Merton Council is striving to improve sports facilities, particularly for football and rugby, according to a progress update presented at the Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Panel meeting on Tuesday 01 July 2025. The council aims to address several barriers to meeting demand, including insufficient grass pitches, over-capacity rugby pitches, inadequate drainage, and limited community use of school sports halls.

The update on the Sports Facilities Assessment and Playing Pitch Strategy, available on the council's website here, highlighted a need for more grass and artificial pitches to meet current and future demand. The final strategy will include an outline action plan related to the potential development and delivery of the priority projects and facility needs for sport and recreation, covering all pitches and sports facilities in the borough not just those owned and operated by the council. It will include a reference to their potential to be progressed either in the short term (defined as within 2 years approximately), the medium term (defined as within 2-5 years) or longer to progress - for example projects dependent on acquisition of land, the outcome of wider area development planning or large-scale review of options, feasibility and viability.

Merton aims to be the Borough of Sport, with three key missions:

i. Everyone in Merton, no matter their background, has the opportunity to be active and access sport and physical activity.

ii. Merton will be the natural home of sport in London, and will protect, preserve, and grow our sporting heritage.

iii. Merton will have a thriving sports and leisure economy that benefits the local community.

Success of the 'Borough of Sport' initiative will be measured using metrics such as the number of residents accessing free swimming, fitness participation of 14-25 year olds at leisure centres, overall leisure centre user numbers, the percentage of physically active adults and children, and resident awareness of the Borough of Sport initiative, as detailed in the council's performance report.

Since launching the Borough of Sport initiative, the council has secured over £2.4 million of external funding for improving playing facilities. Recent examples include investment in refurbishing public tennis courts, improving changing facilities at King George's Playing Fields and drainage improvement works at Sir Joseph Hood Memorial Playing Fields. Planned drainage improvements are also slated for Old Wimbledonians RFC.

The council is also exploring opportunities to reinstate pitches on open spaces or closed sports grounds, ensuring new facilities align with carbon commitments and enhance biodiversity.

The main findings for the Playing Pitch Strategy are summarised by sport:

  • Cricket: There are insufficient grass pitches to cater for the demand of clubs, leading to some clubs playing outside the borough and pitches being over capacity. At least one additional grass cricket pitch is needed in the borough, in addition to two non-turf pitches at clubs with large youth sections. The council is considering potential locations for additional grass cricket pitches with the Steering Group.
  • Football: The supply of grass pitches needs to increase and there is also a shortfall of 11v11 3G artificial grass pitches required to meet current demand. The council is developing proposals for additional 3G AGPs for football, which could attract Football Foundation funding.
  • Hockey: The assessment of needs recommends the protection of current hockey facilities, resurfacing of poor-quality pitch provision and the installation of sports lighting at Harris Academy Morden.
  • Rugby: The majority of rugby pitches in Merton are currently over capacity, with six of eight sites being overused, and there is a need for 3 additional full size grass pitches and one additional full-sized WRC 3G AGP in Merton.

The Sports Facilities Assessment has highlighted the following key priorities:

  • Swimming Pools: There is a need to protect the current supply of swimming pools, secure community use on education sites where possible and modernise current sites to improve their energy efficiency. Examples of education sites include Kings Club, Wimbledon College, and Wimbledon High School.
  • Sports Halls: There is a need to protect the current supply, secure community use on education sites where possible and work towards developing a new 4 court sports hall at Morden Leisure Centre. The council needs to secure capital funding for this project and is negotiating community use or lease agreements to improve access to existing facilities.

Other sports facilities priorities include:

  • Athletics: Plans should be put in place for the refurbishment of the Wimbledon Park track and ancillary facilities.
  • Racquet Sports: There are 4 Padel courts in Merton and the LTA has identified a need for a further 12 courts in the borough.