Mortlake Mash-Up, the community-led initiative co-ordinated by the Mortlake Community Association, has unveiled its first structured plan with seven thematic work streams:
Community
Safety
Environment
Connectivity
Infrastructure
Young People
Enterprise
These strands are anchored by a broader, shared vision for Mortlake’s evolution.
The plans were formally presented at two community feedback sessions. I attended the first where each work stream lead presented directly to local residents. Since then, the initiative has chosen a shortlist of priority projects to move forward.
Notes & thoughts
There are eight takeaways below but there could have been so many more. The report back document, which you can download at the bottom of this page, is convincing. But not as much as watching and listening to so many residents engaging wth the explanations of each work stream. If only a fraction of these initiatives come to fruition, they will improve Mortlake hugely.
Hand-drawn heart
This was the first detail that caught my eye, entering the hall.
I had just passed the map, below. My reaction is this and others like it remains unchanged. I live in an area defined by roads and a river. Um.
That seemed even more so for Mortlake.
I have a particular relationship with Mortlake. Maybe that is true for many who live north of White Hart Lane.
I use some of the shops on the Lane regularly - Harty’s, Crema and the newsagent are part of my lifestyle. But beyond that?
I ride through Mortlake.
I am heading East Sheen, Kew or Richmond. I know one of the Mortlake businesses who I use regularly - Handymanstation - are based on Mortlake High Street. I have eaten at the Tapestry pub. Once.
But that is it.
Then I saw the hand-drawn tracings. Bursting with humanity. That heart - red reflecting the passion - tells you all you need to know about the ambition of this project.
This is about creating a new version of Mortlake centred not on routes, but on residents.
History (still) matters
This passion was fuelled, in part, by an acute sense of history. I am deeply conscious of confirmation bias. History has been constant through my life, up there with football, cricket and localism. By the time the fifth speaker invoked Mortlake’s past, I believed them.
John Dee — the Elizabethan mathematician and mystic who lived here — might have nodded in approval. (If that name rings a bell, this episode of The Rest is History is worth your time.)
Stag Development
Looming over much of the discussion is the future of the Stag Brewery development. Mortlake’s new neighbourhood-in-waiting.
Speakers were diplomatic, hopeful even. Several suggested community facilities be integrated into the site.
Discussions on the day were about news the Department for Education (DfE) may not fund the planned school. Mortlake Brewery Community Group explained,
If the funds for the Stag school are pulled by the DfE then this presents the developer with an opportunity to redesign the area allocated for the school site. This would involve a new planning application with all the necessary prior consultation etc.
EastSheenmatters goes further, saying if there's no DfE funding,
a number of supplemental obligations are necessary to make the Main Development acceptable in planning terms.
Young Mortlake
There was a huge response from young residents to Mash-Up. Over 150 completed survey forms like the below were returned by these ‘Future Makers’
In response, the Mash-Up team created a dedicated series of activities, below.
The role of the Power Station in all of this is maybe a lesson for Barnes. They had over 600 younger residents through their doors last year. Talk to their leaders and you can imagine why some of those teenagers were sufficiently motivated to engage with this process.
Every movement needs a physical anchor. Barnes has Rose House. Mortlake’s Future Makers have the Power Station.
Enterprise
More than 30 local businesses were consulted in shaping the Mash-Up. They were asked for their needs.
As Emma Robinson, Barnes Town Centre Manager, pointed out when introducing these work stream, local commerce is essential for a thriving community. The four parades in Barnes - Castlenau, Church Road, High Street and White Hart Lane, created in part through the efforts of Emma and her colleagues - are a huge part of communal Barnes.
What is the equivalent for Mortlake? Again, part of their mix might be things that didn’t work in Barnes such as Pop Ups.
Public art
Another detail on a table that caught my eye. Could a sculpture be placed on the Green?
There was a concrete base ready to use.
Public art is a sign of community confidence. Think Victorian grandeur. Or the rash of modernist art commissioned in the aftermath of the Second World War.
A self-assured Mortlake could do the same.
Mortlake Wharf
The Thames belongs to all of us. Not just its banks, but its waters. The rowers, the motor boats and dragon boats are a magnificent spectacle. Long may they continue. But why not regular passenger boats, too?
A commuter link to Richmond and central London, could transform local connectivity.
I’ve previously called for a Barnes Pier. So imagine my delight when the Mash-Up floated a similar — and much better named — idea for Mortlake.
Together, these might become a viable commercial proposition.
Priority initiatives
Here they are: the Mortlake Mash-Up’s priority projects.
It’s not a masterplan. It’s not perfect. But it’s a start and a hopeful one.
There’s more to come on this project. Until then, you can download the document using the link below.