JSNA Place

Fine particulate matter

Air pollution: fine particulate matter (new method - concentrations of total PM2.5): In 2022, Wandsworth’s rate was 9.7 µg/m3, which was the 16th highest in London, 23.9% higher than the England average and 0.4% higher than the London average. The latest Borough figure for 2022 was also 22.0% lower than in 2018, in comparison with 18.2% decrease in England’s rate in the equivalent time period.

Source: OHID: Public Health Profiles

Source: OHID: Public Health Profiles

Vehicle ownership and traffic

The number of resident vehicles and traffic has been decreasing. Fewer households have cars because residents are taking public transport to reach work location, a preferred option compared to using cars and finding parking spaces.

According to the 2011 Census, 45% of Wandsworth households did not have access to a car or van. The proportion of one car households in Wandsworth (43%) was similar to London (41%) and England (42%). The households with multiple cars were much less common in Wandsworth (12%) compared to London (18%) and England (32%).

Car registrations and miles travelled are declining, which will positively impact the local air quality:

• In 2018, 580 million kilometres were travelled on local roads by cars in comparison to 832 million in 2000. This was a decrease of 30%, the third sharpest decrease in London ⁵
• In 2018 there were 81,981 private or light good vehicles registered in Wandsworth compared to 122,920 in 2000, a decrease of 33%. This was the second largest decrease in London after the City of London ⁶.

Data on climate change and Wandsworth

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most common greenhouse gas emitted by human activities in terms of the quantity released and the total impact on global warming. In 2017 this accounted for 81 per cent of the UK greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) . As a result, the term “CO2” or “carbon” is sometimes used as a shorthand expression for all greenhouse gases.

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) produces a breakdown of carbon dioxide emissions by Local Authority area as a subset of its annual inventory of greenhouse gas emissions. This publication combines data from the UK’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory with data from a number of other sources, including local energy consumption statistics, to produce a nationally consistent set of carbon dioxide emissions estimates at Local Authority level from 2005 to 2017 ⁷.

The data shows emissions allocated on an “end-user” basis where emissions are distributed according to the point of energy consumption (or point of emission if not energy related). Except for the energy industry, emissions from the production of goods are assigned to where the production takes place. Therefore, emissions from the production of goods which are exported will be included, and emissions from the production of goods which are imported are excluded.

The BEIS data (the figure below) shows Wandsworth’s per capita emissions have almost halved over the past 12 years, from 5.2 tonnes per capita in 2005 to 2.7 tonnes per capita in 2017.

Per capita emissions of GHG, 2005–2017

Source: BEIS

This is in comparison with a reduction from 6.2 tonnes per capita in 2005 to 3.3 tonnes per capita in 2017 for Greater London, and a reduction from 7.4 tonnes per capita in 2005 to 4.5 tonnes per capita in 2017 for the UK.

The BEIS data also offers a sectoral analysis which shows that 47% of emissions for the Borough originate from domestic sources, including domestic electricity and gas usage (the figure below).

CO2 emissions by sector in Wandsworth

Source: BEIS data

By analysing different sectoral reductions between 2005 and 2017 it is possible to see the largest quantities of emissions reduction came from Industry and commercial electricity use (62.8% reduction), and domestic electricity use (53% reduction). Together, these account for 60.4% of the carbon reductions for Wandsworth according to BEIS data. This can be attributed to the progress that has been made in the decarbonisation of the national electricity supply.

Wandsworth Council monitors and reports on its emissions. These are published as part of the annual updates with the Wandsworth Environment and Sustainability Strategy.

Tackling climate change in Wandsworth

On 17th July 2019, Wandsworth Council declared a climate emergency, setting a target to be a carbon neutral organisation by 2030. In January 2020, Councillors in Wandsworth approved an Annual Action Plan, which set out a series of actions to deliver the ambitious ten-year Wandsworth Environment and Sustainability Strategy (WESS).

The Strategy addresses specific areas of action that the Council needs to pursue, including:

• making Wandsworth the greenest Inner London Borough by committing the Council to urban greening, planting trees, encouraging biodiversity, protecting and enhancing existing open and green spaces
• ensuring that the Council’s planning and development approach is robust on requirements around climate change and environmental issues so that development in the Borough is low carbon, sustainable and does not negatively impact on the environment
• drastically reducing the amount of waste produced as an organisation and enhancing the Council’s community leadership role to help and support residents and businesses to regularly reduce, reuse, and recycle
• improving the Council’s fleet of vehicles by first making them Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) compliant and then moving to renewable fuel sources
• encouraging micro-mobility, such as car sharing, electric scooters and cargo bikes, fulfilling the commitment to improve the electric vehicle infrastructure; and making Wandsworth the easiest place in the country to run an electric car
• setting stringent targets around improving air quality
• reducing the amount of energy used as an organisation; improving the energy efficiency of housing stock ; and helping residents become more energy efficient
• refurbishing Wandsworth Town Hall will be a flagship building for energy efficiency whilst respecting its listed status, highlight the Council’s eco-credentials
• reducing pollution entering the Thames, especially plastics, ensuring the shore of the Thames is clean
• building the principles of sustainability in the way goods and services are procured, and encouraging the Council, staff, contractors, and suppliers to improve their own environmental performance.

In order to deliver the Strategy, an Annual Action Plan has been produced, aiming to reduce the Council’s emissions, support the reduction of the Borough’s emissions, and deliver the strategic aims. This plan sets out the benefits of actions including their impact on air quality. The 2021 Action Plan can be found here . The Strategy and the Action Plan are delivered by Officers across the Council who are supported by a dedicated Climate Change Policy Team.

To maintain the rapid pace needed to deliver climate change an Annual Update is published which can be found here.

Whilst the target to be carbon neutral is specific to the Council’s operations, the Strategy and the Annual Action Plan include actions to support residents and businesses reduce their emissions. The Strategy is supported by an in-depth, innovative engagement and behaviour change programme, which supports residents, businesses and partners to improve the environment and reduce emissions. In 2020 a key example of this work was the Wandsworth Climate Summit, attended by over 650 residents.

The work planned and delivered through the Wandsworth Environment and Sustainability Strategy is linked with action to improve air quality , travel and parks.

