68-576: Wandsworth London Borough Council , also known as Wandsworth Council , is the local authority for the London Borough of Wandsworth in Greater London , England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London . The council has been under Labour majority control since 2022. It is based at Wandsworth Town Hall in the centre of Wandsworth . There has been a Wandsworth local authority since 1856 when
136-511: A parlour . Some had two, four, or even five bedrooms, as well as generously sized back gardens intended for vegetable growing. At most, they were built at 3,000/km . They were generally built to the recommendations of the Tudor Walters Report . Examples are found in Downham , Watling Estate , and Becontree . The Addison Act 1919, and the severe housing shortage in the early 1920s created
204-591: A borough council, two of which were called Wandsworth (corresponding to the former Wandsworth District) and Battersea . The London Borough of Wandsworth and its council were created under the London Government Act 1963 , with the first election held in 1964 . For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's outgoing authorities, being the councils of the two metropolitan boroughs of Battersea and Wandsworth. The new council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1965, at which point
272-604: A budget of £150m. Of 1.2 million new houses built from 1945 to 1951 when the programme officially ended, 156,623 prefab houses were constructed. Mainly during the immediate post-war years, and well into the 1950s, council house provision was shaped by the New Towns Act 1946 ( 9 & 10 Geo. 6 . c. 68) and the Town and Country Planning Act 1947 of the 1945–51 Labour government. At the same time this government introduced housing legislation that removed explicit references to housing for
340-545: A coal-fire, with a back boiler to create both central heating and a constant supply of hot water. Thus it had a bathroom included a flushing toilet and man-sized bath with hot running water. In the kitchen were a built-in oven, refrigerator and baxi water heater. All prefabs under the housing act came pre-decorated in magnolia , with gloss-green on all additional wood, including the door trimmings and skirting boards. The Parker Morris Committee drew up an influential 1961 report on housing space standards in public housing in
408-538: A korfball club, at Tooting) and cricket (Shiedam is one of the strongholds for cricket in the Netherlands). For many years the wartime connections were acknowledged during annual Remembrance Day commemorations in the two municipalities, either through an exchange of wreaths or by sending a representative. Within the context of both inter-business exchange and sporting fixtures, visits were also arranged by specific Wandsworth organisations such as Small Electric Motors and
476-468: A result of the Housing Act 1919 . Though more council houses have been built since then, fewer have been built in recent years. Local design variations exist, however all followed local authority building standards. The Housing Acts of 1985 and 1988 facilitated the transfer of council housing to not-for-profit housing associations with access to private finance, and these new housing associations became
544-496: A smaller Wandsworth Events Police Service (WEPS) working with a team of 12 Metropolitan Police Officers. This system was deemed unsuccessful, and in 2015 the WEPS was rebranded as Wandsworth Parks and Events Police (WPEP) and returned to full staffing levels of 33 police officers and support officers. Also within the borough's boundaries are Putney Heath and part of Putney Lower Common, which are managed as part of Wimbledon Common , and
612-639: A teardrop representing the tears of the French Huguenots , many of whom settled in Wandsworth from 1685. The ship at the top may refer to the Wendels, a tribe of sea-raiders from the Continent who supposedly gave their name to the district, for Wendelsworth was an early variation of Wandsworth. The four shields and oars on the ship represent the four parishes of Battersea, Putney, Tooting and Wandsworth. The dove to
680-688: A three-year period although less than half of this target was met. The housing built comprised three-bedroom dwellings with parlour and scullery: larger properties also include a living room. The standards are based on the Tudor Walters Report of 1919 , and the Design Manual written according to the 1913 building standards. In 1923 the Chamberlain Act withdrew subsidies for council houses except for private builders and houses for sale. Councils could undertake to build houses and offer these for sale but also to sell off some of their existing properties. This
748-665: A twin town arrangement with Schiedam , in the Netherlands, in 1946. A number of refugees from Schiedam who had lived for a time in Wandsworth during World War II hoped to maintain their connections with the London Borough during peacetime. The twinning was organised within the scope of the Dutch-English Sports Plan. In subsequent years multiple sporting fixtures between teams from the two areas were arranged including football, swimming, gymnastics, korfball (Wandsworth has
