A cherished Morden shop still faces an uncertain future despite Merton Council’s rejection of a plan to convert the store into an apartment.
Anil Patel, 70, and his wife Rashpal have run the Londis convenience store on Crown Lane, since 2005 and have amassed a large number of loyal customers who view the business as an integral pillar of the local community.
Earlier this month, Patel’s landlord submitted an application to convert the Londis store and Post Office into an apartment and although that was rejected, campaigners who launched a petition to save the shop are concerned developers will soon be reapplying for planning permission.
Campaigner Lainey Derx said: “The shop is woven into the DNA of our community.
“They greet you by name, ask after your unwell relatives, and quietly support the most vulnerable.
“It’s not just a place to buy milk or post a letter, it’s a feeling of home.
“We’re not just trying to save a shop, we’re fighting to protect the heart of the neighbourhood.”
The plan to convert the shop by the landlord was was submitted alongside development company Capital Homes (Morden Regeneration) Ltd, which has previously been granted permission to build a hotel nearby.
But on 18 June, Merton Council rejected the original development application for a proposed change of use under Class MA permitted development rules.
The plans were rejected due to inaccurate drawings, lack of evidence that all habitable rooms, including the kitchen, would receive enough natural light, plus assessment of noise impacts, and poor layout with unsafe access and inadequate cycle storage.
Derx had set up change.org petition against the proposals as well, which reached over 1,000 signatures in just three days after being launched on 7 June.
Over 2,000 signatures have since signed the petition, with supporters flooding the comment section with words of support for Anil and his business.
One said: “Please do not take Anil’s post office from us, it’s a place of a get-together for so many elderly who stop for a chat.
“Anil has always been kind and supportive of all the neighbours, Crown Lane and Morden will become such a grey place without him as we will lose a massive part of our community.”
Some residents are concerned the single apartment application could lead to the development of a much larger block of residential flats if permission is eventually granted.
Derx also noted the “rare village feel” Patel’s shop has brought to Morden, something she feels can be hard to come by in bustling metropolitan areas.
Derx said: “When the church nearby finished on one Saturday, many of the members came out to talk to him and were outside his shop.
“People care so much about him.
“I would like the developer and the landlord to try and think about this with a human element and not just pound signs.”
A Merton Council spokesperson said: “After a thorough and independent assessment using the relevant legislation, council officers decided, under delegated powers, to refuse the application to change the use of the shop at 35 Crown Lane into a residential unit.”
Featured image: Lainey Derx
