Funding from Wandsworth developers to pay for local improvements

The council’s Finance Committee has approved a new initiative to create just one borough-wide ‘investment pot’ which will allow infrastructure improvements to be made across the borough as a whole, making sure residents benefit from all the opportunities that local investment brings. 

Making Wandsworth a better place

Simon Hogg, Leader of Wandsworth Council said: “We want to ensure that funding we collect from developers is used to benefit growth and renewal across the whole borough, so for example the developer funding from Nine Elms will help to improve transport infrastructure in Roehampton and the wider area.

“This is the first important step in rebalancing investment and maximising the benefits of any local development for residents across all of Wandsworth. These changes will help make it a better place for everyone regardless of where they live or work.”

Wider investment in better roads and pavements, sustainable travel initiatives and public transport infrastructure will enable people to travel more safely and quickly around the borough, as well as generating a better environment for growth and economic opportunities.

About developer funding

The council collects funds known as the Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy (SCIL) from developers as part of their commitments on a new building project. The funds are then spent by the council on making improvements to local infrastructure which will address the impact of these new developments on local services and existing infrastructure in the area.

Until now, infrastructure funding contributed from new developments in Nine Elms have been uniquely ringfenced for spending in that immediate area only. This new approach to un-ringfence Nine Elms SCIL will support a borough-wide approach to infrastructure investment and bring it in line with other leading CIL-collecting authorities nationally. The committee's approved recommendations will now go before the Council's Executive.

As Wandsworth’s decade of renewal gets underway, a programme of transport and highways improvements is now starting in other parts of the borough including Tooting and Roehampton whilst current infrastructure priorities in Nine Elms will continue. The pipeline of projects will be regularly reviewed as part of the capital programme.

Community priorities

The Neighbourhood Renewal Fund was set up earlier this year to prioritise delivery of neighbourhood projects that matter most to people in their area, using developer levies collected through the Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy (NCIL) to make local improvements.

Find out more about the council's Neighbourhood Renewal Fund 

The council has also recently launched its advice for developers on early community engagement in the planning application process and is also working hard to collect agreed funding from developers to ensure greatest benefit for the local area.

In June, we held a local community open day for residents living near the Thessaly Road Oasis open space to find out how we could use developer funding to improve and open up the space for community use.