Policy information sourced from Wandsworth Core Strategy

PL 8 Town and local centres

The five existing town centres, Balham, Clapham Junction, Putney, Tooting and Wandsworth, along with the potential new CAZ Frontage (town centre) at Battersea Power Station in Nine Elms, will be the focus for shopping and complementary activities, including business, cultural, leisure and entertainment uses in line with the Council’s key objectives and the London Plan Opportunity Area Designation for Nine Elms. The five existing centres will be promoted to provide a distinctive range of facilities serving their local area, but no centre will be encouraged to grow substantially at the expense of the others. The development of a CAZ Frontage (town centre) at Battersea Power Station will be implemented in line with Policy PL11 and the SSAD Area Spatial Strategy.

New shopping (A1) floorspace will be promoted in all five town centres and in the potential CAZ frontage at Battersea Power Station to meet projected future needs. Where no suitable town centre sites can be identified, a sequential approach to identifying suitable edge of centre locations will be applied. The extent of future growth over and above that already approved will be subject to, and informed by the results of Impact Assessment.

A diversity and mix of appropriate uses is encouraged to locate in the centres, including shopping, leisure, entertainment facilities, the more intensive sport and recreation uses (including cinemas, restaurants, bars and pubs, arts, culture and tourism development including hotels), offices and other business uses, educational, institutional, medical and healthcare, community and housing, and other uses which contribute to the vitality and viability of the centres including the development of the evening economy. The existing street markets in Clapham Junction and Balham will be promoted and local shops and distinct areas of important, unique character, such as Northcote Road, will be supported. See DMPD Policies DMTS1, DMTS3-6, and DMTS9 13 and Policies EI1 and EI2 of the Employment and Industry Document.

High density mixed use development, including residential, will be encouraged to locate within the centres, particularly along the main road network. Appropriate areas are identified below for those centres where most change is anticipated, in particular at Wandsworth, Clapham Junction and East Putney.

The nine local centres will continue to be promoted as local shopping centres, suitable for a wide range of services and facilities, supporting the overall provision of shopping facilities in the borough.

For more information please see the Wandsworth Core Strategy