Labour run Wandsworth council has refused to secure the new 32-acre Springfield Park for future generations for one pound.
The new park is the one significant benefit to residents, who have already endured years of construction work and traffic. Not only do they gain access to valuable open space, with over 700 new trees being planted, but the next phases could also include sports pitches for local clubs and teams.
During the planning process, Wandsworth Council (then run by the Conservatives) negotiated a clause that would allow the Council to buy Springfield Park for £1, securing it for future generations.
Locals hoped to have a park that they would hand to future generations. Instead, when the option to buy the park was raised, the now Labour run council sat on the decision for nearly a year, before rejecting the offer.
It is unclear what will happen when the developer’s funding pot for maintenance runs out in around five years.
Wandsworth changed control at the local elections in 2022, with Labour now running the council for the first time in 44 years. Last month, a committee meeting saw Conservative councillors arguing for the park to remain Council owned, whilst Labour councillors voted to leave Springfield Park in the hands of a private developer.
The council’s argument is that it can’t afford future maintenance costs of around £180,000 a year. This figure was calculated from the costs at its other parks, so isn’t unusual. However, as the meeting heard, if necessary, several million could be reallocated from other, unspent developer contributions related to the Springfield site.
The new Labour administration has also announced millions of additional spending since taking office, including more than £250,000 a year on extra staff for the leader of the council.
Parks and green spaces do not appear to have the same priority.
This leaves Springfield Park in some jeopardy. A new board that has yet to be agreed will need to determine the basis on which the park is run, and the standards adopted.
After five years, running costs would probably default onto the service charges of people in the new homes, including those moving into affordable housing.
Wandsworth’s report says this decision “would be entirely a matter for the applicant and not for the Council, it would be outside of the Council’s control”.
Peter Graham, a Conservative councillor for the area is doubtful about that arrangement:
“There’s no guarantee that people living on the site will continue paying for the park that’s opened. Why would they? The constant pressure will be to reduce the offer and, ultimately, to limit public access.
“For just a pound, we can secure a public park, run for the public’s benefit. That’s what we negotiated. Instead, Labour councillors are putting their faith in a developer because they would rather spend money on extra staff for their leader.
“If enough people protest, they could still U-turn, but time is running out.”
