We read with interest your article (Traders lose during regeneration work, February 25). We have always believed that Mitcham deserves greater investment, and have expressed concerns in the past that money put in by Merton Council as part of the so-called Rediscover Mitcham programme has been misplaced.
Work has begun and hoardings will bar the way to shops in our town centre for months to come. Even in the first few weeks we have heard shopkeepers talk of rubbish piling up and deliveries not taking place because vans can’t get access. Businesses are losing trade because shoppers can’t get near them and are put off by the hoardings. It can be hard to know even if some shops are open. Your article helpfully puts many of these concerns in print, and readers may be shocked to learn that Fair Green businesses are receiving no compensation for all this disruption.
Everybody wants a revitalised Fair Green. To get there Merton Council needs to be more sensitive in its approach and address the impact on our often fragile businesses. Nobody wants to see a pretty Fair Green with empty shops all around.
John Mansfield
Chairman
Mitcham Society
- Send your letters to: letters@wimbledonguardian.co.uk
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