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#1733092266241816-492: Is New Covent Garden Market . In terms of size, South Thames College , Southside Shopping Centre , Wandsworth and The Exchange Shopping Centre , Putney are among the largest secular structures. Secular architecturally most highly listed buildings include: Battersea Power Station , the Battersea Arts Centre (formerly town hall), Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability , Wandsworth Town Hall , as well as particularly
884-580: Is Wandsworth London Borough Council . The area of the modern borough was historically part of the county of Surrey . From 1856 the area was governed by the Metropolitan Board of Works , which was established to provide services across the metropolis of London. In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made the County of London . From 1856 until 1900 the lower tier of local government within
952-527: Is Wandsworth Council, based at Wandsworth Town Hall . Since 2000, for elections to the London Assembly , the borough forms part of the Merton and Wandsworth constituency. The borough contains three parliamentary constituencies: According to the 2021 census, Wandsworth has a population of 327,506. In 2021, 67.8% of the population was white, 10.1% black and 11.6% Asian. A 2017 study by Trust for London and
1020-626: Is a continuous, signposted cycle route - primarily along designated cycle lanes - from Wandsworth Town and Battersea to Vauxhall , Lambeth , and the South Bank . Quietway 4 (Q4) runs from Clapham Common to Earlsfield in the Borough, through Wandsworth Common . The Wandle Trail is a shared-use trail for cyclists and pedestrians between Wandsworth Town and Waddon . The route is signposted and mainly traffic-free. It runs through Earlsfield, Colliers Wood, Morden , Mitcham , and Carshalton along
1088-646: Is the southern terminus for the West London Line that has services to Stratford via Shepherd's Bush , though some trains terminate at the West London Line's northern terminus at Willesden Junction . The western terminus for the East London Line also is at Clapham Junction that has services to Highbury & Islington via Denmark Hill . There is also a limited one train a day parliamentary train service that terminates at Battersea Park instead of Clapham Junction. London Underground services are provided on
1156-591: The A3205/Battersea Park Road , but the route leaves the Borough to the north over Chelsea Bridge . The route begins in Wandsworth Town and runs to Millbank , City of Westminster , passing Chelsea and the Tate Britain en route . Although CS8 leaves the Borough to the north, cycling infrastructure is provided along the entire A3205 route between Wandsworth Town and Nine Elms . This means that there
1224-511: The District line to East Putney and Southfields and on the Northern line to Battersea Power Station , Balham , Clapham South , Tooting Bec and Tooting Broadway . Wandsworth London Borough Council and Transport for London (TfL) maintain cycling infrastructure in the Borough. Cycle Superhighway 7 (CS7) is an unbroken, signposted cycle route running through the southeastern portion of
1292-643: The Greater London Authority has taken some responsibility for highways and planning control from the council, but within the English local government system the council remains a "most purpose" authority in terms of the available range of powers and functions. From 1992 to 2011, under the leadership of Conservative councillor Edward Lister , Wandsworth was an early adopter of Thatcherite policies of privatisation of street cleaning and refuse collection, and sale of council housing. Between 2007 and 2010 11% of
1360-563: The London Borough of Lambeth to the east, the London Borough of Merton and the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames to the south, the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames to the west, and to the north (across the River Thames ) three boroughs, namely the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham , the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the City of Westminster . The local authority
1428-626: The Metropolitan Borough of Battersea and the Wandsworth District became the Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth . The modern borough was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963 . It covered the former borough of Battersea and the majority of the former borough of Wandsworth, but excluding the Clapham and Streatham areas, which went to Lambeth . The borough includes the major Clapham Junction railway station , which despite
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#17330922662411496-602: The New Policy Institute found that Wandsworth has the lowest rate of unemployment of any London borough. It also has the 2nd lowest rate of local employees who are low-paid. Five bridges join Wandsworth to the three London Boroughs on the north side of the Thames (from downstream following the river up): There are also a number of bridges crossing the River Wandle which runs through the centre of Wandsworth town and divides
