Only a few years ago Wandsworth was known by many only as the home of the crumbling Battersea Power Station. Today it is the focus of international attention, now bringing forward one of Europe’s largest and most exciting regeneration projects in Nine Elms and regularly cited as an exemplar of urban regeneration.
As the new skyline of Nine Elms rises day by day among a collection of bustling cranes and as a host of other fascinating projects come forward across the borough, today was an ideal time to gain the insights of the Leader of Wandsworth Council, Councillor Ravi Govindia. Redwood’s breakfast focused upon the topic of ‘The Growth of Wandsworth’ and proved to be a genuinely revealing event. Councillor Govindia, who also co-chairs the Nine Elms Vauxhall Partnership and who is a member of the panel tasked with selecting the winning design for a new Thames bridge from Nine Elms to Pimlico, plays a key role in facilitating the current renaissance of this key London borough. His opening comments and the discussion that followed covered a wide range of topics – the relationship with the GLA and other boroughs, the benefits of the Northern Line extension, investment in Wandsworth Town, and much else besides – and opened a fascinating window into the way he and the Council operates.
Recent speakers at Redwood breakfasts have included Richard Blakeway (The Deputy Mayor of London for Housing, Land & Property), Roberta Blackman-Woods MP (Shadow Minister for Planning) and Jack Dromey MP (when Shadow Minister for Housing) and we look forward to welcoming some more big names in the months ahead.