The weekend pedestrianisation of Northcote Road in Battersea will return this summer, three years after its controversial cancellation.
Wandsworth Council’s new Conservative leadership has announced the reintroduction of the initiative which allows restaurants and cafés to provide al fresco drinking and dining in the street, close to Clapham Junction Station. The scheme will run from 11 July to 30 August.
First implemented in summer 2020 to bolster businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic, the pedestrianisation continued through 2021 and 2022. However, the council’s former Labour administration scrapped the scheme in 2023, after taking control of the authority from the Conservatives for the first time in 44 years the previous year.
The decision faced strong opposition from Conservative councillors, who launched a petition that garnered 5,109 signatures in an attempt to save it.
The Labour administration said at the time it did not view continuing the scheme as “the best use of council resources”- at an annual cost of £2.5million to the authority – during the cost-of-living crisis.
But Labour lost control of the authority in the local elections on May 7 and it is now led by a Conservative minority, who fell one seat short of the 30 needed to win a majority.
The Conservatives said the scheme would once again transform the area into a “vibrant summer destination” for meeting friends, enjoying al fresco dining and discovering local shops.
Conservative councillor Tom Pridham, Cabinet Member for Opportunity, said: “Northcote Road is the vibrant heart of the community – a welcoming, family-friendly hub of independent businesses and a place where people come together to relax, connect, and spend time together.
“We are delighted to bring back the weekend pedestrianisation over the summer, supporting local businesses while once again transforming Northcote Road into a destination for both residents and visitors.”
The popular high street will close to traffic every Saturday and Sunday from July 11, in time for the Northcote Road Summer Festival the following day, to August 30. The road closure will last from 6am to 10pm.
Transport for London (TfL) will redirect affected bus routes while the road is closed, including the 319 and 219, with details available on its website.