1564-772: The Parker Morris standards were the requirements saying that: Particularly in larger cities, councils built high-rise blocks from the 1960s to the 1980s to accommodate a high density of dwellings at relatively low cost. Notable schemes include Park Hill in Sheffield, Hulme Crescents in Manchester, Cottingley in Leeds, Churchill Gardens in London, and many examples in Glasgow . The Radburn housing layout that aimed to separate cars from housing
1632-512: The Rediffusion factory, as guests of their counterparts at Schiedam companies such as Wilton Personnel and Pieterman Glass. In 1970 a large delegation from Wandsworth visited Schiedam for celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of the town's liberation. Further sporting and cultural exchanges continued through to at least 1977. However, in 1997, an article in the Dutch local press observed that
1700-461: The Wandsworth District was created, governed by an elected board. It was one of the lower tier authorities within the area of the Metropolitan Board of Works , which was established to provide services across the metropolis of London. In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made the County of London . In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised into metropolitan boroughs , each with
1768-608: The working class and introduced the concept of "general needs" construction (i.e., that council housing should aim to fill the needs for a wide range of society). In particular, Aneurin Bevan , the Minister for Health and Housing , promoted a vision of new estates where "the working man, the doctor and the clergyman will live in close proximity to each other". From the late 1970s, the wider takeover of free market economics propagated by Margaret Thatcher's conservative government sought to reduce
1836-474: The "affordable" homes built in Wandsworth were for social rent – the lowest in the whole of London. Many ex-council homes became owned by private landlords. Since 2016 the council has shared a chief executive and other staff with neighbouring Richmond upon Thames Council . The local authority derives its powers and functions from the London Government Act 1963 and subsequent legislation, and has
1904-523: The 2001, 2011 and the 2021 censuses. Wandsworth has responsibility for three Metropolitan Open Spaces: These three large green spaces together with a range of smaller parks and playgrounds (such as Wandsworth Park ) are patrolled by Wandsworth Council's own parks police known from 1984 to 2012 as the Wandsworth Parks Police . From April 2012 the Parks Police team of 23 officers was replaced by
1972-531: The Addison Act, a house would be 1,000 square feet (93 m ) but after 1924 it would be 620 square feet (58 m ). This was a major period of council house construction. With the Housing Act of 1930 , otherwise known as the Greenwood Act, the government signalled a change of priority, slum clearance. Pre-regulation terraced housing was to be cleared and the residents rehoused in new council houses. There
2040-552: The Borough's largest educational sites until 2005 when the college, again moved, this time to a site in Roehampton , where it is now a constituent College of Roehampton University . The borough's schools include Emanuel School , Graveney School , Southfields Academy , Burntwood School , Ashcroft Technology Academy , Ernest Bevin Academy , Ark Bolingbroke Academy, Ark Putney Academy and Chestnut Grove Academy. The dominant religion of
2108-505: The Borough. The route runs along the A24 and A3 roads, through Tooting , Balham , and Clapham . Northbound the route links the Borough directly to the City of London via Kennington , Elephant and Castle , and Southwark . Southbound, the route runs unbroken to Colliers Wood . Cycle Superhighway 8 (CS8) is an unbroken, signposted cycle route running through the northern edge of Wandsworth, through Battersea . The route runs east–west along
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2176-463: The Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, which applies to tenancies entered into after 1961. In summary, section 11 provides that a landlord shall: If a landlord refuses to repair a rented property, the tenant can take action to require them to carry out necessary works and claim compensation. The Addison Act 1919 houses were usually three-bedroom houses with a living room and scullery , sometimes also with
2244-455: The Ministry of Works had to have a minimum floor space size of 635 square feet (59.0 m ), and the sections should be less than 7' 6" (2.3 m) wide. These "service units" had to include a combined back-to-back prefabricated kitchen that backed onto a prebuilt bathroom, so water pipes, waste pipes and electrical distribution were all in the same place, and hence easy to install. The house retained
2312-525: The Town Hall complex, which was completed in 1975. London Borough of Wandsworth Wandsworth ( / ˈ w ɒ n d z w ɜːr θ / ) is a London borough in South West London , England. It forms part of Inner London and has an estimated population of 329,677 inhabitants. Its main communities are Battersea , Balham , Putney , Tooting and Wandsworth Town . The borough borders
