Clapham Junction Insider

23/08/2025

⚖️ Save Wimbledon Park has confirmed it will appeal after the High Court rejected its judicial review against Wimbledon’s £200m expansion.

The battle isn’t over: a separate High Court hearing in January will decide whether the land is still protected by a statutory trust.

Beyond the legal fight, the judgment highlights a wider paradox: planning authorities are not required to consider whether a project is lawful or even feasible — only whether it is “desirable in the public interest”.

Read the full story here:
👉 https://www.cjag.org/2025/08/22/high-court-rejects-challenge-to-wimbledon-expansion-but-legal-battle-continues-with-trust-and-appeal-cases/



Wimbledon
Save Wimbledon Park
Wimbledon and Putney Commons
Wimbledon Mums
Merton Friends of the Earth

04/08/2025

🏚️ Rising rents have forced longtime shops like Partridges and Panahar Indian to close on Lavender Hill, while Thermomix had a short stay and is already gone. After a period of vacancy, new ventures are finally emerging—a coffee house will move into the former Partridges site and Panahar’s premises are under refurbishment.
Read the full article: https://www.cjag.org/2025/08/04/after-landmarks-forced-out-by-soaring-rents-new-ventures-only-now-start-to-emerge/

Battersea Newsie The Junction BID Battersea Beat Wandsworth Council

The departure of Thermomix, the arrival of a new coffee shop, and refurbishment works at the former Panahar Indian restaurant mark a wave of change for Clapham Junction’s independent high street. Longstanding community favourites give way to fresh ventures as rising rents and shifting trends resha...

17/07/2025

🎾 🌳⚖️ With the tennis finished, attention shifts to a different court. Last week, campaigners and residents contested the AELTC’s Wimbledon Park expansion in a Judicial Review, arguing the plans breach public land protections.

The Save Wimbledon Park group has taken legal action against the GLA’s decision to approve AELTC’s plans to triple the size of the Wimbledon Tennis site – at the expense of historic, protected green space.

The judicial review could hinge on whether the land is still held in trust for public use and protected by restrictive covenants. Campaigners, including local residents and MP Paul Kohler MP (but neither Fleur Anderson MP for Putney nor Leonie Cooper , Councillor for Wandsworth and GLA member were seen), argue that the public interest has been overridden.

A decision is expected by the end of July, but the legal fight may continue.

📖 Read more: https://www.cjag.org/2025/07/16/wimbledon-tennis-on-court-and-in-court/

Wimbledon
Save Wimbledon Park
Wimbledon and Putney Commons
Wimbledon Mums
Merton Friends of the Earth

12/07/2025

🍕 Yard Sale Pizza Coming to Lavender Hill
The cult London pizza chain has taken over the former Pizza Hut site at 55 Lavender Hill, bringing their unique approach to the neighbourhood.
What makes them different:
The venue will offer eat-in seating with a front terrace, takeaway, and delivery options. Yard Sale started in 2013 and has grown to around a dozen London locations, known for their neighbourhood-focused approach and collaborations with other brands.
The site is currently being refurbished and should open in the coming weeks, adding to the growing pizza scene in the area alongside CoreCore and Common Pizza.
Read the full article: https://www.cjag.org/2025/07/07/cult-pizza-place-yard-sale-is-coming-to-lavender-hill/

Battersea Beat The Junction BID Yard Sale Pizza

London pizza chain Yard Sale Pizza has taken over the former Pizza Hut site at 55 Lavender Hill, bringing their neighborhood-focused approach and in-house delivery service to the area. Pizza seems to be the thing that always works. We’ve recently seen a bundle of new pizza places open – includin...

