Category Archives: Roads

1973 Life is hell for the forgotten residents of Chapel Road

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The view from the houses in Chapel Road

The view from the houses in Chapel Road


From the Mitcham and Collier’s Wood Gazette, January 1973

Life is hell for the `forgotten’ residents

PEOPLE living under the shadow of redevelopment in Chapel-road, Mitcham, claimed this week that the area was being over-run with rats. And they protested that empty houses in the area were a target for vandals.

“We all had a letter last September telling us that the council were buying the houses under a compulsory purchase order and that we were to be rehoused” said 59-years-old Mrs Beatrice Tee.

“But since then—nothing. Just rumours. We live on rumours while the road and our homes go to rack and ruin.” She said several tenants had moved out leaving a row of empty homes which were making life hell for the people who were left.

“The children play in them and break the windows. In one, they dislodged a pipe and water was pouring out of it for nine weeks.”

Her neighbour Mrs Daisy Reeve, aged 51, has lived in Chapel-road for 31 years. “We wonder whats going to happen to us. The council seem to have forgotten this road—even the dustman neglect us and we are lucky if we get our rubbish collected once a fortnight.” she said.

Pensioner Mrs Annie Blackburn, aged 83, has lived in Chapel-road for 50 years. “We had loads of rats running along the road last week. This street seems to have become a dump for everyone to leave their rubbish.” she said.

Agents for the houses are Fair Bedford of Southall, “we appreciate that the tenants are in a difficult situation and we would like the council to take the houses over as soon as possible. The owner is in the same state of uncertainty as the tenants” said a spokesman.

Chapel-road lies within an area due to be developed by the Greater London Council ex-plained Merton’s Deputy Town Clerk Mr Geoffrey Norris.

“We are acquiring the property on behalf of the GLC and at the moment are waiting for a date for a public inquiry from the Department of the Environment” he said.

“We expect this be to in April and it is likely that a decision will be made in the autumn Redevelopment will then start.”

He said he would look into the complaints.

Barclays Bank, Cricket Green

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Branch of Barclays Bank that was at 342-344 London Road, on the corner with Lower Green West.

342 London Road. 1963 photo courtesy of Barclays Group Archives

342 London Road. Photo courtesy of Barclays Group Archives

According to Eric Montague, in his book Mitcham Histories: 5 Lower Green West, page 114:

Completely out of keeping with the surrounding buildings, but obviously conceived in the confident belief that eventually this corner of Mitcham would become the commercial centre of the developing town, the three-storeyed Barclays Bank building … was the first purpose-built bank in the village. It dates from the early years of the 20th century, when the houses on Bryant’s Corner were pulled down and within a few years the bank was extended along the London Road frontage

This clip from a Tom Francis photo shows the building before this expansion along the London Road. It shows that there were two windows with arches along the London Road, the main entrance on the corner, and three similar windows along Lower Green West, and another entrance.

Clip from Tom Francis photo on Merton Memories, photo reference Mit_​TomFrancis_​Ln184

In his notes that accompanied this photo, Tom Francis said that when Lloyds and Westminster banks opened branches in the Fair Green, Barclays was compelled to open a branch there as well. Montague said that this branch was kept until the late 1980s.