Author Archives: David

The Council is hosting a public meeting, following huge controversy on their ‘stealth’ plans for a new hostel

A few weeks ago we found out about some rather vague plans for a new hostel for rough sleepers opposite Battersea Arts centre, which we noticed on a chance dig deep in the Wandsworth planning database. These were a bit … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Planning, Politics, Street by street | 5 Comments

The first part of Clapham Junction’s redeveloped Arding & Hobbs opens for business

It’s been more than two years in the making, but the first part of the redeveloped Arding & Hobbs building has opened to the public. Botanica Hall, part of the small Albion & East group of pub / restaurants, has … Continue reading

Posted in Arding & Hobbs, Business, Food & drink, Retail | 1 Comment

pHresh Juice, a new juice & coffee bar on Lavender Hill

There’s been building work underway for the last few weeks at 103a Lavender Hill – and late last week the doors were thrown open to Lavender Hill’s latest arrival, pHresh Juice. It’s an independent family business, whose flagship product is … Continue reading

Posted in Food & drink, Retail, Useful to know | 3 Comments

Calling parents: Open mornings at the Belleville Wix Academy

We’re blessed with a very popular and successful local school – which is also quite an unusual one, almost unique in London. There are three classes in each year group, one of which – the Belleville Wix Academy – is … Continue reading

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A sneak preview of the impressive new gym coming to Arding & Hobbs at Clapham Junction

We’ve written many articles about the ambitions refurbishment underway at Clapham Junction’s landmark Arding & Hobbs building, as it goes from a historic department store (which was Debenhams for its final years) to a fully refurbished and much-extended mixture of … Continue reading

Posted in Arding & Hobbs, Business, Retail | 6 Comments

A new cafe, Pique, has opened on Lavender Hill

The former El Patio restaurant at 171 Lavender Hill is being refitted, to open as a new cafe & restaurant called Pique – if all goes well should be up and running in early December. The Pique Café will be … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Food & drink, Retail | 3 Comments

Lavender Hill Retail Roundup – October 2023

Lots of comings and goings since our last update on Lavender Hill traders at the end of 2022 – and this is a review of who has left and who has arrived, roughly running from the east to the west … Continue reading

Posted in Business, Retail | 4 Comments

A house on Garfield Road may be converted to a 14-person HMO

Plans have been submitted to convert 40 Garfield Road – a terrace house about half way along the street, just to the right of the white one pictured above – to an 8-bedroom, 14-person House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) spread … Continue reading

Posted in Planning, Street by street | Leave a comment

A new rough sleepers hostel opposite Battersea Arts Centre?

Plans have emerged to convert a small office building on Lavender Hill to a new hub for rough sleepers. 201-203 Lavender Hill, pictured above, would become the Borough’s new ‘rough sleeper assessment hub’. Part of the proposal is a traditional … Continue reading

Posted in Planning, Politics, Useful to know | 11 Comments

A spruce-up for the Gideon Road Estate’s neglected garden area

A rather loud day for residents of the Gideon Road estate, as works begin to on a project to improve the estate’s gardens and landscaping. The first stage is the most disruptive, as the large concrete foundations between the blocks … Continue reading

Posted in Environment, Housing, Street by street | 2 Comments