There are strong links between reducing energy usage and tackling fuel poverty. In order to support residents to make their homes more energy efficient the Council successfully bid for Green Homes Grant funding in 2020 and 2021.

Healthy streets

The London Boroughs’ Healthy Streets Scorecard is designed to measure progress towards meeting the Mayor’s Transport Strategy ‘healthy streets’ targets. The scorecard considers sustainable travel, road safety, road characteristics, and traffic. Wandsworth ranks 13th out of 32 London Boroughs on the healthy streets Scorecard and ranks 11th out of 13 Inner London Boroughs ⁹.

Housing

There are 147,970 properties in Wandsworth. The median price of a property is £618,500. Most properties in Wandsworth are flats or maisonettes (69%) which is higher than the London average (55%) and over double the national average (23%). Terraced houses make up 24% of the dwelling types in Wandsworth, while semi-detached houses constitute for 4% and detached houses account for only 1% of the borough ¹⁰.

Home ownership is associated with increased life satisfaction, however only 18% of Wandsworth residents own their home outright compared to 21% for the London average. The average price of a property in Wandsworth has grown by 4% from £587,915 in 2019 to £613,448 in 2020, which is a slightly higher increase when compared to London and England (3%). This makes it increasingly difficult for first-time buyers to get on the property ladder.

Almost a third (32%) of residents rent privately, which is higher than the inner London average (29%). The median monthly rent is around £1,828 which is higher than the London average (£1,727) and more than double the England average (£858). This is estimated to be approximately 53% of a Wandsworth resident’s median income (£41,100), meaning that the private sector housing remains unaffordable to most people on lower incomes ¹¹.

Housing estates cover 10% of the area of the borough, and social housing accounts for 19% of property. In 2019/20 there were 29,922 social housing properties, of which 16,890 were council tenanted properties and 13,032 were registered provider social rented properties.

Tenure: In Wandsworth, the majority of residents own their property and two-fifths rent ¹². In 2018, almost 17% owned their home outright, similar to the Inner London Boroughs but much lower than the London average. However, a higher rate of residents owned their property with a mortgage compared to the inner London and London averages.

Locally, the proportion of those who rent from the council or housing association (16.0%) is about half as much as Inner London (30.9%). Since 2010, the proportion owning with mortgage has increased whilst the percentage of residents renting privately has decreased. Owning with a mortgage is much higher in Wandsworth compared to London and Inner London (as shown in the table below).

Tenure type of Wandsworth, Inner London and London residents in 2010 and 2018

Source: ONS via GLA London Datastore

The Access to Healthy Assets and Hazards Index

The Access to Health Assets and Hazards (AHAH) index from the Geographic Data Science Lab is designed to measure the health of neighbourhoods. The index is multi-dimensional with data being drawn from several sources and used to create an overall AHAH index including four constituent domains:

• Retail Environment Domain: proximity to fast food outlets, gambling outlets, pubs/bars/nightclubs, off-licences, tobacconists
• Health Services Domain: proximity to GPs, hospitals, pharmacies, dentists, leisure services
• Physical Environment Domain: accessibility of passive and active green spaces including parks and recreational spaces; blue space including rivers, canals and lakes
• Air Quality Domain: level of nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter and sulphur dioxide.

The AHAH is produced for Lower Super Output Areas (LSOA) but when these measures are averaged across Local Authorities (LAs) Wandsworth ranks within the bottom 10% (307/326) of all LAs in England. Although the Borough has good access to healthy lifestyle choices, ranking within the top 5% of LAs for Physical Environment (9/326) and Health Services (11/326). However, it also has access to unhealthy environments, ranking within the bottom 5% of LAs in the Retail Domain (316/326) and the bottom 10% of LAs in the Air Quality Domain (307/316).

Health Care

Whilst the largest contribution to our health is made by social, economic and environmental factors, access to healthcare is important in maintaining the health of the population.

The Borough has a range of health care assets :

• There are 71 pharmacies and 53 GP practices and 13 health centres. 96% of the population has access to a GP by 15 minutes of walking or public transport. There are also 54 dental services and 25 optician Services
• St George’s Hospital is a large Teaching Trust which provides community services to residents of Wandsworth, local hospital services and specialist services
• Queen Mary Hospital provides various community, clinical health and non-emergency medical services
• Royal Hospital for Neurodisability which provides rehabilitation and long-term care for people with complete neurological disabilities
• There are 33 residential and nursing care homes in the Borough.

London Output Area Classification

London Output Areas Classifications (LOAC) are based on 60 variables from the 2011 Census and help to summarise the sociodemographic characteristics of an area.

The table below demonstrates the differences between Wandsworth, Inner London and Greater London with respect to the major classification categories. Out of the total 982 Output Areas in Wandsworth, 74% fall within the London Lifecycle, City Vibe and Urban Elites categories. The descriptions below explain the key attributes of these classifications. Please note that these are area-based classifications that provide a broad overview, they will not apply to every individual.

London Output Area Classification, based on 2011 Census variables

Source: London Datastore, London output area classifications

Compared to London, Wandsworth has a lower proportion of areas classified as Intermediate Lifestyles, Settled Asians and Ageing City Fringe, but a higher proportion of Urban Elites and City Vibe (as shown below). The Borough also has a greater presence of London Lifecycle compared to both London and Inner London and a notably lower presence of High Density & High-Rise Flats for an Inner London Borough. The exclusions and inclusions of characteristics across these groups point towards Wandsworth having a young, diverse, well-educated and professionally employed population. The descriptions for top 3 dominant OA types in Wandsworth can be found below.

Dominant London Output Area classifications in Wandsworth

Source: London Datastore, London output area classifications

Workplace Zones

The following analysis is extracted from the 2021 Census based on the workplace population. The workplace population in a Local Authority is defined as the population whose usual place of work is in that Local Authority, including both individuals who live and work in the Local Authority and individuals who work in the Local Authority from a home elsewhere within England.

The Borough has a lower proportion of infrastructure support and city focus which includes manufacturing and transport services (as shown in the table below) ¹⁵.

Source: GLA Datastore hosts an interactive visualization tool.

