Morden, a small town in London is often forgotten about. The main (and only) claim to fame of this unmodern and unkempt town is it being the last stop on the Northern line. This could be seen as to why Boris Johnson announced that Morden will be given Housing Zone status and £42 million to revive the town centre.
Of this, 1070 new homes (40% of which will be affordable) will be built and a new piazza by the underground station. Many people believe that this is for the best. Only 25.6% of homes in Morden are owned, a good 5% below the national average and 37.6% of homes are rented. Additionally, Morden has a 20%+ lower rate of residents born in the UK compared to the national average. This combined is what makes some residents believe that this grant is needed. Some populaces believe that there aren’t enough homes available for local residents so there therefore needs to be priority for the Hard Working Local People.
However, the population of Morden seems to be thriving, opposing the rundown and unloved town centre. 34.96% of residence are in the AB class grade and 41.1% having Level 4 qualifications. This suggests that Morden is flourishing, which could make people wonder why this grant has been given in the first place. This further cements the view of other residents, that this grant is just the government wasting money on areas that don’t need concentrating on. Whether this is a legitimate point or just people disagreeing with the Conservative’s appeal to the working class is debatable, especially since the facts support both views.
Generally, it seems as though the people of Morden just don’t believe this will be carried out. The money is supposed to be given in April of next year, and many believe that April will just never come. The last time Morden Station was given attention was in 2007 but this was only on the platforms. Visually, Morden Station hasn’t been touched since 1960. If the only part of Morden that makes it somewhat memorable hasn’t been developed since it’s initial design 90 years ago, then many people have little hope in the scheme physically happening. 90 years, however, is a long time. Regardless on people’s opinions on the reasons or the likelihood of the scheme happening, the majority can agree that the town centre needs revamping, especially with it’s position at the bottom of the Northern line.
Shivani Bhatt, Wallington High School for Girls
