Wandsworth Council’s new Growth Plan — its blueprint for where money, housing, infrastructure and investment will go over the next decade — contains over 9,000 words, dozens of maps, and three strategic zones.
Putney is not one of them.
Despite being home to a third of the borough’s population and many of its pressing problems — including severe traffic congestion, one of London’s most polluted high streets, housing shortages, and rising street crime — Putney does not feature at all in the Wandsworth Growth Plan (Paper No. 25-269) to be approved by Cabinet next week.
There is no mention of Putney High Street, no mention of East Putney Station, no public realm plans, no transport improvements, and no new housing sites identified. The area does not appear in any of the council’s “Growth Corridor” maps, nor in its 2030 housing or investment strategies, or in the accompanying brochure.
By contrast, Winstanley & York Road, Clapham Junction, Wandsworth Town, Nine Elms, and Battersea receive the full attention of the plan — and are lined up for what the council calls “a decade of inclusive, place-based growth.”
Where the money is going
The Growth Plan sets out detailed strategies — and named, costed interventions — for three “Strategically Important Housing Areas” that form the Wandsworth Growth Corridor. This is where the council plans to spend, develop, and co-invest with partners over the next ten years.
In Wandsworth Town:
- A major redevelopment of the Town Hall and Frogmore Depot to unlock 3,000 new homes.
- A full redesign of the Wandsworth Gyratory, including street-level improvements and placemaking.
- Engagement on a new masterplan starting summer 2025.
In Clapham Junction and Winstanley/York Road:
- A masterplan for Clapham Junction Station, with TfL, Network Rail, and ShopStop developers.
- Up to 3,000 new homes, a new leisure centre, and estate renewal — with public consultation and ballot.
- A “Community Panel” meeting eight times in 2025 to shape future development.
In Battersea and Nine Elms:
- A new 13-GP NHS health centre, primary school, and community centre.
- Continued expansion of Battersea Power Station, New Covent Garden Market, and linear park.
- 8,400 homes planned, plus business and cultural investment in a new “Innovation District”.
- Street upgrades, safer crossings and cycling infrastructure along New Elms Lane.
Meanwhile, in Tooting:
- The town centre is named in the Growth Plan, unlike Putney.
- High street improvements and small-scale public realm works are planned.
- Cultural programming tied to Wandsworth Borough of Culture 2025 is expected to include Tooting.
- Local Labour councillors have backed new housing on infill sites and support for small businesses.
Borough-wide, the Council also promises:
- 1,000 new council homes by 2029 via its Homes for Wandsworth programme.
- Job support and training through WorkMatch, plus a high street business support service.
- Transport upgrades at Clapham Junction, Wandsworth Town, Queenstown Road, and Battersea Park stations.
- Planning tools like SPDs and partnership platforms to attract developers and grant funding.
Putney is excluded from every one of these commitments. It is neither a housing zone, nor a transport priority, nor part of the borough’s public realm or cultural strategy.
| Criteria | Battersea / Nine Elms | Tooting | Putney |
|---|---|---|---|
| Named in Growth Plan | ✅ Yes – key Growth Corridor | ✅ Yes – town centre named | ❌ No |
| Strategic Housing Area | ✅ Yes – 8,400 homes | ❌ No – small sites only | ❌ No |
| Infrastructure investment | ✅ Transport, NHS, schools | ✅ Active travel, civic upgrades | ❌ None |
| Transport upgrades | ✅ Queenstown & Battersea Park | ❌ Not mentioned | ❌ Putney stations omitted |
| Town centre / high street | ✅ Mixed-use, public realm schemes | ✅ Culture & improvement support | ❌ Not mentioned |
| Housing delivery | ✅ Major development pipeline | ✅ Small infill activity | ❌ None |
| Cultural / community investment | ✅ GP, school, events district | ✅ Borough of Culture activity | ❌ Nothing planned or funded |
| Planning / regeneration tools | ✅ SPD, partnerships, GLA schemes | ✅ Consultations, civic pilots | ❌ Not a regeneration zone |
| Cabinet / councillor presence | 1 Cabinet, 1 Deputy, 4 Labour Cllrs | 6 Cabinet, 3 Deputy, 15 Labour Cllrs | 1 Cabinet (West Hill), 1 Deputy (Roehampton), 2 Cllrs |
| Developer leverage / CIL | ✅ High – BPS, Covent Garden | ✅ Moderate – infill densification | ❌ Low – few development triggers |
| Included in Growth Corridor | ✅ Yes – central to vision | ❌ No – adjacent only | ❌ No – fully excluded |
A raw deal for Putney
What does Putney get?
Nothing in the Growth Plan suggests any investment is coming. There are no regeneration frameworks, no infrastructure allocations, and no public commitments to support or improve local services. This is despite:
- East Putney station being inaccessible to wheelchair users and parents with prams — and reliant on future Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money for any hope of a step-free upgrade.
- Putney High Street continuing to suffer from record air pollution, retail decline and antisocial behaviour — with no support in the High Streets Fund.
- Bus routes in and out of Putney being among the most complained about in London.
- Ongoing housing pressures for families and downsizers — with no strategic housing allocation or development target identified in this plan.
Even Roehampton, which falls within the Putney parliamentary boundary, gets only a single passing reference to the Alton Estate — with no detail, budget, or integration into the main Growth Corridor.
This isn’t just a gap. It’s a deliberate omission.
Who decides where grows?
The question of who sets priorities is unavoidable.
Of the Council’s eight Cabinet Members, six live in Tooting. Only one lives in Putney — and they represent West Hill, far from the High Street and town centre. Of the five Deputy Cabinet Members, three live in Tooting, and just one in Roehampton.
Among the rest of the Labour group:
- 15 of the 21 non-Cabinet Labour councillors live in Tooting
- Only two live anywhere in Putney
Put simply, the area making all the decisions about “borough-wide” growth is not the area being left out of it.
The council claims its Growth Plan is “shaped by and for its communities.” But if you’re in Putney, that promise rings hollow. This is not inclusive growth — it is selective growth.
Strategic neglect by design
The Growth Plan repeatedly describes itself as “place-based” and “borough-wide”. It talks about polycentric development, strategic investment, and unlocking London’s potential.
But in practical terms, the strategy is tightly bounded: focused on areas with council-controlled land, large development partners, and existing Labour infrastructure.
There is no strategic growth plan for Putney.
No housing ambition, no infrastructure vision, and no public commitment to help solve some of the borough’s worst air quality and traffic challenges. If East Putney is ever to become step-free, it will likely need to be funded by developer contributions tied to housing projects — but this plan allocates no such development to the area.
What’s being offered to Putney is not growth — it’s abandonment.