Local Business Employers

In 2021, Wandsworth was home to 18,625 local business units ¹⁶; of which 93.7% were micro (employing less than 10 employees) and 0.2% are large companies (employing over 250 employees). Of those enterprises that formed in 2012, 40% survived up to 5 years.

Additional information on local business and employers can be found on DataWand:

• By industry, the largest number of enterprises in Wandsworth are professional, scientific and technical (n=5,225; 30.7%), information and communication (n=2,410; 14.2%), and business administration & support services (n=1770; 10.4%).
• Gross Value Added (GVA) is the measure of the increase in value of the economy due to the production of goods and services. The Borough’s total GVA in 2017 was £12,916 million. The largest industry group is real estate which contributed £4,941 million to the total GVA.
• Apprenticeships are paid jobs that incorporate on-and off-the-job training leading to nationally recognised qualifications. Apprentices can earn as they learn and gain practical skills in the workplace. Apprenticeships achieved refers to the number of apprenticeships successfully completed. In 2017/18, 31.9% of Wandsworth’s apprenticeships were achieved in Health, Public Services and Social Care, 27.7% were achieved in Business, Administration and Law while 17% in Retail and Commercial Enterprise.

Social Isolation

Adverse consequences of social isolation range from sleeplessness to reduced immune function. It is associated with higher anxiety, depression, and increased risk of suicide.

Out of Home Meals and Food Environment

Wandsworth has a Local Plan Policy which seeks to restrict the number of hot food takeaways within 400m of state schools or colleges where this could undermine their healthy eating initiatives ¹⁷. The Local Plan was adopted in 2016. The latter clause was the key to the Planning Inspector agreeing that a land use policy is justified ( as a land use intervention) to assist in the implementation of school healthy eating plans. It was based on Government guidance “Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: A Cross Government Strategy for England” which aims to promote healthier communities and encourages Planning Authorities to manage the proliferation of fast food outlets, acknowledging the need for a holistic approach to healthy communities. We also noted at the time that other Boroughs had successfully taken through Examination Local Plan Policies controlling hot food takeaways around schools.

The policy was supported by evidence produced by Public Health Wandsworth at the Local Plan Examination. The policy is supported by a contextual paragraph in the plan, and by more detailed guidance in the Town Centre Uses Supplementary Planning Document ¹⁸ to assist in the implementation of the Policy. The SPD sets out more detail with schools’ healthy eating plans and provides more information to assist in decision making. It shows a Borough-wide map (extract below) where schools are plotted with a 400m buffer around them.

This information was mapped on our Geographic information Systems, (GIS) allowing analysis and correlations with census data.

Current national planning policy and guidance continues to identify the need for planning authorities to work with stakeholders to achieve public health outcomes. This approach has been successfully taken forward by other London Boroughs, including Lambeth with which Wandsworth shares 2 local centres - around Lavender Hill/Queenstown Road and at Clapham South (District centres in Lambeth). A joint approach to using these Centres should be agreed. Planning’s role in supporting public health initiatives is set out in National Planning Guidance (NPPG 2019) which clarifies ” Planning and health needs should be considered together in two ways: creating environments that support and encourage healthy lifestyles, and identifying and securing the facilities needed for primary, secondary and tertiary care, and the wider health and care system.

Engagement between plan-making bodies and related organisations will ensure local strategies to improve health and well-being and the provision of the required health infrastructure are supported. It is worth noting public health has been identified as a sustainability issue in the Scoping Report and is one of the 20 sustainability objectives against which new policy options will be assessed.

Modes of Travel to Work

In 2021, there were an estimated 108,000 people in Wandsworth who worked mainly at, or from, their homes. This figure was 56.5% of all usual residents aged 16 years and over in employment, in comparison with the London average of 42.1% and the England average of 31.5% ¹⁹.

Fewer than 1 in 10 Wandsworth residents in employment drive to work in a car or a van, the vast majority take public transport to work, as shown in the figure below.

Source: ONS. Travel to work, England and Wales: Census 2021

While Wandsworth is well connected, it has the third lowest Public Transport Accessibility Levels in Inner London ²⁰. Access is also variable across the Borough. Access to frequent and a variety of transport is higher along the river and the Northern line corridor ²¹. Public transport use is likely to be even higher with improved availability.

Vehicle Ownership and Traffic

Road traffic and the number of vehicles in Wandsworth are decreasing. Fewer households have cars because people are taking public transport to reach work locations better served by this option compared to driving and parking.

According to the 2011 Census, 45% of Wandsworth households did not have access to a car or van. The proportion of one car households in Wandsworth (43%) was similar to London (41%), and England (42%). The households with multiple cars were much less common in Wandsworth (12%), compared to London (18%) and England (32%).

Car registrations and miles travelled are declining which will positively impact the local air quality.

• In 2018, 580 million kilometres were travelled on local roads by cars vs. 832 million in year 2000, a decrease of 30%; this was the third sharpest decrease in London ²².
• In 2018, there were 81,981 private or light good vehicles registered in Wandsworth compared to 122,920 in year 2000, a decrease of 33%. This was the second largest decrease in London after the City of London ²³.

Active Travel

People who commute actively by cycling or walking tend to have greater levels of physical activity ²⁴ than those who travel by car. This complements findings that active travel reduces the risk of morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases ²⁵. Walking and cycling can also mitigate the harmful effects of motorised travel, such as traffic congestion, air pollution ²⁶, and health problems ²⁷.

There is an urgent requirement to consult and co-produce a Wandsworth Active Travel Strategy. Active travel is even more important in response to the pandemic and climate emergency, declared by the Council in 2020. An Active Travel Strategy should recognise that walking plays an important part in urban life and is part of almost all journeys, either complete or as a link between other modes of transport. In Wandsworth, the proportion of residents regularly undertaking travel by active methods (walking and cycling) is higher than the London average. Across London, the rate of active travel has been increasing steadily since 2006.

Wandsworth active travel should seek to apply for Transport for London’s Healthy Streets Approach ²⁸. TfL’s two key action plans around walking and cycling include:

Road Casualties

Killed and seriously injured (KSI) casualties on England’s roads: In 2022, Wandsworth’s rate was 409.6 per billion vehicle miles (n=195), which was the 5th highest in London, 333.4% higher than the England average and 103.4% higher than the London average. The latest Borough figure for 2022 was also 40.3% higher than in 2017, in comparison with 0.9% increase in England’s rate in the equivalent time period.

