Better road crossings, lighting and greenery for Wandsworth Town Centre

As part of a holistic approach, Wandsworth Council has been working with Transport for London (TfL) to agree a series of viable options and phased improvements to the town centre and one-way gyratory road system which will make it a safer and easier place to travel around.

We’re now rolling out the first phase of short and medium-term improvements based on comments from residents about how they use the town centre. This includes requests for safer road crossings, better lighting, improved access and public transport.

As part of the council’s Decade of Renewal, the town centre improvements are paid for with funds the council has collected from property developers, with a contribution from Transport for London’s Safe and Healthy Streets investment fund, at no cost to local taxpayers.

The council’s initial short-term improvement works for the town centre include improving the lighting and pedestrian route under the railway bridges across The Causeway and Swandon Way, adding planting and greening to Wandsworth High Street and decluttering the pedestrian route between Armoury Way and The Causeway.

These will be followed with medium-term changes led by TfL. Proposals include improvements such as new pedestrian crossings, wider islands on existing crossings to make it safer and easier to cross the roads, widening some pavements and putting in more bus lanes to improve bus services and make cycling easier. TfL will be running a formal consultation on these changes this summer, with plans to implement changes over the next two years.

At the same time, the council will be putting in additional landscaping and lighting upgrades, developing a joined-up network of safe walking and cycling routes, working with Network Rail on step-free access and a second entrance to Wandsworth Town station and completing the final stages of re-modelling Old York Road.

We will also continue working with TfL over the longer term on further plans to improve the roads as the town centre grows and develops.

Jenny Yates, Cabinet Member for Transport said: “We’re delighted to be able to get on with the first phase of improvements in Wandsworth Town after hearing what would make a real difference for local residents and businesses. Despite the busy TfL road, many people were more interested in improving public spaces, lighting and creating better connections between different parts of the town centre, green spaces and transport links, so that’s what we’re doing.”

Will Norman, Walking and Cycling Commissioner for London, said: “We’re pleased to be progressing with these improvements that will support more people to choose walking, cycling or public transport when travelling around Wandsworth. This ongoing work shows the power of partnership, with TfL expertise and the borough’s deep local knowledge combining to help us continue building a safer, greener, better London for everyone.”

Transport investment

In the latest partnership investment package for the area, a £20m programme of upgrade works are now underway at Wandsworth Town rail station. Funded by Wandsworth Council and the Department for Transport’s Access for All scheme, Network Rail is opening up a new, modern second entrance to the station and installing lifts to all platforms by summer 2027.

Read the latest news on Wandsworth Town Station improvements.

Public engagement

During 2025, the council and TfL carried out extensive public engagement which included 525 comments on our dedicated Wandsworth Town improvements consultation website, and feedback from 425 people who spoke to us at in-person events.

Through this engagement, residents and businesses in Wandsworth Town told us that their top priorities were:

• Connection and movement - moving around should be made easier and safer
• An identity for Wandsworth Town - create a ‘heart’ and draw on heritage of the area
• Links to nature - better routes and signposting to green spaces
• Better public spaces - more greening and ‘public square’
• Affordable housing - genuinely affordable housing built
• Culture, leisure and the night-time - more venues, activities and evening offer.

Find out more and read the full engagement report (PDF)

In June this year, Wandsworth Town Centre will be featured as a London Festival of Architecture (LFA) ‘neighbourhood’ with a series of events for residents and visitors that highlight the town centre’s industrial past, present and future. Learn more on the LFA website.

A changing town centre

New mixed-use housing developments at Ram Quarter, New Acres and future sites are increasing footfall and changing how residents move through and use the town centre.

Wandsworth Town Centre has a lot to offer with busy high streets, a shopping centre, gyms, cafes and pubs plus recent investment in a new library.

London’s busy South Circular road runs through Wandsworth Town Centre - a key red-route that is owned and managed by TfL as part of the London-wide transport network.

In 2025, TfL decided not to move forward with a plan put forward in 2015 to remove the one-way system due to the high construction costs and lack of available funding, and as well as forecast increased travel times for buses and other road users on the major road network, which would result in congestion across a wider area.

The money the council set aside for the previous scheme is still available to make improvements to the town centre, with £25m allocated in the council’s capital programme.

We want to make the town centre safer and easier to navigate for pedestrians, cyclists and disabled people. Any changes on the road network require agreement from TfL so we’re working together on improvement plans while acknowledging the constraints of the South Circular.

Growth Corridor

Wandsworth Town Centre plays a key role in the Wandsworth Growth Corridor which runs from Nine Elms through Clapham Junction to Wandsworth Town. The area is also identified in the London Growth Plan as an area of major growth with new homes and infrastructure demand.

Find out more about the Wandsworth Growth Plan.

Our Local Plan, adopted in 2023, identifies the town centre as a key strategic area in the borough.