Clapham Junction Insider

18/12/2025

🏛️ The Wimbledon amendment that failed: conflict of interest claims and three looming court battles
A Lords amendment tailored to clear legal obstacles for the All England Club has been withdrawn after cross-party peers raised concerns about a sponsor sitting on the AELTC board.
Now the club faces three separate legal challenges in 2026 — including one the Court of Appeal says has "real prospect of success."

What's really happening with our public land? The full story: https://www.cjag.org/2025/12/18/wimbledon-extension-the-latest-developments-ahead-of-2026-challenges/


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

21/11/2025

🏘️ Housing crisis takes centre stage at Clapham’s
A new dark comedy, The Good Landlord, supported by renters’ union ACORN, is drawing attention to the realities facing tenants amid soaring rents and increasing insecurity.

The story — two renters illegally subletting their cupboard to a stranger — highlights pressures familiar in Lambeth, where rents have risen nearly 10% in a year and 28,000 households now wait for affordable accommodation.

ACORN is also using the production to spotlight unsafe housing, bailiff practices linked to council tax debt, and the broader challenges facing renters.

Full article: https://www.cjag.org/2025/11/20/housing-crisis-takes-centre-stage-in-new-play-at-claphams-omnibus-theatre



Battersea Newsie
The Junction BID
Battersea Beat
Wandsworth Council
The Battersea Society

A dark comedy supported by renters’ union ACORN runs at Clapham’s Omnibus Theatre this week, using farce and real-life mishaps to probe the pressures facing tenants amid a worsening housing crisis. A new play dealing with the UK’s housing crisis head-on has opened at Clapham’s Omnibus Theatr...

19/11/2025

🖼️🚧 Falcon Road bridge: first artwork panels installed beneath the underpass

A significant step in the long-awaited transformation of one of south London’s darkest and most-criticised underpasses. Six bespoke panels are now in place, drawing on local architecture, nature and even Battersea’s historic bee symbol.

The project team say the designs have been shaped through community workshops, with lighting, safety and pigeon-proofing emerging as top concerns. New lighting schemes, structural repairs and panel installation continue through to mid-December.

Full report, context and images:
https://www.cjag.org/2025/11/19/falcon-bridge-transformation-takes-shape-as-first-artwork-panels

Battersea Newsie
The Junction BID
Battersea Beat
Wandsworth Council
The Battersea Society

The first of a series of bespoke artwork panels were installed beneath Falcon Road railway bridge last week, marking a significant milestone in an ambitious scheme to transform one of south London's most notorious underpasses. On Monday 10 November 2025, the transformation of Falcon Road rail bridg

16/11/2025

🏗️ Is Wandsworth’s new housing plan more PR than policy?

The Council’s latest Growth Plan cuts targets by hundreds of homes a year compared with previous commitments, despite being billed as ‘ambitious’.
Observers say the move may help the borough pre-empt criticism that its 50% affordable housing target is making schemes financially unviable — a concern already raised by developers across London.

With major projects stalled and construction slowing nationwide, the reduced target appears to mirror what is already happening on the ground rather than a renewed vision for growth.

Full article:
🔗 https://www.cjag.org/2025/11/15/is-wandsworth-aiming-for-a-lower-housing-target-than-ever



Battersea Newsie
Battersea Beat
Wandsworth Council
The Battersea Society
Aled Richards-Jones

Wandsworth Council has unveiled new plans for housing presented as 'ambitious' even though they would deliver hundreds fewer homes a year than previous targets. Council leader Simon Hogg announced a new plan in August that will deliver 14,000 new dwellings over the next decade in the borough of W

02/11/2025

🕵️‍♂️ Clapham Junction Masterplan: Secret Panel, Ignored Expertise and Recycled Ideas
Wandsworth Council’s latest update on the Clapham Junction Masterplan was supposed to involve the full community.
Instead, it revealed:
📍 A confidential 22-member “community panel” whose names remain undisclosed
📍 Exclusion of long-standing local societies and campaigners
📍 Recycled proposals first presented more than a decade ago
Local residents and groups who've been involved in proposals for 15 years are asking: why reinvent the wheel — and why this lack of transparency?

Full article 👉
🔗 https://www.cjag.org/2025/11/02/clapham-junction-masterplan-secret-panel-ignored-expertise-and-recycled-ideas

Battersea Newsie
Battersea Beat
Wandsworth Council
The Battersea Society
Aled Richards-Jones

Wandsworth Council’s latest presentation on the Clapham Junction Masterplan promised community engagement. Instead, it delivered a secret 22-member panel, ignored a decade of local expertise, and repackaged proposals from 2011 as if they were new. When Peter Dawson asked the simple question—"Can...

18/10/2025

🌳 A little tree with a big story in Battersea

Hidden in plain sight on Queenstown Road, a grapefruit tree planted in the 1980s by Marline Calliste Anderson, who brought it from Grenada, has officially gained protected status from Wandsworth Council.

