- The Nine Elms regeneration reaches an important milestone on Friday 14th October with the opening of Battersea Power Station to the public. The Power Station will contain over 100 shops, offices, and leisure venues, creating 2,500 jobs, and is part of Europe's largest regeneration project
- At a meeting of the Council’s Finance Committee on 29th September 2022, ruling Labour councillors announced they would boycott the opening
- The boycott has left Conservative councillors and residents worried about the future of the regeneration and the Council’s engagement with the area
- The Nine Elms regeneration is a key legacy of Wandsworth Council's 44 years of Conservative control
- The whole Nine Elms regeneration will deliver 25,000 permanent jobs, homes for 20,000 people and community infrastructure such as a new health centre and park. It has already delivered the Battersea Power Station tube station at no cost to the taxpayer.
- Apple’s new UK headquarters will be based in the Battersea Power Station, placing the iconic building at the centre of the UK tech scene.
Wandsworth Conservative councillors expressed disappointment and astonishment when the Labour-run council administration confirmed that Labour councillors would boycott the opening of Battersea Power Station on Friday 14th October.
The opening of the Power Station, which will form part of Wandsworth's newest town centre and create 2,500 jobs, is an important milestone in the wider Nine Elms regeneration.
Led by the previous Conservative administration on Wandsworth Council, the Nine Elms regeneration is the largest in Europe and has transformed a derelict former industrial site into London’s most exciting and newest town centre. The Nine Elms regeneration is creating 25,000 jobs and will deliver homes for 20,000 people.
The Power Station development within Nine Elms is spreading opportunity and investment across the borough by working with third sector organisations as far as Roehampton and Furzedown. London's newest tube station at the Battersea Power Station was funded entirely by contributions from developers. Over 2,000 people already live at the Power Station development.
Apple’s new UK headquarters will also be opening within the Power Station early next year, placing Nine Elms at the centre of the UK tech scene. It will be the tech giant’s largest office outside the United States and bring together employees currently based at eight different locations.
Much of the Battersea Power Station development is still to take place. Consisting of seven phases, the £9bn Battersea Power Station development is still to complete development of phases four to seven.
Wandsworth Council’s engagement with this project will be essential to ensure that a thriving community is built, and the area becomes a key part of Wandsworth’s economy.
However, under the newly elected Labour-run Wandsworth Council, administration councillors will boycott the opening of the Power Station on Friday 14th October. In answer to questions at the Council's Finance Committee as to why, the Chief Executive said that the Labour Party had longstanding concerns about the development.
Cllr Matthew Corner, Conservative councillor for Nine Elms, said:
“Jaws dropped across the Council chamber when the Chief Executive announced that the leadership of the new Council would boycott the official opening of the Battersea Power Station.
Nine Elms is an incredible community to represent and is becoming a key part of Wandsworth’s local economy. To see our area being given the cold shoulder by Wandsworth Council's Labour leadership is totally unacceptable.
Cllr Mark Justin, Conservative councillor for Nine Elms, said:
“This is a very worrying signal from the Labour Council. Nine Elms is a fantastic area to live and work, but there is still much of the regeneration to finish.
If the Council doesn’t engage with and value this community, the concern is that residents and businesses will continue to live and work amongst building sites much longer than they have to.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook said: “Apple has been part of the London community for more than 40 years, and we’re thrilled to soon bring some of our teams together in the historic Battersea Power Station.
Once a source of energy for much of London, the transformation this building has undergone honours London’s past and celebrates its future. We’re so glad to be a part of it.”
