Wandsworth 2018 - Planning for tomorrow - today
We're committed to improving the quality of life in the borough - and we need your input.
The council, the health service, the police and other private, public and voluntary sector partners are working together as the Wandsworth Local Strategic Partnership (WLSP).
As well as delivering high quality services now, the WLSP needs to plan for the future to safeguard the good things in Wandsworth and prepare for the challenges the next ten years may bring.
The WLSP is now developing a Sustainable Community Strategy for Wandsworth - this is the ten-year plan that will guide the activities of all the partners in the borough.
To be successful the strategy has to reflect the views of residents and stakeholders. This is your chance to tell the WLSP what you think it should be doing to keep Wandsworth a great place to live and work now and in the future.
Wandsworth 10 years from now
No one can predict the future but there are some things we can be certain about:
- Wandsworth is likely to see a growth in its population. Projections indicate that by 2016 there will be 133,381 households - up from 124,931 today. This will bring demands for more housing and further pressure on our local public transport system.
- Climate change is already a global and local concern. Reducing our carbon footprint now is vital but we also need to plan for the possible impact of flooding or water shortages.
- Overall Wandsworth is a healthy borough but it still has higher than average levels of smoking, obesity and heart disease. Binge drinking too is a problem. These health challenges need action now but they will also need long-term action. The health affects of an unhealthy lifestyle may not become obvious straight away.
What does the WLSP want to do?
The WLSP already has in place some long term plans for the borough. For example,
- Supporting the building of new private and public housing and making the best use of what we have already.
- Working for a transport system that is safe and efficient and has proper respect for the environment. In the long term this means integrating, improving and expanding the local public transport system.
- Making sure our parks and open spaces are protected and improved. Residents have told us these are some of the best things about the borough.
- Supporting our five town centres - Balham, Clapham Junction, Putney, Tooting and Wandsworth – as the focus for local shopping and leisure.
- Keeping the community spirit that exists in the borough and encouraging active citizenship by promoting volunteering opportunities.
- Giving young children the best start in life through a comprehensive approach to early years health, development and fun.
Your views count
To find out more about the challenges facing the borough over the next ten years and how the WLSP plans to tackle them visit: www.wandsworth.gov.uk/2018. Let us know if there are any issues you think we've missed and give us ideas for tackling them.
You can request a hard copy of the details and a short questionnaire from Fran Haldin on (020) 8871 6254. We'll report back in the summer on the results.