Policy information sourced from Lambeth Local Plan 2020-2035

PN5: Clapham

The council will support the role of Clapham High Street as a district centre by safeguarding and encouraging retail, other town-centre uses, housing and workspace. It will seek to enhance its distinctive character associated with the Old Town, its historic environment, Clapham Common and its popularity for leisure and entertainment, and will encourage provision in particular for cultural, creative, visual and performing arts, street markets and other forms of community innovation, while managing the level of food and drink uses and the impact on amenity of the evening economy. Where necessary and justified to achieve the objectives of this policy, the council will use conditions and/or planning obligations in new development proposals to limit uses consented within Class E.

The council will seek to address this by:

  • supporting appropriate opportunities to deliver additional housing within the district centre and the nearby neighbourhoods;
  • requiring no less than 50 per cent of ground-floor units in the primary shopping area to be in retail use;
  • requiring no more than 25 per cent of original ground-floor units in food and drink use across the centre as a whole and no more than 2 in 5 consecutive units in food and drink use;
  • permitting no additional public house, wine bar or drinking establishment (including with expanded food provision) or hot takeaway uses;
  • supporting measures to improve air quality;
  • requiring enhancements to the public realm of the town centre to increase green infrastructure and to improve the safety, accessibility and environment for pedestrians and cyclists and to improve linkages through the town centre, across the High Street and between the town centre and the Metropolitan Open Land at Clapham Common, including projects identified through ‘Your Clapham – a vision for the high street’ and the Healthy Route Network;
  • conserving, managing and improving Clapham Common through the implementation of the Clapham Common Masterplan;
  • working with TfL to increase public transport provision, including bus services, in the town centre; to promote a rail service from Clapham High Street to Victoria; to lengthen the platforms at Wandsworth Road and Clapham High Street; to reduce road danger on Clapham High Street and Wandsworth Road; and to improve the quality and safety of Cycleway 7;
  • working with industry stakeholders to minimise the impact of construction activity in the area by planning and co-ordinating activities to reduce disruption, ensure safety, especially for vulnerable road users, and reduce environmental impacts.
  • recognising the significance of Wandsworth Road in connecting Clapham with surrounding neighbourhoods.

For more information please see the Local Plan