Nine Elms

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Nine Elms
New Embassy of the United States of America in Battersea Nine Elms, London, seen from Pimlico.jpg
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Nine Elms
Location within Greater London
London borough
Ceremonial county Greater London
Region
Country England
Sovereign state United Kingdom
Post town LONDON
Postcode district SW8, SW11
Dialling code 020
Police Metropolitan
Fire London
Ambulance London
UK Parliament
London Assembly
List of places
UK
England
London
51°29′N0°08′W / 51.48°N 0.14°W / 51.48; -0.14

Nine Elms is an area of south-west London, England, within the London Borough of Wandsworth. It lies on the River Thames, with Battersea to the west, South Lambeth to the south and Vauxhall to the east. Across the Thames is Pimlico.

Contents

The area was formerly mainly industrial but is becoming more residential and commercial in character. It is dominated by Battersea Power Station, various railway lines and New Covent Garden Market. The Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is also in the area.

Nine Elms has residential developments along the riverside, including Chelsea Bridge Wharf and Embassy Gardens, and also three large council estates: Carey Gardens, the Patmore Estate and the Savona.

History

A map showing the Nine Elms ward of Battersea Metropolitan Borough as it appeared in 1916. Battersea Met. B Ward Map 1916.svg
A map showing the Nine Elms ward of Battersea Metropolitan Borough as it appeared in 1916.

Nine Elms Lane was named around the year 1645, from a row of elm trees bordering the road, though a path probably existed between York House and Vauxhall from the 1200s. In 1838, at the time of construction of the London and Southampton Railway, the area was described as "a low swampy district occasionally overflowed by the River Thames [whose] osier beds, pollards and windmille and the river give it a Dutch effect". [1]

Nine Elms railway station opened on 21 May 1838 as the first London terminus of the London & South Western Railway, (LSWR) which that day changed its name from the London & Southampton Railway. The neo-classical building was designed by William Tite. The station was connected to points between Vauxhall and London Bridge by Thames steam boats. It closed in 1848 when the railway was extended via the Nine Elms to Waterloo Viaduct to a new terminus at Waterloo (then called Waterloo Bridge). The redundant station and the adjacent area, to the north of the new main line, became the LSWR's carriage and wagon works and main locomotive works until their relocation to Eastleigh in 1909. [2] The company's largest locomotive depot was located on the south side of the main line. The buildings were damaged by bombs in World War II, and closed in 1967. They were demolished in 1968 and replaced by the flower section of the New Covent Garden Market. [3] [4]

Gasworks were established in 1853, close to the existing waterworks of the Southwark and Vauxhall Waterworks Company. Later Battersea Power Station was built on the site.

Vauxhall Motors was formed in 1857 by Scottish engineer Alexander Wilson at Nine Elms, originally as Alex Wilson and Company, before moving to Luton in 1907. There was a plaque commemorating the site of the original factory at the Sainsbury's Nine Elms petrol station on Wandsworth Road which has now been demolished and replaced with a new Sainsbury's superstore and high rise apartments as part of the current Nine Elms regeneration.

Since the 2010s, the area has been redeveloped with new residential and commercial developments – including the new United States Embassy. In 2021, an extension of the Northern line at Battersea Power Station serves the area at a Tube station at Nine Elms.

Local politics

Previously a part of Queenstown Ward, in 2022 Nine Elms ward was created, represented on Wandsworth Council by two councillors. The next local election is scheduled to take place in May 2026.

Nine Elms Ward 2022 [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Conservative Matthew Corner (Elected)352 39.9
Conservative Mark Justin (Elected)328 37.2
Labour Alexander Christian26129.6
Labour Maha Younes25028.3
Liberal Democrats Mark Gitsham23927.1
Liberal Democrats Sue Wixley21224.0
Green Joanna Zeenny414.6
Green Andrew Macmillan343.9
Turnout 882

The Labour Member of Parliament for Battersea is Marsha de Cordova. She represented Larkhall ward, adjacent to Nine Elms, on Lambeth Council from 2014 to 2018. [6]

Future

Real Estate Opportunities were granted permission to redevelop the power station in November 2010. Battersea Power Station, Nine Elms, London.jpg
Real Estate Opportunities were granted permission to redevelop the power station in November 2010.