07/07/2025

Find here our latest newsletter 📧:
https://mailchi.mp/47d4d4fc5161/cji-clapham-junction-insider-10628330
News about:
- Glassmill/One Battersea Bridge
- Park Policy
- Travelodge
- Local Plan
- Kitchen Shoppe
- New unusual houses
- Queenstown station
- Dirty Blond nightclub
- Planning Forum

News in the Clapham Junction/Battersea/Wandsworth and around area from Clapham Junction Insider (CJI)

02/07/2025

🏘️ Wandsworth Local Plan Update
Our borough is updating its Local Plan with significant changes to affordable housing requirements. Key proposals include:
📌 50% affordable homes mandatory for new developments
📌 70/30 split favouring social rent over shared ownership
📌 £50,000 contribution required from smaller developments (under 10 homes)
The changes are currently with the Planning Inspectorate for review, with adoption expected in early 2026. However, there are concerns about whether developers will comply or simply focus on more profitable projects elsewhere.
The article raises important questions about viability assessments and the challenges facing the development market post-Brexit, Grenfell, and COVID-19.
Full details: https://www.cjag.org/2025/07/01/challenges-ahead-of-wandsworth-local-plan-amendments/

30/06/2025

🏛️ Planning Update: Wandsworth Council Submits Local Plan Amendments
The recent Planning Forum meeting covered several important developments for the borough:
🏠 Local Plan Changes: Council has submitted amendments including Labour's commitment to 50% affordable housing in new developments - now awaiting Planning Inspectorate examination
🚉 Clapham Junction Masterplan: Moving to Phase 2 with community panel recruitment beginning.
💬 Transparency Debate: Discussion about making Planning Forum minutes publicly available, with community groups advocating for greater openness

Read the full report: https://www.cjag.org/2025/06/29/planning-forum-meeting-30th-april-2024-local-plan-cj-masterplan-and-transparency/

Most of the recent Planning Forum meeting at the Town Hall focused on updates to the Wandsworth Local Plan. There were also brief updates on the Clapham Junction masterplan, as well as a debate about increasing transparency by making the forum’s minutes publicly available. Discussion on the Local

15/06/2025

🏪 After 20 years of trading, the Kitchen Shoppe on Lavender Hill has been given a new lease of life as the Clapham Discount Store.

The new owners have completely refitted the premises but are continuing with the same household goods business model that kept the original store running for two decades. They offer DIY goods, cleaning products, kitchen essentials, small furnishings, and general household items.

Like many before them, the new owners have made the common geographical error of using "Clapham" in their name despite the shop's actual Battersea/Clapham Junction location on Lavender Hill.
This may not be the end of the changes though - a planning application has just been submitted to subdivide the premises into two separate retail units, which could see further developments in the coming months.

Read the full story about this local business transformation: https://www.cjag.org/2025/06/15/new-name-same-game-clapham-discount-store-replaces-kitchen-shoppe/



Waste Not Want Not Battersea The Battersea Society The Junction BID

The Kitchen Shoppe premises have reopened as the Clapham Discount Store after a complete refit, continuing to serve the same household goods needs that kept it trading for 20 years. The new owners have unfortunately fallen into the familiar trap of confusing Clapham with Battersea, despite the shop'

05/06/2025

🏗️ The Permanent Scaffolding Problem at Clapham Junction's Travelodge
The scaffolding around the Travelodge hotel on Falcon Road has become a permanent fixture, highlighting significant issues with building quality and planning oversight that date back more than a decade.
What happened:
📋 The original hotel proposal in 2009 was for 16 storeys with 132 rooms, which was rejected after strong community opposition
📋 A revised 8-storey, 70-room proposal was approved in 2010
📋 Multiple amendments increased the building to 84 rooms and added a rooftop extension
📋 The cladding was changed to a cheaper alternative (65% less expensive) during construction in 2012

The problem today:
📍The building is showing signs of deterioration less than 15 years after completion. 📍The cheaper cladding material has a lifespan of just 35 years, and the building now requires constant scaffolding to protect pedestrians.
📍The Clapham Junction Action Group raised concerns about these material changes back in 2012, warning about the poorer quality and shorter lifespan of the cheaper cladding. However, 's planning officer dismissed these concerns, stating the materials were "acceptable" for a contemporary hotel development.