The tree – one of the very few to grow outdoors in the UK – is now preserved under a Tree Preservation Order, thanks to Marline’s neighbours and friends, ensuring her memory lives on in the roots she planted. 🍊

Read the full story of this remarkable local landmark:
👉

When we think of rare and protected landmark trees, we’re probably imagining some giant and ancient landmark – the giant redwoods of California, the giant plane trees in some of London’s major squares, or the sadly-felled Sycamore on Hadrian’s Wall. But Battersea’s now got one all of its o...

08/10/2025

🛍️ A fresh idea for local retail has landed on Lavender Hill.

The Shelf is a new “community shop” where makers, artists and designers can rent a shelf to sell their creations — from ceramics and skincare to candles and cards.

It’s the work of local resident Taras, who wanted to create a space that makes independent retail affordable again. With transparent rates and no long-term leases, it gives small brands a visible, flexible way to reach real shoppers.

Full article here 👇
🔗 https://www.cjag.org/2025/10/07/the-shelf-a-new-approach-to-retail-opens-on-lavender-hill

Battersea Newsie The Battersea Society The Junction BID Battersea Beat

A fresh concept has arrived on Lavender Hill: The Shelf, a new “community shop” where local makers can rent a shelf to showcase their creations. Blending creativity with practicality, it offers a modern twist on how independent retail can thrive in Clapham Junction. We write a lot about retail! ...

24/09/2025

🚨 No police front desks left in Wandsworth
Lavender Hill Police Station – the borough’s last 24-hour counter – is closing.

The decision leaves Wandsworth residents with no local walk-in station. At the same time, the Met is reducing officer numbers, weakening direct connection and visible policing.

Campaigns have already begun to fight the closure, reflecting growing concern about what this means for community safety and trust.

Read more: https://www.cjag.org/2025/09/24/lavender-hill-police-station-is-closing-what-does-it-mean-for-local-policing


Battersea Newsie
The Junction BID
The Battersea Society
Battersea Beat
Wandsworth Council

22/09/2025

Find here the latest newsletter of the Clapham Junction Insider 📧:
https://mailchi.mp/5d7b1647ada1/cji-clapham-junction-insider-10629560
News about:
Falcon Road Bridge,
Wandsworth Gyratory,
Wimbledon Park court case,
Update on shops, New pottery, Cult pizza

Battersea Newsie
The Junction BID
Battersea Beat
Wandsworth Council
The Battersea Society
PHresh
Save Wimbledon Park
Wimbledon and Putney Commons
Wimbledon Mums
Merton Friends of the Earth

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

07/09/2025

🚧 One of Battersea’s least popular spots is finally being addressed. Work has begun on Falcon Road railway bridge, with:
📌 Fresh blue repainting of the steel and concrete
📌 Vitreous enamel panels to cover the walls
📌 Colour-changing lighting to brighten the underpass
📌 Landscaping with seating and planting at both ends

The project aims to make crossing Clapham Junction’s north–south divide safer, cleaner and more welcoming.

Full article: https://www.cjag.org/2025/09/07/work-starts-on-improving-falcon-roads-horrible-bridge


Battersea

Battersea Newsie
The Junction BID
Battersea Beat
Wandsworth Council
The Battersea Society

06/09/2025

🚶‍♀️ Step back in time and discover the inspiring women who called Battersea home
The Battersea Society presents a guided walk with local historian Jeanne Rathbone, exploring commemorative plaques dedicated to remarkable local women. You'll learn about:
📌 Jeannie Nassau Senior - the first female civil servant
📌 Elsa Lanchester - the Bride of Frankenstein
📌 Charlotte Despard - suffragist and campaigner
📌 Evelyn Dove - the first Black woman to sing on the BBC
📌 And many more inspiring figures
📅 Sunday 7th September, 12pm
📍 Battersea Arts Centre
⏰ 2 hours
🎭 Part of Lavender Hill Festival
Full details: https://welcometowandsworth.com/events/VTy-inspiring-women-of-lavender-hill-plaques-walk/

26/08/2025

🚦 Transport for London has abandoned the long-promised plan to remove the Wandsworth gyratory one-way system, despite decades of criticism, delays and millions collected from developers for its transformation.
The gyratory, covering Armoury Way, Swandon Way and Wandsworth High Street, has been blamed for congestion, air pollution and road danger.

This is a major setback for Wandsworth Council as TfL falls under the responsibility of Mayor of London . Neighbouring boroughs are seeing millions invested, while Wandsworth’s long-standing issue remains unresolved.
When contacted, the Council declined to comment.

👉 Full story: https://www.cjag.org/2025/08/26/wandsworth-gyratory-removal-abandoned-after-decades-of-delays-and-broken-promises/



South West Londoner Clapham Society Leonie Cooper AM Fleur Anderson