In October 2008, the United States Embassy in London announced that it would relocate to the area, moving from Grosvenor Square, Mayfair; [7] [8] the new embassy was completed in December 2017, and began operating in January 2018. [9]

On 16 February 2012, Wandsworth Council approved Ballymore Group's plans for a 15-acre development. Embassy Gardens is set to provide "up to 1,982 new homes alongside shops, cafes, bars, restaurants, business space, a 100 bed hotel, a health centre, children's playgrounds and sports pitches". [10] In 2014, it was reported that Ballymore had engaged Lazard and CBRE Group to raise about €2.5bn to fund the Embassy Gardens development. [11]

Houseboat in Nine Elms Houseboat, Nine Elms - geograph.org.uk - 617367.jpg
Houseboat in Nine Elms

Regeneration of the area around Battersea Power Station started in 2013, with the power station structure secured by 2016. [12] [13] The Power Station building opened in October 2022, it containing shopping and leisure facilities, office space and housing. [14] To service the area, Nine Elms tube station, on the London Underground opened in September 2021, after a Northern line extension from Kennington. [15]

In 2015, Wandsworth council chose a design by Bystrup for a £40m pedestrian bridge between Nine Elms and Pimlico, [16] [17] [18] although as of 2021 there are no firm plans to construct this.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battersea</span> District in London, England

Battersea is a large district in southwest London, part of the London Borough of Wandsworth, England. It is centred 3.5 miles (5.6 km) southwest of Charing Cross it also extends along the south bank of the Thames Tideway. It includes the 200-acre (0.81 km2) Battersea Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vauxhall</span> District of London

Vauxhall is a district in South West London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. Vauxhall was part of Surrey until 1889 when the County of London was created. Named after a medieval manor, "Fox Hall", it became well known for the Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Wandsworth</span> London borough in United Kingdom

Wandsworth is a London borough in South West London; it forms part of Inner London and has an estimated population of 329,677 inhabitants. Its main named areas are Battersea, Balham, Putney, Tooting and Wandsworth Town.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Borough of Lambeth</span> London borough in United Kingdom

Lambeth is a London borough in South London, England, which forms part of Inner London. Its name was recorded in 1062 as Lambehitha and in 1255 as Lambeth. The geographical centre of London is at Frazier Street near Lambeth North tube station, though nearby Charing Cross on the other side of the Thames in the City of Westminster is traditionally considered the centre of London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clapham Junction railway station</span> Major railway station in London, England

Clapham Junction railway station is a major railway station and transport hub near St John's Hill in southwest Battersea in the London Borough of Wandsworth. It is 2 miles 57 chains from London Victoria and 3 miles 74 chains from London Waterloo; it is on both the South West Main Line and Brighton Main Line as well as numerous other routes and branch lines passing through or diverging from the main lines at this station. Despite its name, Clapham Junction is not located in Clapham, a district situated approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) to the southeast and is instead sited in Battersea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lambeth</span> Human settlement in England

Lambeth is a district in South London, England, in the London Borough of Lambeth. Lambeth was an ancient parish in the county of Surrey. It is situated 1 mile (1.6 km) south of Charing Cross. The population of the London Borough of Lambeth was 303,086 in 2011. The area experienced some slight growth in the medieval period as part of the manor of Lambeth Palace. By the Victorian era the area had seen significant development as London expanded, with dense industrial, commercial and residential buildings located adjacent to one another. The changes brought by World War II altered much of the fabric of Lambeth. Subsequent development in the late 20th and early 21st centuries has seen an increase in the number of high-rise buildings. The area is home to the International Maritime Organization. Lambeth is home to one of the largest Portuguese-speaking communities in the UK, and Portuguese is the second most commonly spoken language in Lambeth after English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vauxhall Bridge</span> Arch bridge in central London

Vauxhall Bridge is a Grade II* listed steel and granite deck arch bridge in central London. It crosses the River Thames in a southeast–northwest direction between Vauxhall on the south bank and Pimlico on the north bank. Opened in 1906, it replaced an earlier bridge, originally known as Regent Bridge but later renamed Vauxhall Bridge, built between 1809 and 1816 as part of a scheme for redeveloping the south bank of the Thames. The bridge was built at a location in the river previously served by a ferry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vauxhall station</span> London Underground and railway station