This case illustrates how planning amendment systems can sometimes be exploited, allowing developers to make cumulative changes that significantly alter the approved scheme's quality and appearance.
Read the full investigation: https://www.cjag.org/2025/06/04/year-long-scaffolding-stalemate-at-clapham-junctions-travelodge/



Battersea Beat Waste Not Want Not Battersea The Battersea Society Clapham Society The Junction BID

26/05/2025

🌳 Wandsworth Parks Events Policy Under Review
Wandsworth Council has been consulting on updates to its Parks Events Policy, with proposed changes including:

🌿More winter events allowed
🌿Relaxed timing restrictions (some events can finish after 10pm)
🌿No specific limit on event sizes (previously capped at 10,000)
🌿Stronger environmental protections for ecologically important areas
🌿Discounted tickets required for low-income residents at paid events

This consultation comes after the controversial episode earlier this year when residents discovered mysterious notices on park trees revealing commercial event licence applications that hadn't been publicly consulted on. The council quickly withdrew these applications following significant public opposition.
Worth noting that Councillor Judi Gasser has moved from the environment portfolio in the recent cabinet reshuffle.

The consultation has now closed and the council is analysing feedback.

These debates about balancing community events with protecting green spaces are happening across London, with similar legal challenges in Lambeth over Brockwell Park festivals.🌲

Read the full analysis: https://www.cjag.org/2025/05/26/wandsworth-council-wants-to-update-its-parks-events-policy/

Battersea Beat BATTERSEA PARK Waste Not Want Not Battersea The Battersea Society
Clapham Society The Junction BID Clapham Common London | Living in Clapham
Wandsworth Council Putney Wimbledon and Putney Commons

Wandsworth Council’s proposed changes to its Parks Events Policy—relaxing restrictions on event size, timing, and noise while adding new environmental safeguards—have reignited debate over commercialisation, transparency, and public access. These concerns echo similar controversies in other Lo...

21/05/2025

📢 Transport Update: Work has finally begun on Queenstown Road Station's second entrance after years of delays.
The new entrance will open onto Patcham Terrace, creating a better connection to the school in the Battersea Exchange development and potentially bringing more foot traffic to local shops. It will also serve as a useful shortcut between Queenstown Road and Battersea Park Station.
Despite the improvements, Queenstown Road has seen passenger numbers decline by nearly two-thirds in recent years, largely due to South West Trains reducing services from eight to four trains per hour in 2022.
Read more about the project and the station's changing fortunes: https://www.cjag.org/2025/05/19/queenstown-road-stations-second-entrance-is-finally-happening/

15/05/2025

🏘️ Plans approved to convert hidden workshops into six new houses near Battersea Arts Centre
A series of 150-year-old workshops, tucked away in a secret passageway between Theatre Street and Latchmere Street in Battersea, are set to be transformed into six terraced houses.
The development will maintain the industrial character and footprint of the original buildings, which were built by Victorian developer Albert Bussell as his own builders' yard. The new one and two-bedroom homes will feature modern insulation, better roofs, and more robust doors and windows, plus small private balconies and shared green space.
Located within the Town Hall Road Conservation Area, the development has received planning permission in principle, with a current neighbour consultation underway regarding design details including proposed wildflower green roofs and brick and bronze materials.
Read more about this unique development: https://www.cjag.org/2025/05/14/six-unusual-new-houses-are-coming-to-a-secret-passageway-near-battersea-arts-centre/
The Battersea Society The Junction BID

It’s rare to see new houses rather than flats in Battersea – but six of them are coming to a sliver of land you’ve probably never noticed, hidden away behind two rows of Victorian tenement flats on Theatre Street and Latchmere Street. The picture above shows their location (shaded in red) – ...