2380-623: The United Kingdom titled Homes for Today and Tomorrow . The report concluded that the quality of social housing needed to be improved to match the rise in living standards. Out of the report came the Parker Morris Standards . In 1963 these were set out in the Ministry of Housing's "Design Bulletin 6 – Space in the Home". They became mandatory for all council houses from 1967 until 1980. Among
2448-439: The borough in two. National Rail services are operated from London Waterloo by South Western Railway to Earlsfield , Putney , Queenstown Road (Battersea) , Wandsworth Town and the borough's largest station, Clapham Junction . This last station is also served from London Victoria by Southern as are Balham , Battersea Park and Wandsworth Common . London Overground services mainly serve Clapham Junction , which
2516-428: The borough is Christianity , although the area is also home to a number of other religious communities. The community is home to a number of Sikhs , Jews , Muslims , Buddhists and Hindus . According to the 2011 Census, approximately 35% of Wandsworth identified as being non-religious , or chose not to state their faith. The following shows the religious identity of residents residing in Wandsworth according to
2584-551: The boroughs (including Wandsworth) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection . The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the London Boroughs, with some services provided through joint committees. Wandsworth became a local education authority in 1990 when the Inner London Education Authority was dissolved. Since 2000
2652-402: The composition of the council was: The next election is due in 2026. Since the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 58 councillors representing 22 wards , with each ward electing two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. The council is based at Wandsworth Town Hall on Wandsworth High Street . The first town hall on the site was completed in 1882 for
2720-416: The destruction of inadequate houses in the inner cities that had been built before the 1875 Act. This released land for housing and the need for smaller two bedroomed houses to replace the two-up two-down houses that had been demolished. Smaller three bedroom properties were also built. The Housing Act 1935 led to a continuation of this policy, but the war stopped all construction, and enemy action reduced
2788-514: The first generation of houses to feature electricity, running water, bathrooms, indoor toilets and front/rear gardens. However, until well into the 1930s, some were built with outdoor toilets. Some did not feature an actual bathroom; the bath could often be found in the kitchen with a design which allowed it to double as a work surface. The Chamberlain Act 1923 reduced the expected standards. The Wheatley Act 1924 attempted to restore some of them. Under
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2856-651: The first interventions in the Public Health Act 1875 ( 38 & 39 Vict. c. 55) to the Housing of the Working Classes Act 1900 , council houses could be general housing for the working class , general housing, part of slum clearance programmes or just homes provided for the most needy. They could be funded directly by local councils, through central government incentive or by revenue obtained when other houses were sold. Increasingly, they have been transferred through
2924-600: The house were built to the garden suburb philosophy: houses were all different. The estate received the royal seal of approval when, on Friday 24 March 1916, Queen Mary made an unannounced visit. A programme of council house building started after the First World War following on from the David Lloyd George 's government's Housing Act of 1919 . The 'Addison Act' brought in subsidies for council house building and aimed to provide 500,000 "homes fit for heroes" within
2992-511: The instrument of housing associations into the private sector. An early use of the new powers was in Bath , where 36 new houses named Lampard's Buildings were built in 1900 on the compulsory purchased site of a row of rat infested cottages. Woolwich Borough Council was responsible for the Well Hall Estate designed for workers at the munition factories at Woolwich Arsenal . The estate and
3060-505: The interiors of the large Gala Bingo Club, Tooting , the former Granada Theatre , St John's Hill, Clapham Junction by Theodore Komisarjevsky , and in terms of ornate mansions a cluster of five large stone and brick buildings mostly converted to diverse public uses in and around Queen Mary's Hospital, Roehampton at grade II* or above. In Old Battersea two fine masonry mansions survived The Blitz : Old Battersea House and Downshire House —both hold rare Grade II* status. The local authority
3128-529: The left is taken from the former Battersea coat of arms and the black dragon to the right was taken from the former Wandsworth arms and also refers to London, being similar to the City of London coat of arms. The Borough is informally twinned with the village of Villers-Plouich , in Northern France. This association dates back to World War I, following the role played by the Wandsworth Battalion in
