support and advice with their application. If accepted it would warrant the community the chance to buy or lease and run the Pub / Bar, which the developer promised to provide as part of their appeal to the planning inspector.

13/8/13 - Morden Tavern 'Asset of Community Value' Refusal notice

2013-08-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

13/8/13

Morden Tavern 'Asset of Community Value' Refusal notice

Merton Council’s reasons for refusing our application to have the Morden Tavern listed as an Asset of Community Value.

Response from Merton Council...

2013-08-12T15:56:00.000-07:00

12/8/13

From Merton Council:

Apologies for the delay in replying.
The main reason for the delay was in considering the facts of this case and whether the application satisfies the Localism Act 2011. This consideration has been completed and the decision has been made. A letter has been sent by first class post to the applicant today confirming this decision which is not to list the Morden Tavern.

Why the Morden Tavern should be run as a co-operative pub, owned and run by the community...

2013-08-12T15:52:00.000-07:00

Enterprise Inns where the chain that sold the MT Lease to Reef Estates. Reading this you may come to 'understand' why a Freehold pub will make money where a tied one cannot.

http://blogs.mirror.co.uk/investigations/2010/08/working-all-the-hours-for-none.html

25/7/13 - Reef due to start work

2013-07-25T15:48:00.000-07:00

25/7/13

St Helier Councillor Maxi Martin told the St Helier Community meeting tonight that Reef will begin development work at the end of August.

452 Signatures on Petition for Registering Morden Tavern as an Asset of Community Value

2013-07-18T15:46:00.000-07:00

18/7/13

452 signatures collected on our petition in support of our application to have the MT registered as an ACV. Thank you everyone who signed, your continued support for our campaign is fantastic.

11/7/13 - private meeting with Merton Council Leader Stephen Alambritis

2013-07-11T15:44:00.000-07:00

11/7/13

Members of the SHPG and CAMRA attended a private meeting with Merton Council Leader Stephen Alambritis. They pressed the case for Merton Council to register the MT as an Asset of Community Value and for an Article 4 Direction which would ensure that any change of use from A4 Public House would require a planning application. At present pubs can be converted to several other purposes without a planning application, including retail. A Direction would ensure local people have a say before this happens.

Petition to have the Morden Tavern Declared as an 'Asset of Community Value'

2013-06-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

24/6/13

Merton Council’s Licencing Committee granted Sainsbury’s plc an off-sales licence for the Morden Tavern site today. The SHPG continues its petition to have the Morden Tavern declared as an ACV which could afford it some protection please sign here:

https://petitions.merton.gov.uk/epetition_core/community/activepetitions

article on 20/6/13 - South London pub campaigners apply for asset of community value status

2013-06-20T15:40:00.000-07:00

20/6/13

http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/General-News/South-London-pub-campaigners-apply-for-asset-of-community-value-status

article on 13/6/13 - Campaign launched to keep former Morden Tavern for community

2013-06-13T15:34:00.000-07:00

13/6/13

http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/10480119.Campaign_launched_to_keep_Morden_pub_for_community/

2013-06-08T08:06:00.003-07:00

Petition link: http://petitions.merton.gov.uk/epetition_core/community/activepetitions

The Assets of Community Value Regulations 2012

The Saint Helier Pub Group has made an application to Morden Council for the Morden Tavern Public House to listed as an Asset of Community Value.

The group have long campaigned to have this community space returned to its rightful place as the centre of our community life to be run by and for the members of the St Helier Community.

If granted by Merton Council the listing of the Morden Tavern Public House would enable the community to have the right to bid on any Freehold or Leasehold associated with this property. There would be a six month period for St Helier residents to draw up such a bid and source the right finance.

The SHPG has made a long and considered study into how such a purchase might be achieved and we believe that a competitive bid can be made on part or the entire Morden Tavern site

We urge residents and all local Politian’s of any persuasion to support our bid for this ACV listing by signing our online petition at:

http://petitions.merton.gov.uk/epetition_core/community/activepetitions

Petition name: ‘Make Morden Tavern an Asset of Community Value’

Press Release - 6/6/13

2013-06-06T15:32:00.000-07:00

6/6/13

Press Release

St Helier Pub Group

The Assets of Community Value Regulations 2012

The Saint Helier Pub Group has made an application to Morden Council for the Morden Tavern Public House to listed as an Asset of Community Value. The group have long campaigned to have this community space returned to its rightful place as the centre of our community life to be run by and for the members of the St Helier Community.

