London Borough of Merton, GB

London Borough of Merton, GB adopts technological approach to recognizing origins of street names

Borough officials initiated a two-month public consultation on how to acknowledge street names with historical ties to slavery. This process excluded street renaming due to the accompanying expense and mapping complications. A majority of respondents supported recognition with QR codes on impacted streets as the most popular solution. The council will develop QR landing pages that shed light on the backgrounds of streets like Marryat Road and Drax Avenue.

LB

London Borough of Merton, GB

United Kingdom

London Borough of Merton, GB takes lead on world-first low-emission zone for construction vehicles

The borough-led Cleaner Construction for London project established a zone for non-road mobile machinery (NRMM). Regulated machinery such as generators and excavators with outputs of 37 to 560 kilowatts are regularly evaluated for compliance. There is an online registry for NRMMs and new vehicles must meet emission requirements prior to use. The gradual rollout of the NRMM zone encouraged competition among bidding contractors to achieve lower emission levels.

LB

London Borough of Merton, GB

United Kingdom

London Borough of Merton, GB undertakes trial of commercial waste solutions on Morden's high street

Local officials and University College London researchers are conducting the pilot through June 2023. The program experiments with coordinated waste reduction and material reuse among high-street shops. These methods could replace complicated and wasteful disposal processes if successful. Morden was selected due to the similarity of its business community to neighboring towns. Merton received funding through the Net Zero Innovation Programme for new solutions to local sustainability challenges.

LB

London Borough of Merton, GB

United Kingdom

London Borough of Merton, GB responds to rising costs with support fund and community events

Council officials approved a £2 million fund for local organizations serving residents hardest hit by rising inflation. This fund builds on a £150 energy rebate for 70,000 households. Three cost-of-living events connect visitors with representatives from groups like Citizens Advice and Age UK. Event attendees also receive £10 grocery vouchers for their participation. A dedicated portal lists events, local resources, and funding sources for struggling households.

LB

London Borough of Merton, GB

United Kingdom

London Borough of Merton, GB enhances local biodiversity with WildWays roadside verge pilot

Fourteen verges covering 11% of the council's roadside green spaces were selected for the one-year project. Wildflowers and native vegetation will be planted on each verge. Landscaping contractor idverde switches from monthly mowing to one conservation cut during the pilot. The resulting green spaces attract insects and wildlife otherwise driven away by frequent maintenance. Borough officials also plan pilots of alternative weed management methods near WildWays verges.

LB

London Borough of Merton, GB

United Kingdom

London Borough of Merton, GB seeks learning disability service improvements with Big Conversation

Residents with learning disabilities, carers, and families are sought by the council during the multi-faceted campaign. Borough officials designed accessible paper and online surveys to attract a broad range of perspectives. Virtual and in-person workshops hosted by Community Catalysts foster conversations about service gaps. Merton accommodates residents who cannot use surveys or attend workshops with customized channels informed by pre-engagement feedback.

LB

London Borough of Merton, GB

United Kingdom