Source: OHID: Public Health Profiles

Source: OHID: Public Health Profiles

Children killed and seriously injured (KSI) on England’s roads: In 2020 - 22, Wandsworth’s rate was 14.8 per 100,000 (n=24), which was the 5th highest in London, 10.2% lower than the England average and 31.0% higher than the London average. The latest Borough figure for 2020 - 22 was also 13.2% higher than in 2008 - 10, in comparison with 30.3% decrease in England’s rate in the equivalent time period.

Source: OHID: Public Health Profiles

Source: OHID: Public Health Profiles

Case Study: Wandsworth Music Community Choir

Wandsworth Community Choir (WCC) was formed in April 2018 after demand from the many parents and carers, teachers, and Head teachers who had engaged with Wandsworth Music singing projects in schools. The choir was established by Wandsworth Music in partnership with Lifelong Learning as a community choir open to all people who live or work in Wandsworth. There are no auditions, no fees, and no previous experience is required. Members come from all walks of life and with varying degrees of singing experience, some have sung in choirs all their lives whilst for others it is their first experience of being part of a choir.

The choir is run by a dynamic team from Wandsworth Music who facilitate a fun, safe and friendly environment in which to learn some great songs, take part in performances, and enjoy the many positive mental health, social and wellbeing benefits of singing with others.

Since its formation, WCC has taken part in a variety of events such as the Tooting Food Festival, the Furzedown Festival, and Wandsworth Music Academy Summer Fair. WCC has also taken part in Borough-wide events, such as the Lifelong Learning Annual Awards Ceremony, Winter Sounds at Fairfield Halls, and Brighter Sounds at the Royal Festival Hall.

Over the last two-and-a-half years the choir has steadily grown in numbers, there have been 90 members on the choir register. The choir offers a space for connection, collaboration, a sense of wellbeing, and a real feel-good factor. This is evident in the feedback from members who openly share the impact that coming together and meeting once a week for a good sing has improved their mental health, wellbeing, self-confidence, and self-esteem.

Whilst the Covid-19 pandemic sadly meant an end of face-to-face rehearsals in March 2020, the choir has continued to meet weekly online. Although all the benefits of coming together as a singing community can never be entirely replicated online, the joy of meeting, seeing each other’s faces and sharing a joint love of singing was felt every week.

WCC has continued to meet online throughout lockdown They have recently produced their own lockdown video and participated in the virtual Wandsworth Music Winter Sounds concert in December 2020, performing alongside singers from the National Opera Studio, Wandsworth Music Academy, and Wandsworth schools.

Case Study: Reimagining Theatre for Young Audiences

Oily Cart challenges the accepted definitions of theatre and audience by creating innovative and highly interactive sensory theatre productions for disabled children, and young people who experience multiple barriers to access.

Each year, Oily Cart, based in Wandsworth, tours two original productions to over 5,000 children, young people, their families and carers across the UK. Working with the specialist schools in the Borough and local families, Oily Cart tailor their performances to individual children and young people with a focus on access and engagement. They also produce accessible family shows that provide opportunities for the integration of both disabled and non-disabled audiences.

For almost forty years Oily Cart have played a key role in supporting young people, demonstrating their absolute commitment to:

• making a positive difference to the lives of disabled children, young people and their families
• encouraging participation and enjoyment in cultural activity for disabled children and young people who face complex barriers to engagement
• providing shared social experiences where families can participate together
• responding to significant demand from specialist school and family audiences where there is a serious gap in cultural provision for these audiences
• raising the public and cultural profile of these audiences and the importance of cultural provision for them
• placing the disabled child or young person as the reason for and the central focus of the work.

“Every child’s need was met. We saw reactions in some children that we hadn’t experienced before. Very emotional and very moving!” Audience feedback from Oily Cart’s ‘Splish Splash’ show.

“I have taken my daughter to five different Oily Cart shows and each time I am reduced to tears. Tears of relief that a group of talented artists actually want to work with children like mine and are attuned to awakening interest and enjoyment in a wide variety of needs. In an Oily Cart show, everyone is equal. You cannot put a price on the feeling of acceptance and pride in seeing your child take part in a performance with people they haven’t met before; these are valuable skills being taught beyond just the experience of the show.” Audience Member.

Case Study: Supporting People with Neurodivergent Needs

CoDa Dance Company is a unique contemporary dance company specialising in thought-provoking outdoor and site-specific performances, participatory community work, and utilising dance as a physiotherapy tool for neurodisabled people. CoDa has been creating work for, by, and with the local community in Wandsworth since 2013, with a specific focus on Roehampton and Putney wards.

In 2018, using funding from the Wandsworth Grant Fund, CoDa established a pilot programme at the Royal Hospital for Neurodisability (RHN) in Wandsworth. The workshops were designed to give patients, family members and carers a space to increase their physical activity, improve mood and wellbeing, and increase social interaction within the hospital. The sessions were also designed to help family members and carers gain insights into the lives of people living with neurological conditions. Three years on, the pilot programme has turned into an established programme, funded by the hospital, and delivered regularly in a number of wards, and in two of the residential wards to 100+ patients a year.

Most recently, and partly in response to Covid 19, CoDa is creating work that will be able to be viewed through digital technology. They will continue to develop work that sheds light on the unique and unusual symptoms experienced by people living with neurodisabilities. CoDa works closely with creative consultants who are people living with neurodisabilities to enhance audience experiences, the stories we tell, and how they are told.

Case Study: Happy Streets

Happy Streets was an outdoor arts festival, focused on community cohesion and wellbeing, that took place for the first time in July 2019. The first festival celebrated the completion of Yinka Ilori’s colourful redesign of a railway underpass on Thessaly Road, a key north-south route in Nine Elms that links the Savona, Patmore and Carey Gardens estates.

The transformation of what had been an unwelcoming pedestrian underpass was the starting point. Following a design competition, held in partnership with the London Festival of Architecture, Wandsworth Council commissioned Yinka Ilori’s ‘Happy Street’ design in November 2018 to brighten up the dark underpass, used daily by residents, schoolchildren and commuters.

