I'm sure everyone will be pleased with the decision to keep Wimbledon Park First School as a two-form entry primary school. Congratulations to the parents, (P.T.F.A.) and governors who made their collective voices heard. They did listen and we have achieved what we wanted. Now we need to think about where we are going to put all the extra children.

On the library front, again we've been lobbying hard. I presented our petition containing over 1,900 signatures to the full Council in March and I shall be continuing to put our case to the Leisure and Libraries Committee.

Officers have been consulting on the controlled parking zone with lead petitioners and the scheme should soon be out for wider consultation in the whole community. The only thing that holds us up is the consultations which are already in progress in other areas. We want to get them right and this means paying more attention to every single objection.

After May I shall not be holding surgeries any more.  The reason  is that I am going to be Mayor of the London Borough of Merton, a great honour, for which I shall try to be worthy. I look forward to my term of office. However busy I am during my year as Mayor, I shall not forget my main responsibility, which is to represent all the residents of my ward.

            Joyce Paton