Sainsbury's Nine Elms Redevelopment - Update

This weekend saw Sainsbury's host a consultation exhibition at their Nine Elms store on Wandsworth Road. The Oval Lib Dem Action Team also paid a visit the exhibition to have their say on the plans.

This as been one of the first opportunities to find out more details about the plans, which are still in a 'draft' stage.

Some of the key points were:

• The store will increase in size from the current 45,000 sq. ft. to 80,000 sq. ft. (split across a 60,000 sq. ft. main floor and 20,000 sq. ft. mezzanine.). This would make the store the biggest Sainsbury's in central London.
• The new store will face Wandsworth Road, with glass fronting along the road.
• A 15,000 sq. ft. temporary store will be provided during construction effort, located by the corner of Wandsworth Road and Pascal Street. A temporary car park will be provided, although this will be smaller than the current car park. Whilst the current car park is rarely full, it is still a concern that the small temporary car park could result in shoppers parking in nearby streets during the construction work.
• Two new thoroughfares would be created between Wandsworth Road and New Covent Garden Market, supporting the separately proposed development there of a consumer-oriented market facility.
• Three residential towers would also be built at the site, with a target of 750-800 1-3 bed homes.
• The height of the towers is 'undecided' but the maximum height being considered is 35 storeys.
• The plan is for the three towers to be in descending height, with the tallest located on Wandsworth Road by the railway line, the second tallest located by the railway line and New Covent Garden Market, and the shortest being by Pascal Street.
• The affordable housing provision is 'to be determined', although exhibition staff suggested that one option under consideration was to provide funding for improvement to existing homes elsewhere in the borough as an alternative to affordable housing provision on-site. We were told by exhibition staff that they expected that, as an example, staff working in the Sainsbury's store would be able to afford to live in the new accommodation.
• There are also plans for a gym, and other retail facilities.
• There will be provision for the proposed 'Nine Elms' tube station on the Northern Line extension to Battersea, which, if approved and funded, would be located in the corner of the site, by the junction of Pascal Street and Wandsworth Road. The site would be subject to the proposed TIF scheme, which would make developers contribute to the construction of the line. However - Sainsbury's have said that they would only be supportive of a station being built at the proposed Nine Elms site if they get planning permission for the wider redevelopment scheme.

The development will have a big impact on Wandsworth Road and we are keen to hear the opinions of local residents - do get in touch, either by the comments box, or at oval.news@gmail.com