3196-524: The liberation of Villers-Plouich in 1917, and again, following recapture, in 1918. Writing in the 'Wandsworth Borough News' in 1920, Robert H Harker, a Lieutenant in the Battalion, described the cemetery in the village as "an inseparable link between our great Borough and that village of Villers-Plouich, near the Somme" . For his courage and determination during the hostilities, Corporal Edward Foster , of Tooting,
3264-421: The metropolis comprised various parish vestries and district boards . One such district was the Wandsworth District , containing the six parishes of Battersea , Clapham , Putney , Streatham , Tooting Graveney and Wandsworth . In 1888 Battersea was removed from the district to be governed by its own vestry . In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised into metropolitan boroughs . The parish of Battersea became
3332-577: The name is in Battersea not Clapham. There are many new or refurbished buildings along the borough's prosperous riverside including the large Chelsea Bridge Wharf. The Peace Pagoda , one of many such international pagodas, is in Battersea Park, a sprawling rectangle often hosting circuses beside the Thames . The London Heliport , London's main and busiest heliport, is just beyond Battersea Park, and south of this
3400-459: The old Wandsworth District Board of Works. A red-brick extension to the east was added in 1927, now known as the civic suite. It was followed by a much larger stone-fronted building further again to the east, on the corner with Fairfield Street, which was completed in 1937. The 1882 building was badly damaged during the Blitz and was eventually demolished to make way for a large modern office extension to
3468-634: The old boroughs and their councils were abolished. The council's full legal name is "The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Wandsworth", but it styles itself Wandsworth Council. From 1965 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater London Council . The split of powers and functions meant that the Greater London Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance, flood prevention , and refuse disposal ; with
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#17330922662413536-618: The powers and functions of a London borough council. It sets council tax and as a billing authority also collects precepts for Greater London Authority functions and business rates. It sets planning policies which complement Greater London Authority and national policies, and decides on almost all planning applications accordingly. It is a local education authority and is also responsible for council housing , social services, libraries, waste collection and disposal, traffic, and most roads and environmental health. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2022. The first election
3604-506: The providers of most new public-sector housing. The characterisation of council houses as 'problem places' was key for leading this movement of transferring public housing stock to the private arena. By 2003, 36.5% of the social rented housing stock was held by housing associations. House design in the United Kingdom is defined by a series of Housing Acts, and public housing house design is defined by government-directed guidelines and central governments' relationship with local authorities. From
3672-503: The relationship with Wandsworth had lapsed. SW4 (part), SW8 (part), SW11 (all), SW12 (part), SW15 (part), SW16 (part), SW17 (part), SW18 (part), SW19 (part) Council house A council house , corporation house or council flat is a form of British public housing built by local authorities . A council estate is a building complex containing a number of council houses and other amenities like schools and shops. Construction took place mainly from 1919 to 1980s, as
3740-404: The role of the state and the housing sector was further opened for private investors and actors. Deregulation of the mortgage finance sector in the 1980s was particularly significant, with the 1988 Housing Act introducing private competition into the sector. The Housing Act 1988 marked the onset of various policies resulting in the residualisation of the public housing. Residualisation refers to
3808-526: The shrinking of the social housing stock, consisting mostly of deteriorated quality dwellings, and the growing concentration of disadvantaged minorities in such housing. As the residual housing sector is mostly concentrated in lower-income neighbourhoods, a ' neighbourhood effect ' manifests, reinforcing the idea of poverty as a problem of the place which has allowed market ideologies to advocate against decommodified housing provision. A landlord's obligations are set out in several pieces of legislation, including
3876-429: The state in the sector existed as providers of public housing aimed at a broad range of households. This changed starting from the 1970s, with social housing entering the mainstream. Social housing emphasizes the 'safety net' characteristic in that it is only for those whose needs are not met in the market. The transformation of the sector from a public housing as serving a wide range of households with different incomes to