From the outset, community engagement was at the heart of this project. Residents were invited to view a shortlist of six designs at the ROSE Community Clubroom and offer their comments and preference on whose design they wanted to see brought to life in person or online. Pupils from St. George’s School were then invited to meet with Yinka Ilori as he finalised his winning design.

In early 2019, the Council commissioned a new solo exhibition from Ilori, ‘Types of Happiness’. This was presented in a pop-up gallery space run in partnership with the Royal College of Art, thereby introducing more of the local community to his work and giving people a chance to get familiar with his proposed underpass design. A series of community engagement workshops were held, offering everything from hands-on architectural activities to colouring-in mural activities.

Work on the underpass was completed in July 2019, when a festival was held in the outdoor and public spaces either side of the bridge, spilling out into the surrounding streets, to celebrate its transformation. The Happy Streets festival took over four venues (the playground spaces of St George’s School, a ball court, and two community centres), encouraging people to move through the newly improved underpass throughout the day. The festival programme included 46 performances, participatory events and workshop opportunities, themed around happiness and wellbeing, including taster sessions of activities that were available locally for residents and could help improve neighbourliness and longer-term wellbeing, such as musical instrument learning, dancing or gardening. The content of the festival was developed hand-in-hand with local artists and community groups, bringing together local choreographers, beat-boxers, church groups, puppeteers, gardening groups, café owners and musicians, alongside professional artists and arts organisations from further afield.

Happy Streets was entirely free to attend, with all events wheelchair accessible and BSL-interpreted. Brochures were hand-delivered in advance to every residential address in the local neighbourhoods, including existing estates and new developments; attendance totalled 1872 during the afternoon.

Happy Streets provided a crucible for residents, community groups and organisations of different kinds, to meet each other through their participation in the day. As two participants commented “It was fantastic! What a great way for the whole community to get together. We met some really interesting people on the day and found out about other things happening in the area, i.e., with St George’s school and church,” and “It makes it feel as if it’s an area that is not forgotten but celebrated.”

Image Credits: Top Image Yinka Ilori’s ‘Happy Street’ designed to brighten up the dark underpass, used daily by residents, school children and commuters. Below image: World Heart Beat leading a procession through the underpass as part of the Happy Street Festival in 2019

Case Study: Breaking Down Barriers into Music for Young People from Diverse Backgrounds

World Heart Beat (WHB) was founded in 2009 in an old, converted warehouse in Southfields to address the lack of free and affordable music tuition available to South London’s most disadvantaged young people. They have become one of the UK’s leading music hubs, continuing to support young people in Wandsworth. They are renowned for their inclusive global music programme, youth-led approach and the pathways they open up to conservatoires and music careers for diverse young talent. WHB also place a strong focus on how creating music supports young people’s mental health as well as their personal development.

From an intake of 70 students in 2010, they have grown to 370 students in 2019–2020. Each year they:

• inspire 2,000 young people to take up an instrument, often for the first time, through taster sessions delivered with more advanced students in schools and community settings in some of Wandsworth’s most deprived areas
• support 370 young people aged 5–25 to develop their musical and performance skills through 1:1 and group teaching and band ensembles. By offering a repertoire that includes Asian, Jazz, Gospel, Eastern European, Gypsy, Latin, Reggae and Tabla genres, they reflect the diversity of the Borough and its large Asian, African, and Caribbean population. They have established a diverse student body, with 70% identifying as ethnically diverse and over half receiving full bursaries and free instruments
• provide professional development to 30 exceptional young musicians aged 15–25 as part of the Music Leaders Students Programme. Music Leaders students receive mentoring from professionals, training in vocational music and production, and are given opportunities to perform, record and curate and produce concerts and events for the local community. The Music Leaders students also serve as role models for younger students, providing mentoring and training and co-delivering our taster workshops. 70% of WHB’s Music Leader students now study at top music conservatoires/universities, have secured professional roles in the music/ creative industries, or have been recruited to training programmes in other sectors, and twelve of WHB’s teachers are past alumni.

In Autumn 2021, WHB will be opening a second performance hub and education centre in Embassy Gardens as one of the Nine Elms cultural anchor tenants, in a space provided by Eco-World Ballymore on a 50-year peppercorn lease. The new Academy will serve as an important cultural anchor in a rapidly changing neighbourhood, addressing the lack of accessible grassroots music venues in South London, and delivering a programme of over 100 concerts and events each year. The new space will enable WHB to double the number of students they can work with and extend their focus to marginalised young people.

“Having something you can do, to be passionate about, a skill you can develop and really hone, makes such a difference. It helps you navigate through all the negative distractions and influences growing up and gives you belief and confidence that you can succeed. Without music, the saxophone, the friends that I had in music and the role models I found at World Heart Beat I would not be where I am today.” Kwabena, 23yrs

Green Social Prescribing

Green social prescribing is operational in Wandsworth. There are a wide range of options available across SWL from conservation groups and outdoor exercise or sports clubs, to groups with a more targeted mental health focus.

Enable Leisure and Culture (ELC) manage parks and open spaces on behalf of Wandsworth Council and hold the contract for social prescribing. Additionally, ELC have sports and well-being departments within the organisation that feed into both services. Networks and collaboration between the social prescribing and the natural environment already exist and can be easily and quickly scaled up.

Projects that have already taken place include:

• Family nature days
• Community tree planting
• Biodiversity recording
• Community exercise sessions
• Virtual nature trails
• Garden tea parties for older adults
• Walk Wandsworth.

ELC works closely with Thrive who use gardening to support the well-being of people living with disabilities or mental health conditions. The hub is based at Battersea Park and they work alongside ELC and the grounds maintenance contractor to help maintain parts of the park.

Violence

More than 30% of crimes in the Borough in the last 12 months were classified as ‘Violence against the Person’ of which 30% involved injury. The 10% increase in violence against the person over the past year is greater than the increase in London or Inner London and is likely to have been influenced by the overall rises in crime. Despite this, Wandsworth’s rate of 7.56 offences per 1,000 residents remains lower than the rates of London (8.64) and Inner London (10.11).

