My record in Merton
As a Councillor and Leader of Merton Council
I have been a councillor since 2003 and was leader of Merton Council for a record breaking ten years, taking Labour to three local election victories in 2010, 2014 and 2018. During that time, the council was named best achieving council in the country and we racked up a number of impressive wins for residents.
Below is snapshot of what I achieved for the residents of Merton as their representative:
Keeping Council Tax low
I made sure that we protected residents from the worst of Tory Government cuts by keeping Council Tax low.
Investing in Young People
We invested in young people with special educational needs and disabilities, by opening more special schools in Merton.
Improving Education
We massively improved education results, with Merton’s state school pupils in the country’s top five for progress rates, and 95% of our schools rated Good and Outstanding. Reinstated free school meals after the government scrapped them.
Fighting for Our Police Station since 2010
The year I became Merton’s council leader in 2010 was the same year the Tory/Libera Democrat coalition took office. Since then, cuts to London’s Met police service began unabated reducing the number of bobbies on the beat and putting stations like Wimbledon’s in Queens Road under threat. But I made a point of meeting every Mayor of London and every Borough Commander since 2010 and to this day. With quite but firm resolve at those meetings, I made and will continue to make the case for keeping Wimbledon police station.
Fair Treatment for Workers
We ensured all staff are paid the living wage, and introduced bereavement leave for staff who miscarry and exempted our care leavers from the council tax.
Improved Primary Schools
We expanded primary schools in Wimbledon with well-designed additional classrooms providing more forms of entry and a total of 4,500 extra primary school places made available across the borough.
Addressing the Housing Crisis
We improved thousands of social and affordable homes – including the current and ongoing regeneration of High Path.
Bringing AFC Wimbledon Home
We supported sport and brought AFC Wimbledon home again after 30 years in the wilderness with a brand-new stadium in Wimbledon back at Plough Lane, along with 850 units of housing to pay for their new home.
Saving our Libraries
We prevented library closures, and built a new library at Colliers Wood.
Leisure Centre Opening
We opened a new leisure centre with a 6-lane family swimming pool at Morden.
Crime and Resident Safety
We invested in modern CCTV equipment to keep our residents safe and reduce the fear of crime with Merton now among the lowest crime boroughs in London.
Supporting our Unions in Merton
“I have been a trade union member ever since I became a Labour Party member back in 1990. They are a vital lifeline for our workers in the council and I have always made time to meet our trade union staff representatives on the council from Unison. We are lucky to have the Communication Workers union (CWU) here in Wimbledon with their Head Office on the Broadway in SW19. It is crucial that we all show our solidarity with our trade unions by being with them shoulder to shoulder all the way”.
I am currently the Cabinet member for Transport on Merton Council
I was asked in May 2022 by the current leader of the Council, Ross Garrod, to become the Cabinet Member for Transport in Merton. We agreed that a major priority was to have step-free access at all stations. So far Wimbledon, Wimbledon Park, and all tram stops are already step free. We need Motspur Park, Haydon’s Road and Wimbledon chase to join others in being step free.
The London Borough of Merton has its own ambition to be carbon neutral by 2050. Transport, private and public, clearly has a major role to play in achieving that. Sales of electric vehicles in Meron have gone up by 50% in the last year and so we are investing in new charging points on lampposts across the borough. And we’ll reduce pollution as well as reducing emissions too.
These two videos from Merton Council give a little overview of what we are doing.
Cleaner Buses for Morden is a priority for Stephen:
Stephen is also the cabinet member for Transport on Merton Council and he is pleased to have been working on the buses to get clean buses going through the patch he represents in Morden. The 200 going through Wimbledon, Morden and Mitcham is already fully electric. Other routes set to go fully electric are the 93, 154, 164 and the 264.
Winning Here
Stephen was first elected a councillor for Ravensbury ward in 2003 at a by-election. It was a close fight against the Tories and the Liberal Democrats. Since then, Stephen has increased his majority over both of them twenty-fold! It’s because, as he says “I know how to beat them!” Here are some of his leaflets from his by-election.
Stephen supports innovative surgery in the park
In a first for the borough, Stephen pushed for a new GP surgery in the grounds of the local Park! Residents now have access to a surgery in the beautiful setting of Ravensbury Park. Stephen spoke for the surgery at the planning application making the case for civic amenities within parks as a way of nudging residents towards visiting green spaces.
Keeping Ravensbury Spotless
Councillor Alambritis likes to make sure green spaces in Ravensbury are protected and looking their best. He has been regularly present on the monthly litter pick of green parks spaces in his ward. In addition, Stephen is to be seen on one of Ravensbury’s longest roads namely St Helier Avenue. Here he litter picks along the green verges and arranges for his full bin liners to be collected by Merton Councils waste services department for possible recycling.
Councillor for Ravensbury Ward since 2003
I’m a businessman. I bring a business-like approach to my politics.
Read about my Acheivments
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