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.
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)
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