Knife Crime

Knife Crime is a continuing concern across London and England due to increasing levels of offending in what is one of the most serious, potentially fatal crime types. Wandsworth has not been immune to this trend as the Borough is located near to Westminster, Southwark and Lambeth, which in terms of volume are among the worst 5 affected in London. Knife crime offences are not limited to stabbings, with the majority relating to offences where knives were intimated or used as a threat.

Last year, Wandsworth saw a 17% increase in knife crime, much higher than Inner London (2.3%) and London (1.2%) increases. However, the rate of knife crime (1.36 offences per 1,000) remains below the London average (1.65) and the lowest in Inner London for the 4th consecutive year. A third of described suspects were BME and aged 10–25 years.

Burglary

Burglaries have increased in Wandsworth. The number went up from 2,286 in 2015/16 to 2,324 in 2016/17 (2% increase) and 2,687 in 2017/18 (16% increase). The Wandsworth rate of burglary is lower than Inner London.

Personal Robbery

Personal property robbery has been increasing for the past three years. In 2017/18 there were 729 personal robbery cases, an increase of 18% compared to 2016/17. However, the Borough still has lower rate than Inner London and remains ranked in Quartile 1.

Anti-social Behaviour

Following two consecutive years of increase, police recorded anti-social behaviour (ASB) fell by 4.3%, with a total of 6,559 calls received. Incidents of council recorded graffiti fell by 8.5% but the number of graffiti being cleared increased due to ‘multiple/high quantity’ graffiti.

Reoffending

A minority of individuals are responsible for a disproportionate number of offences. Ministry of Justice data shows that the re-offending rate for adult offenders in Wandsworth was 26%, slightly lower than last year (29%).

Substance dependence and misuse contribute to offending and reoffending. For those individuals drug tested by police upon arrest, 57% (n=223) tested positive. This rose to 61% for those individuals tested because their offence type was more likely to be linked to drug or substance abuse. Ambulance services continue to respond to large numbers of events in Wandsworth where drugs (n= 578) and alcohol (n=2,208) are a factor in injuries, violence or intoxication. From April 2017 to March 2017, 16% (n=20) of adults with a substance misuse treatment need were engaged in community-based structured treatment following release from prison, lower than London (21.9%) and England (32.1%).

Violence Against Women and Girls

The increasing trend in domestic abuse has continued with an 8.1% rise over 12 months. The long-term increase is higher than experienced in London. This is believed to be heavily influenced by a change in police and victim reporting practices.

The Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference (MARAC) meets monthly to discuss and manage the highest risk cases of domestic violence in the Borough. There were 328 cases over the past 12 months, a 24% rise on the previous 12-month period. 50% of cases involved were a BAME victim. While the largest increases were in the under 25 (n=49) and over 65(n=24), the most common age group remained 25–34 (n=108). Mental health and substance misuse were a common theme among victims and suspects.

Increases in sexual offending reporting are believed to be linked to the changes in recording and reporting practices. Overall, the rate of reported offending remains the lowest in Inner London. 34% of incidents are classified as rape. Non-historic offences showing a reduction in victims under 18, 62% reported as occurring between known parties. The remaining 66% of incidents are classified as other sexual offences.

Keeping Children and Young People Safe

Over the last 12 months, there has been a slight increase in the number of young victims of crime (n=1,109) but a reduction in the number of young suspects (n=1,569) and young people accused of a crime (n=250). Nevertheless, young people, particularly those aged 10–17, remain disproportionally affected by crime in Wandsworth. For young victims, this is most evident within the crime types of violence, sexual offences and robbery. There continues to be an overrepresentation of BAME young people suspected or accused of crime. During 2017/18 there were 72 first time entrants to the Youth Justice System, a 5% decline compared to the previous year. There has been a steady decline over the last 10 years. The rate per 100,000 10–17-year-olds is 332 and though this is an improvement and lower than the London average (353), it has regressed to the 4th lowest In Inner London having previously been the 2nd lowest.

Hate Crime

Rates of hate crime in Wandsworth are lower than those throughout Inner and Greater London. The majority (almost 4 in 5) of hate crimes in the Borough over the last 12 months (n=489) were racist in nature. These crimes saw a decrease of 3% compared to the year before. Considering only racist and religious hate crimes, the Borough’s rate was 151 per 100,000 residents, lower than Inner London (237) and London (183). Locally, and regionally, there was an increase in reports of homophobic hate crime which increased to 73 from 62 the year before.

There is an over representation of BAME victims of hate crime. Incident hotspots are frequently in and around public places such as town centres. The majority of hate crimes involving offensive language as an aggravating level of assault remains low.

Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB)

Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour requires a problem-solving approach and the joint working of agencies across different sectors. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 requires the Local Authority to form a statutory partnership which is known as the Wandsworth Community Safety and Youth Offending Partnership Board. The Board has developed a strategy to deal with the prevention of crime, reducing reoffending and serious violence, substance misuse, and anti-social behaviour. This will be refreshed for the following 3 years in line with the next Mayor’s Policing and Crime Plan.

Wandsworth Council produces an annual Community Safety Strategic Needs Assessment, a statutory annual analysis of crime and disorder to inform the Community Safety Partnership Plan. The following priorities were taken from the 2019 needs assessment with data covering a 5-year period Jan 2015 – Dec 2019:

• Motor Vehicle Crime
• Burglary
• Anti-Social Behaviour.

Crime and Anti-social Behaviour (ASB) have a direct impact on people’s health, well-being and lifestyle. Becoming a victim of crime can affect people differently. The recovery following a crime can be challenging especially if the criminal justice process is lengthy. If the person is already affected by an existing mental health need, then this could impact their recovery time and the impact of the crime could feel even worse.

Anti-social behaviour (ASB) affects many people and can have an impact on a person, their home and their community. People may think that an incident is small to start with, but anti-social behaviour can go on for a long time and become very serious. Not all anti-social behaviour is classed as crime but some of it can lead to crime.

The Annual Strategic Needs Assessment concluded that Wandsworth has the lowest crime rate in Inner London and although crime increased by 1.4% in 2019, it was still below London (+8.7%) and Inner London (+11.6%).

The figure below shows Wandsworth’s notifiable offences by Ward.

