Over £1 million released for neighbourhood improvements

A number of local improvements are to proceed after gaining funding from a new infrastructure levy. Schemes to benefit include work on Putney Park Lane for better access for pedestrians and cyclists and the resurfacing of roads and pavements in Putney Vale.

The Wandsworth Local Fund (WLF) is a charge the council makes on developers – usually of new homes - to pay for the infrastructure needed to support the development, such as new schools, safer roads or improvements to parks.


Putney Park Lane

The fund is the neighbourhood element of the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). CIL is mostly spent on borough-wide, ‘strategic’ projects, but 15 per cent is earmarked for projects which take into account the views of people living in the neighbourhood where new development has been built. The amount available will vary between different neighbourhoods depending on the amount of development taking place.

Projects totalling £1.7m are currently in development following the first wave of WLF funding.

Over the summer councillors submitted schemes for the next round of ‘wave two’ funding, totalling £1.1m. Schemes being recommended for immediate funding include:

• Improving Putney Park Lane for pedestrians and cyclists
• Resurfacing roads and pavements in Putney Vale
• Redesigning Godley Gardens play space on Wandsworth Common
• Improvements to King George’s Park including replacing worn safety surfaces, improving tennis courts and installing floodlighting

Other schemes have been put in the ‘pipeline’ for future funding as the amount of levy collected increases, including improvements to Fred Wells Gardens and to the Chivalry Road and St Marks play spaces as well as highways and lighting improvements to Tours Passage in Battersea.

Council leader Ravi Govindia said:“The WLF is a way of making sure that local people reap the rewards of the millions of pounds currently being invested in Wandsworth. Ward councillors have listened carefully to the views of local people before coming forward with suggestions, and we’re confident that this money is being spent on projects local people want.”

Read the committee report and a full list of schemes.