Category Archives: Borough

Church Road Welfare Centre

1 Reply

Currently known as ‘La Sporta Community Centre’, the land at the corner of Church Path and Church Road was bought in 1936 by Mitcham Borough Council from Donald Stair Drewitt (or Drewett?). They built a maternity and child welfare centre, around 1939. After health services transferred from the local council to the health authorities, the building became Lasporta Community Centre in 1993. It was sold in 2012 for £300,000.

The freehold title for this property is TGL88228, which contains in its Charges Register a covenant that states that no housing should be built on the site, nor should there be any trade or business detrimental to the neighbouring
property.

This building is not mentioned in the Mitcham Borough Health Report for the year 1939, but is in 1940. The Parish Rooms at Lower Green West were last mentioned in 1939 so it is assumed that its functions transferred to this building at the same time.

Council minutes from 14th February 1939 say that the builder was Charles Sayers & Sons Ltd, whose bid was £4,586. Source: page 375, Mitcham Borough Council minutes, volume 5.

1953 OS map

The building was also used as an ante-natal clinic, holding mothercraft clases, a parentcraft circle, a post-natal clinic and for diptheria immunisation.

2009 La Sporta

2009

Prior to being sold in 2012, the building was used as the ‘La Sporta Community Centre’.

2016

2016

The Canons Minutes – 1948 Reinstatement of Recreation Grounds

Leave a reply

From the minutes of the
Allotments Committee
June 10, 1948

REINSTATEMENT OF RECREATION GROUNDS.

The Committee are asked to give consideration to a scheme for the reinstatement of recreation grounds and open spaces at present used as wartime allotments, a total area of approximately 48 acres. As a basis for discussion I set forth below a statement showing a reinstatement programme based on a commencement in the financial year 1949/50. If such a scheme is adopted holders of wartime allotments will know the date when such allotments have to be given up. For the first year it is suggested that three recreation grounds and open spaces be dealt with namely, Colliers Wood Playing Fields, approximately half Figges Marsh, and Sherwood Park Recreation Ground. This would improve the playing facilities in western, central and eastern areas of the Borough.

Recreation Ground Area in Acres Date of Suggested Reinstatement
Colliers Wood Playing Fields 3.0 1949-50
Figges Marsh – North 7.0 1949-50
Sherwood Park 2.6 1949-50
Figges Marsh – South 7.0 1950-51
Cricket Green 2.3 1950-51
Rowan Road 1.2 1950-51
Long Bolstead 0.6 1950-51
Manship Road 1.0 1950-51
Lewis Road 1.2 1951-52
Deer Park Gardens 1.2 1951-52
Mount Road 1.3 1951-52
Vectis Road 0.4 1951-52
Cranmer Green 2.4 1951-52
Mitcham Court 0.4 1951-52
The Canons 5.3 1951-52
Pollards Hill 12.0 1952-53

Approximate costs of reinstatement are:-

1949-50 £5,200.00
1950-51 £5,000.00
1951-52 £4,100.00
1952-53 £4,000.00
Total £18,300.00

Yours obediently,
Riley Schofield,
Borough Engineer and Surveyor.

Source: Proceedings of the Council and committees, Mitcham Borough Council, Volume 14 1946-48, pages 635-6

See aerial photos from 1945.

Minutes of meetings held by the Mitcham Borough Council are available on request from the Merton Heritage and Local Studies Centre at Morden Library.