Work commenced at Wandsworth Council’s latest regeneration scheme

Last week, the Leader of Wandsworth Council, Councillor Ravi Govindia, and Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Jonathan Cook joined Will Higgins, Declan Higgins and Joe Leedham from Higgins Homes on a visit of the site.

The site has now been cleared and was previously occupied by vacant council-owned buildings including the Atheldene Centre, some ageing shop units and a car park. It also includes council-owned ‘brownfield’ land fronting Atheldene Road, Wilna Road and Waverton Road.

Plans for the site will deliver more space for the Brocklebank GP Practice plus a pharmacy on the corner of Swaffield Road and Garratt Lane and 193 new homes. Of this total, 86 will be affordable homes which will be made available to lower income families in Wandsworth.

Councillor Ravi Govindia, Leader of Wandsworth Council, said:

“It is a real pleasure to break ground on another exciting project for Wandsworth. This is another great example of how we believe that developments are about much more than simply bricks and mortar. The new health centre and pharmacy on this site, as well as a significant proportion of affordable housing, will deliver the infrastructure improvements necessary to build communities and neighbourhoods that our residents can be proud of.

“It is especially pleasing to see that the scheme has been phased in a way that enables the existing health centre and pharmacy to continue to operate until the new buildings are ready for occupation, thus creating as little inconvenience to residents as is possible on a scheme of this size”

Dr Nicola Jones, GP partner at Brocklebank Practice, welcomed the prospect of a new surgery at the site. She said:

“This is a very exciting development. The new surgery will give us a much-needed boost to GP capacity with upgraded community health facilities. It will be at the heart of this expanding community offering local people access to health support and advice.

“The existing building has served us well but is now out of date. We’re really looking forward to seeing the doors open to local people at the new surgery.”

This development paves the way for the next phase in the wider investment plans and regeneration of this part of the borough. An earlier phase of the scheme saw the replacement of vacant and obsolete council-owned buildings with a new 420 pupil primary school – Floreat Academy – plus a nursery for 50 local children.

Councillor Jonathan Cook, Cabinet Member for Housing, said:

“This is a significant project that will deliver 193 new homes and we welcome the progress being made with the ground-breaking, converting this underutilised site with something that will make a real contribution to the community.

Of course, this scheme is part of a wider, ongoing transformation of this part of the borough and work has completed on the site of the former housing department and other council office blocks on Wandsworth High Street.”

Declan Higgins, Partnerships Director, said:

“We are pleased to announce development has commenced on this exciting project, delivering much needed housing and health facilities within the borough. The ground breaking is a result of combined efforts throughout Higgins, Wandsworth Council, Octavia, the NHS and the GLA.”