Repair and management of brook ditch

One matter discussed at the CPAGA-Merton meeting on 31 January 2024 meeting was the repair and management of the brook ditch that runs along the western boundary of the Site. The water flowing along the ditch, when it is able to flow, eventually drains into Beverley Brook. Merton used to periodically clear the ditch of overgrown vegetation and dredge it, to keep it free flowing. This has not happened now for a number of years. In addition, the builders of a housing block on Coombe Lane have laid pipes along the ditch and pumped from their excavations beside the brook into the ditch, further adversely affecting its drainage. The Committee understands that damage to the ditch has increased the incidence of flooding of neighbouring plots.

During 2023, the Parks Team commissioned a report into the ditch as part of a wider investigation into the relationship between the Site and the neighbouring site.

The Committe understand that surveyors instructed by Merton were on the Site on 26 March 2024, looking at the ditch and its condition.