3944-450: The usable housing stock. The Housing (Temporary Accommodation) Act 1944 led to the building of prefab bungalows with a design life of ten years. Innovative steel-framed properties were also tried in an attempt to speed up construction. A number survive well into the 21st century, a testament to the durability of a series of housing designs and construction methods only envisaged to last 10 years. The Burt Committee , formed in 1942 by
4012-483: The wartime government of Winston Churchill, proposed to address the need for an anticipated 200,000 shortfall in post-war housing stock, by building 500,000 prefabricated houses , with a planned life of up to 10 years within five years of the end of the Second World War . The eventual bill, under the post-war Labour government of Prime Minister Clement Attlee , agreed to deliver 300,000 units within 10 years, within
4080-664: The way. The Santander Cycles bike-sharing system operates in Putney , Wandsworth Town, and Battersea. In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were (of all residents aged 16–74): Whitelands College was founded Chelsea in 1842 by the Church of England , and heavily under the influence of John Ruskin . In 1930/1931 the college relocated to West Hill (Wandsworth Borough) and occupied an enormous purpose-built site, with buildings designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott . These buildings, now listed, were one of
4148-425: The west side of Clapham Common , which is managed by the London Borough of Lambeth . The armorial bearings retain many of the features of the arms of the former Metropolitan Borough of Battersea and Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth . The fess, or crossing, of the shield is chequered blue and gold representing the arms of William de Warren, created first Earl of Surrey by William Rufus . Each gold square bears
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#17330922662414216-406: Was a cut in funding and the housing density on the peripheral estates was increased leading to a poorer build quality. The former tenants of the inner city properties were displaced far from their workplaces unable to afford the higher rents (though reduced from the 1919 levels) or the cost of transport. Stable communities were broken up, and with it support networks. All prefab units approved by
4284-746: Was a revival in council housebuilding in the 2010s, with a focus on energy efficiency. Schemes such as Accordia in Cambridge and Goldsmith Street in Norwich have won awards. In London, space standards have been reintroduced via the London Plan , and councils including Southwark and Hounslow are building thousands of new council houses. Beginning in the 1970s with Thatcherism , the housing sector witnessed public expenditure cutbacks, along with cutbacks in other public sectors like health and education, yet more extreme than those. This retrenchment from public housing
4352-769: Was awarded both the Victoria Cross and the Médaille militaire . A green heritage plaque was unveiled at his former home at Tooting in 2017, and in 2018 a memorial in his name was established on the outskirts of Villers-Plouich. Following the end of the War the village was adopted by the then Metropolitan Borough of Wandsworth under the British 'League of Help' scheme, and funds were donated towards its reconstruction. A deputation from Wandsworth regularly visits to commemorate this connection, most recently in 2018. Wandsworth first established
4420-431: Was essentially reversed by the incoming Labour government of 1924. The Wheatley Act (1924) passed by the new Labour Government introduced higher subsidies for council housing and also allowed for a contribution to be made from the rates. The housing revenue account was always separated from the general account. This was a major period of council house construction. The Housing Act 1930 stimulated slum clearance, i.e.,
4488-435: Was held in 1964, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1965. Political control of the council since 1965 has been as follows: The role of Mayor of Wandsworth is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council . The leaders since 1965 have been: Following the 2022 election and by-elections up to May 2024,
4556-402: Was justified by a preference for a private housing market, or for commodification over public goods, and by the popularity of the critical description of council houses as a 'sink estate'. "Sink estates" were criticized as "cut off from society's mainstream" with "self-inflicted poverty stemming from...the dead weight of low expectations." In the immediate years of the post-war era, the role of
4624-478: Was used extensively in new towns. As a result, the houses are accessible to the front only by footpaths. This has created areas with poor surveillance, particularly over car parking at the rear, which have become the focus of crime. In Skelmersdale, tenants are calling for their Radburn style housing to be remodelled so that defensible space is created with parking close to their homes and a reduction in general use areas which give rise to anti-social behaviour. There
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