Total Notifiable Offences (All Crime), by Ward Jan-Dec 2019, Wandsworth

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, Crime Data Dashboard, December 2020

Reports of anti-social behaviour received by the police in Wandsworth increased by 12% in 2019, a total of 7,475. In comparison, London increased by 12%. The most affected wards remained Graveney, Latchmere and Tooting, (the figure below).

Anti-social Behaviour, by Ward Jan-Dec 2019, Wandsworth

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, DARIS (Demand and Resource Information System) data extract, March 2020

Offenders

Adult Offending & Re-offending

A minority of individuals are responsible for a disproportionate number of offences. The reduction of reoffending is of major importance for the safety of the local communities.

Ministry of Justice data shows that the re-offending rate for adult offenders in Wandsworth was 26%, lower than last year (29%). The proportion remains similar to London (27%) and England and Wales (28%).

In January 2019, the Community Rehabilitation Company (CRC) had 426 cases in Wandsworth, 19% lower than November 2017.

The latest data (January 2019) from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) shows that 26% of adult offenders in Wandsworth went on to reoffend, a slightly lower proportion than both London and England, and a reduction compared to the previous year’s cohort (the table below). The rate of reoffences remained constant between cohorts. Concurrently, the London rate increased to match the Wandsworth rate and the England rate exceeded both.

Proven adult reoffending, Apr 2015–Mar 2016 and Apr 2016–Mar 2017, Wandsworth, London, England and Wales

Source: MoJ, Proven Reoffending Statistics, 31/01/2019 (Limitation: In October 2015, there was a change in data source used by the MoJ that could affect comparisons).

Substance misuse and dependence contribute to offending and reoffending as well as exacerbating mental health problems and personality disorders.

For those individuals drug tested by police upon arrest, 57% (n=223) tested positive. This rose to 61% for those individuals tested because their offence type was more likely to be linked to drug or substance abuse.

Ambulance Services continue to respond to large numbers of events in Wandsworth where drugs (n= 578) and alcohol (n=2,208) are a factor in injuries, violence or intoxication.

Locally, from April 2017 to March 2018, 16% (n=20) following release from prison adults receiving substance misuse treatment were engaged in community-based structured treatment, lower than London (21.9%) and England (32.1).

Integrated Offender Management (IOM)

IOM is an evidence-based approach which provides a framework for partner organisations to manage and support violent offenders who are at highest risk of reoffending. The members of the IOM partnership are statutory agencies involved in offender management including the police, National Probation Service, Community Rehabilitation Company together with some departments of the Borough council, Community Safety Services, Housing Department, Social Services and a wider network of the Third Sector organisations including Battersea Art Centre and the Ace of Clubs. IOM aims to reduce reoffending and increase social inclusion by working with offenders to challenge their behaviour and address the underlying issues that may lead to reoffending. This is achieved by assessing individual need and supporting access and engagement with services across the seven pathways to prevent reoffending, as recommended by Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime, (MOPAC):

• Attitudes, thinking and behaviour
• Accommodation
• Children and families
• Drugs and alcohol
• Education, training and employment
• Finance, benefit and debt
• Physical and mental health.

Additional issues that affect women who are part of the IOM scheme are domestic violence and sexual abuse.

The IOM programme continues to manage some of the most persistent and problematic local offenders in the Borough through a joint agency approach aimed at reducing offending and its impact.

During the financial year 2018/19 Wandsworth IOM cohort was comprised of 90 offenders. Performance is monitored by comparing the average number of arrests, convictions and prison days among the cohort before and after IOM intervention. The table below includes data which indicates nearly 60% reductions in arrests and convictions, alongside a 16% fall in days spent in prison. These are closely aligned to outcomes for each of the previous 3 financial years.

Key Wandsworth IOM Performance Outcomes, April-December 2018

Source: MoJ, Proven Reoffending Statistics, 31/01/2019

The high-risk prolific offenders often have complex needs such as dual diagnosis, combination of drugs misuse and mental health problems, or personality disorders. It is still not clear what is the provision of coordinated services for this client group. There is also lack of behavioural change programmes for violent perpetrators which will reduce the impact of reoffending prevention. This requires increased joint working between all the IOM partners.

Serious Violence

In May 2021 the Wandsworth Community Safety Service commissioned the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) to undertake a Needs Assessment on Serious Violence. The report will include qualitative and quantitative analysis of serious violence in the borough with input from as many stakeholders as possible. In addition, the assessment will also include an initial assessment of the current VRU funded projects in the borough for serious violence. The consultant will be further commissioned to work in Richmond and will conduct a deeper dive into identified areas of concern or best practice in Wandsworth so we can understand what factors are influencing the violence positively and negatively. In addition, the Council published the first report completed by the VRU funded Young Researchers Group in Wandsworth. Over 461 young people responded to the research led by their peers. This insightful report covers the topic of Knife Crime and will be shared with key partners and Boards in the borough. The next topic for 2021/22 will be Violence Against Women and Girls in public.

The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) refers to serious violence as a public health issue that causes ill-health through fear, injury and loss, affecting individuals and whole communities. In order to tackle serious violence and the devastating impact it has on families, victims and communities in the Borough, Wandsworth Council Community Safety has successfully received Violence Reduction Unit funding to support multiple key projects to address the root causes of serious violence and to implement prevention activities.

Serious violence is defined by the South West Basic Command Unit (BCU) and the Community Safety Partnerships of each Borough as the crime types of violence with injury and knife crime, with some overlap between the two:

• Violence with injury is comprised of serious wounding (GBH) and assault with injury (ABH)
• Knife crime is comprised of knife violence and knife robbery.

The crossover between the two will feature within serious wounding or assault with injury.

Serious Violence Performance and Trend Data

This overview provides a brief analysis of Police Crime Data and London Ambulance Service Callout Data, both correct to December 2019.

Reported violence with injury fell by 4% during 2019. Whilst there has been a 2% rise over 5 years, Wandsworth maintains the lowest rate of violence with injury in Inner London (as shown in the tables and figures below). Although Wandsworth has the lowest rate of knife crime in Inner London, the total has increased by 63% since 2015 (+154). There have been 21 homicides over the past 3 years compared to 5 in the previous 2 years. Data trends also show that July has a regular spike of offences.