If granted by Merton Council the listing of the Morden Tavern Public House would enable the community to have the right to bid on any Freehold or Leasehold associated with this property. There would be a six month period for St Helier residents to draw up such a bid and source the right finance.

The SHPG has made a long and considered study into how such a purchase might be achieved and we believe that a competitive bid can be made on part or the entire Morden Tavern site

We urge residents and all local Politian’s of any persuasion to support our bid for this ACV listing by signing our online petition: ‘Make Morden Tavern an Asset of Community Value’

Response to Objects of Licence Application

2013-05-15T15:29:00.000-07:00

15/5/13

Those people who signed the letters of objection to the licence application on the Tavern site have this week received replies from Merton’s Environment and Regeneration department stating that ‘they cannot accept your objection as valid’. We are seeking legal advice to appeal against their decision. We will keep you updated.

Object to Sainsbury Licencing Application

2013-05-06T15:26:00.000-07:00

6/5/13

There 24hrs left to object to the Sainsbury licencing application. You can object on the grounds of any of the following gounds:

The prevention of crime and disorder;
Public safety;
The prevention of public nuisance; and
The protection of children from harm.

Send emails with full name and address too: licensing@merton.gov.uk

Licensing Act 2003 - Application for a Premises Licence

2013-04-10T15:23:00.000-07:00

Our worst fears realised, but not very surprising as this is what the council suggested in 2009.

Local Resident's response to 'Controlled Drinking Zone'

2013-03-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Editor

"I believe that existing legislation and CDZ provisions give the police adequate powers to confiscate alcohol from persons found drunk and disorderly or otherwise deemed likely to cause a breach of the peace/public nuisance in our borough. Giving the police any wider discretion to confiscate alcohol would seem disproportionate, and only likely to alienate some otherwise peaceful members of the community.

If there is concern about alcohol related anti-social behaviour, may I suggest that the Council should be less accommodating to new supermarket convenience stores applying to sell cheap alcohol for extended hours. Over the last 20 years about half the pubs in South Wimbledon, Mitcham and Morden have closed and instead we have a surfeit of shops selling bulk branded lagers, strong ciders and discounted spirits as loss leaders.

Indeed, at what was until last year the Grove Tavern, opposite South Wimbledon tube station, Tescos are now applying to sell alcohol from 6am until midnight. There's already a Tescos at the garage just up the Broadway and there's a new Sainsbury's in the old tile shop across the high street from the Grove. I don't see why you need to allow Tescos at the Grove to sell any alcohol at all. Forget about a borough-wide CDZ; just get a grip, please, on these vulture supermarket chains."

Geoff Strawbridge
Merton resident

Response from SHPG regarding the Controlled Drinking Zone in Merton

2013-03-29T15:11:00.000-07:00

29/3/13

Dear Editor,

It was with bemusement that we received the letter from Chris Lee informing all Merton Residents that Merton Council is consulting on making the whole of Merton a ‘designated public place’ ‘due to reported alcohol related anti-social behaviour’

Given that Chris Lee’s department have presided over a lamentable lack of foresight to protect Merton’s dwindling public houses from conversion into shops and flats and in the case of the Morden Tavern actually facilitating this change, failing to use the toothless Pub Protection Policy L16 with no public consultation of residents.

They now want to request an extension of their powers to deal with a problem they have clearly created themselves. If you allow such a rapid drop in Public House provision in the borough is it any wonder that there is in an increase of drinking in public spaces.

If this department had been more proactive in preventing public house closures and listened to what the residents of Merton wanted then they would have saved our money on this unnecessary Orwellian step backwards.

What a painful letter for the residents of the St Helier estate to receive given that the council enabled the loss of our last public house.

SHPG
(St Helier Pub Group)

Morden Tavern loss is 'devastating blow' article - Wimbledon Guardian 31/10/12

2012-10-31T13:25:00.001-07:00