It’s been a turbulent few days in Wandsworth, with a Thames-side renovation turning into a structural emergency, a crucial estate ballot opening mysteriously late, and Britain’s largest water supplier scrambling to avoid collapse.
Thamesfield house: Council confirms wall collapse was accidental
The mystery of the hollowed-out Thames-side property at 4 Ruvigny Gardens has been partially resolved, with Wandsworth Council’s planning enforcement team confirming that sections of the first-floor rear wall collapsed accidentally last Saturday while the site was unattended.
A Council Planning Officer visited the property yesterday and spoke with the architect, who confirmed their intention to rebuild the affected wall using matching brickwork and proceed with installing approved double-glazed windows and railings in accordance with planning permission ref. 2025/0109. The previous appearance of the rear elevation will be reinstated, along with the approved ground floor rear extension.
A Wandsworth Council spokesperson added: “Our Building Control team attended the property over the weekend and dealt with the immediate danger caused by the collapse of the rear wall by providing additional temporary support. Neighbours either side were temporarily evacuated while these works were carried out but have since returned. Wandsworth Council’s Building Control team can confirm there is no longer a risk to the public.”
Alton Estate ballot opens late, giving residents week less to decide
The long-awaited ballot on the Alton Estate regeneration proposals has finally opened – more than a week late. The ballot was originally scheduled to open on 22 September but didn’t begin until 1 October, while keeping the same 16 October closing date. Wandsworth Council has not explained the delay, meaning residents have lost over a week to consider the proposals.
The plans include demolishing 178 existing homes and building up to 650 new units, with 57% designated as affordable housing. The proposals also feature a new library, retail parade with larger supermarket, GP surgery, and improved community spaces.
However, noise is already building around several contentious issues. Residents have been raising pointed questions about the number and type of new units, with particular upset over the deal being offered to those who own their homes. There is also widespread disbelief about the council’s claimed £100m price tag, with estimates suggesting the project could cost three or four times more, meaning residents could end up picking up a much larger bill than the council is claiming.
Security door costs mystery continues nine months on
Following up on previous reporting about spiralling costs on the Alton Estate, residents are still chasing answers about how the cost of new security doors jumped from £1,500 to £6,500 per leaseholder. The saga has been ongoing since January, with the latest development being that the council is offering to provide a breakdown of the costs—at some point this month.
Council quietly announces major housing department shake-up
Wandsworth Council has kept quiet about a significant restructuring of its Housing Department, which came into effect on 1 October. The council is forming a new Resident Services Directorate, merging Housing with Environment and Community Services under a single leadership team headed by Paul Chadwick as Executive Director of Resident Services.
The reorganisation also includes the appointment of Nazeya Hussain as Executive Director of the expanded Growth and Place Directorate, which she will take up in December. Transport and Engineering will join Growth and Place from October.
According to the council’s announcement to staff, the changes aim to “deliver a more seamless experience for residents” and “improve collaboration, decision-making and accountability.” However, residents may be concerned about another major restructuring given ongoing issues with transparency and communication on estate regeneration projects.
The formation of the Resident Services Directorate was discussed and agreed at the Joint Staffing Committee on 15 September, though no public announcement was made until staff were informed by email.
Thames Water lenders put forward sweetened rescue deal
A consortium of Thames Water’s main creditors, London & Valley Water, has submitted a new rescue proposal pledging an additional £1 billion in investment and offering to write off around £4 billion – approximately 25% – of the debt they hold in the struggling water supplier. The deal also includes writing off about £1 billion held by other bondholders and a further £2.5 billion of debts from Thames Water’s holding company.
However, the proposal comes with conditions: the consortium is pressing Ofwat to accept renegotiated targets on pollution incidents and water leaks in return for the investment, and is calling for a swift decision, warning that delays would “increase the challenges of delivering the company’s turnaround.”
The deal aims to avoid Thames Water being placed into special administration, which would effectively wipe out the creditors’ investments and potentially require taxpayer funding to keep the UK’s largest water supplier – serving 16 million customers – operational.