Trends in violence with Injury, and percentage change over time in Wandsworth, London and Inner London, 2015–2020

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, Crime Data Dashboard, February 2020 Note: Rank I. London shows Wandsworth rank compared to the 11 other Outer London Boroughs. 1 = lowest rank

Violence with injury by month 2017–2019, Wandsworth

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, Crime Data Dashboard, February 2020

Violence with injury 5-year comparison, Wandsworth total vs. London (32 Boroughs) and Inner London (12 Boroughs) average, 2015–2019

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, Crime Data Dashboard, February 2020

Trends in homicide, and percentage change over time in Wandsworth 2015–2020, London and Inner London

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, Crime Data Dashboard, February 2020 Note: Rank I. London shows Wandsworth rank compared to the 19 other Outer London Boroughs. 1 = lowest rank

The wards with the highest and lowest levels of violence with injury have been broadly consistent over the past 3 years, as shown in the table below.

Wandsworth wards with the highest and lowest total violence with Injury over 3-year period 2017–2019 and percentage change 2019 vs. 2017

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, Crime Data Dashboard, February 2020

Over 3 years, knife crime classified as robbery has been most common in Latchmere, Northcote and Queenstown wards. Knife crime classified as violent was most common in Tooting, Latchmere and Queenstown. Over 3 years, ambulance callouts for assault were most common in Latchmere, Fairfield and Graveney.

Overview of serious violence crime reports (Police data extract).

Approximately 30% of violence with injury crime reports are domestic in nature. 57% of knife crime was classified as robbery and 42% as violence. This has gradually shifted over the past 5 years (2015 saw 38% robbery, 60% violence). Data shows that 94% of knife robbery involves the use of a knife as a threat or intimidation. 60% of knife violence involves the use of a knife in an attempt to injure. The breakdown of knife crime incidents is shown in the table below.

Yearly knife crime incidents, sub-divided into major crime type, Wandsworth, 2017–2019, 5-year total 2015–2019 and percentage change over 12 months and 5 years

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, CRIS (Crime Recording Information System) data extract, March 2020

One or more suspects are known to one or more of the victims in approximately 55% of violence with injury crime reports. However, this proportion may be higher as approximately 20% of crimes have no recorded suspect.

Serious wounding offences are most common between 20:00 and 01:59, with Friday and Saturday experiencing higher levels of crime reports (the figures below).

Yearly proportion of serious wounding incidents by 6-hour time period, Wandsworth, 2017–2019

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, CRIS (Crime Recording Information System) data extract, March 2020

Yearly proportion of serious wounding incidents by day of the week, Wandsworth, 2017–2019

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, CRIS (Crime Recording Information System) data extract, March 2020

Assault with Injury offences are most common between 14:00 and 19:59. Friday and Saturday are among the most frequent days. (the figures below).

Yearly proportion of assault with injury incidents by 6-hour time period, Wandsworth, 2017–2019

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, CRIS (Crime Recording Information System) data extract, March 2020

Yearly proportion of assault with Injury incidents by day of the week, Wandsworth, 2017–2019

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, CRIS (Crime Recording Information System) data extract, March 2020

Ambulance callouts for assault are most common between 20:00 and 01:59, on a Friday or Saturday. During 2019, there was a notable shift in time trends for knife crime. 50% of knife robbery has taken place between 14:00 and 19:59 and 40% of knife violence has taken place between 20:00 and 01:59 (the figures below).

Yearly proportion of knife robbery incidents by 6-hour time period, Wandsworth, 2017–2019

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, CRIS (Crime Recording Information System) data extract, March 2020

Yearly proportion of knife violence incidents by 6-hour time period, Wandsworth, 2017–2019

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, CRIS (Crime Recording Information System) data extract, March 2020

Analysis of suspect demographics should be interpreted with caution due to:

• missing data (crimes with no suspect recorded)
• partial data (crimes with limited suspect data e.g., estimated age but no ethnicity).

The analysis below has been conducted on a per crime report basis i.e., percentage number of crimes with a victim or suspect in a demographic group (age, ethnicity or gender). Therefore, percentages can tally to more than 100 due to the potential for multiple victims and suspects.

Over 5 years, approximately 51% of violence with injury crime reports had 1 or more victims aged 25–44. 18% of reports had 1 or more victims aged 18–24 compared to 8% of population (the table below).

Age of recorded victim(s) for serious wounding and assault with Injury Incidents, Wandsworth, 2015–2019

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, CRIS (Crime Recording Information System) data extract, March 2020. Note: Does not include those victims where demographic details were not captured

Approximately 40% of violence with injury crime reports had one or more non-white victims.

Approximately 67% of serious wounding had a male victim (28% female, 5% both), in contrast to assault with injury which was more evenly split (45% male, 51% female, 4% both).

Over 5 years, approximately 54% of violence with injury crime reports had 1 or more suspects aged 25–44. 19% of reports had 1 or more victims aged 18–24, compared to 8% of population (the table below).

Age of recorded suspects for serious wounding and assault with injury incidents, Wandsworth, 2015–2019

Source: Metropolitan Police Service, CRIS (Crime Recording Information System) data extract, March 2020. Note: Does not include those suspects where demographic details were not captured

Data shows that approximately 48% of violence with injury crime reports had one or more non-white suspects. 80% of serious wounding and 70% of assault with injury offences had 1 or more male suspects.

Over 5 years, victims of knife robbery are most likely to be under the age of 25 (27% of reports with at least one victim aged <18 and 27% of reports with at least one victim aged 18–24). Victims of knife violence are older, 57% aged 25–44 and 24% 18–24. The 18–24 age group is disproportionality represented (only 8% of population).

There is also a disproportionality within ethnicity, particularly knife violence, where 56% of crime reports have a non-white victim. Male victims are most common, particularly within knife robbery (84% vs. 71% knife violence).

Similar trends exist within suspects of knife crime, with a younger cohort of suspects and over-representation of the 18–24 age group and males. However, within ethnicity, while the same disproportionality is seen, it is greater within knife robbery (70% reports with BME suspect) than knife violence (53%).

Over the past 3 years, the 15–24 age cohort accounted for 22% of ambulance callouts for assault (compared to 11% of the population).