Merton Council's Cabinet has approved key steps in the Morden Town Centre regeneration programme, signalling significant progress for the area's future development. The council met on Monday, September 21, 2026, to endorse plans that aim to transform the town centre into a vibrant hub.
Central to the approved plans is the advancement of the Morden Town Centre Regeneration Programme. The Morden Town Centre Vision is guided by six strategic principles: 'London's home of sport', 'People focused high street', 'Bringing the parks into Morden', 'Merton's civic hub', 'Homes and opportunities for the future', and 'London's Southern Gateway'. Complementing this, the Strategic Objectives for a new Civic Hub are focused on 'Financial sustainability and value for money', 'Service modernisation and accessibility', 'Regeneration and place leadership', 'Community and partnership integration', 'Estate efficiency and sustainability', 'Health, wellbeing and workforce experience', and 'Organisational transformation and culture change'.
The new Civic Hub is envisioned to be the 'democratic heart of the borough', providing an 'accessible front door for residents and services', supporting the Council's future ways of working, and acting as a 'visible civic, community and economic anchor within the wider regeneration of Morden'. It is intended to be a 'place for everyone', potentially including 'democratic and civic functions, resident-facing services, workspace, community and partnership uses and other complementary activity'.
The updated procurement programme is set to launch Pre-Market Engagement by the end of September 2026, with formal procurement commencing at the end of November 2026. Merton Council will assess bidders on their 'organisational capability, relevant experience and financial standing'. Prospective partners will also be evaluated on their ability to deliver the Council's wider housing, place, health, sustainability, economic and stewardship ambitions. The evaluation matrix will focus on 'Minimum Requirements' and 'Project Objectives', likely to include the minimum size of the new Civic Hub, the proportion of affordable homes, the split of affordable homes by tenure, minimum requirements for commercial units and area, minimum land value for individual phases and the entire development, sustainability minimum standards, and the social value offer.
The procurement process is anticipated to last approximately 12 months. The Invitation to Participate (ITP) stage will run from November 2026 to February 2027, followed by evaluation and shortlisting in February 2027. The Invitation to Tender (ITT) stage is targeted for March 2027, with a dialogue phase in Spring/Summer 2027. A call for final tenders is expected at the end of Summer 2027, with final tender evaluation and moderation in Autumn 2027. The recommendation of a preferred development partner is anticipated following the completion of evaluation and governance processes.
The regeneration aims to 'create a vibrant destination where people choose to spend time throughout the day and evening', 'bring new life and investment to the high street', and 'create jobs, attract investment and reinforce Morden's role as the civic heart of the borough'. It also seeks to 'provide homes for local people alongside better opportunities, workplaces and community spaces that strengthen the town centre and support a stronger local economy'. The vision also includes 'bringing the parks into Morden' with 'more trees, planting and green spaces' and 'better connections' to make it 'easier and more enjoyable to walk, cycle and get around'.
An initial capital allocation of £30 million was approved in January 2026 to support programme delivery and begin addressing land assembly and enabling challenges. The Council has further considered the financial implications of delivering the town centre regeneration, which includes upfront capital costs for land assembly, the cost of and approach to paying for the new Civic Hub, its fit-out, and decanting from the existing Civic Centre. Funding sources mentioned include 'capital receipts, reserves and HRA/General Fund borrowing' for the New Homes Programme, and engagement with the GLA for 'Affordable Housing Grant'.
A communications programme and engagement approach for the period before, during, and beyond procurement have also been noted. Planned community engagement activities include establishing a Community Panel comprising residents, businesses, and community organisations within the regeneration area. Direct communication with affected residents and businesses will occur at key programme milestones. Proactive face-to-face engagement will supplement direct communications, and accessible ongoing contact with the Council will be established through drop-in sessions. Communications across all channels will use a consistent programme narrative and clearly explain what is known, what remains to be determined, and the opportunities for community influence at each stage. The development partner will be required to engage with the Community Panel as the masterplan develops.
Further details on the meeting and decisions can be found in the Public reports pack and Decisions documents.