Vauxhall is a National Rail, London Underground and London Buses interchange station in central London. It is at the Vauxhall Cross road junction opposite the southern approach to Vauxhall Bridge over the River Thames in the district of Vauxhall. The mainline station is run by the South Western Railway and is the first stop on the South West Main Line from London Waterloo towards Clapham Junction and the south-west. The Underground station is on the Victoria line and the station is close to St George Wharf Pier for river services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A3036 road</span> Road in southwest London

The A3036 is an A road in London, England, running from Waterloo to Wandsworth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nine Elms Locomotive Works</span>

Nine Elms Locomotive Works were built in 1839 by the London and South Western Railway (LSWR) adjoining their passenger terminus near the Vauxhall end of Nine Elms Lane, in the district of Nine Elms in the London Borough of Battersea. They were rebuilt in 1841 and remained the principal locomotive carriage and wagon workshops of the railway until closure in stages between 1891 and 1909. Thereafter a large steam motive power depot remained open on the site until 1967, serving Waterloo railway station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lambeth Marsh</span>

Lambeth Marsh is one of the oldest settlements on the South Bank of London, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nine Elms railway station</span> Former railway station in London, England

Nine Elms railway station in the London district of Battersea was opened on 21 May 1838 as the London terminus of the London and Southampton Railway which on the same day became the London and South Western Railway. The building in the neoclassical style was designed by Sir William Tite. The station was inconveniently situated for travel to central London, with the necessity to complete the journey by road or by the steam boats connecting the station to points between Vauxhall and London Bridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern line extension to Battersea</span> London Underground construction project

The Northern line extension to Battersea is an extension of the London Underground from Kennington to Battersea in South West London, terminating at the redeveloped Battersea Power Station. The extension formed a continuation of the Northern line's Charing Cross branch and was built beginning in 2015; it opened in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nine Elms tube station</span> London Underground station

Nine Elms is a London Underground station in Nine Elms, London. The station opened on 20 September 2021, as part of the Northern line extension to Battersea. It serves the rapidly growing area, New Covent Garden Market and the Embassy of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LSWR suburban lines</span>

This article deals with the development of the London suburban railway lines of the London and South Western Railway (LSWR). For the wider view of the LSWR in general, see London and South Western Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy Gardens</span>

Embassy Gardens is a residential and business development built by Ballymore Group in the Nine Elms regeneration zone in London, England, surrounding the United States Embassy building opened in 2017. It features the transparent Sky Pool for swimming, which is suspended 115 feet in the air between the development's prominent buildings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sky Gardens Nine Elms</span> Residential in London, England

Sky Gardens Nine Elms is a residential and retail tower in Nine Elms, within the borough of Lambeth, London. The scheme has been designed by architects Careyjones Chapmantolcher (CJCT) and developed by Fraser Property Development UK. Its construction was part of a wider regeneration of the Nine Elms area of London. The building is 120 metres (390 ft) in height.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nine Elms to Waterloo Viaduct</span> Railway viaduct in south London, England

The Nine Elms to Waterloo Viaduct is a large Victorian railway viaduct in south London. The viaduct is 2 miles (3.2 km) in length and carries the South West Main Line into Waterloo station. Initially constructed in 1848, the viaduct begins in eastern Battersea in Nine Elms and with an intermediate station at Vauxhall incorporated within the viaduct, the viaduct terminates at Waterloo. The viaduct comprises six iron girder bridges, with a combined weight of 800 long tons, and over 290 arches. The brick sections of the viaduct are composed of some 80,000,000 bricks. The viaduct is managed by Network Rail, who in turn lease many of the arches for commercial, retail and industrial use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Windsor lines of the London and South Western Railway</span> Railways in south-west London, England

The Windsor lines of the London and South Western Railway ran from Waterloo to Windsor via Richmond, with a loop via Hounslow. They started as the Richmond Railway, a simple independent branch line, but they developed a distinct identity and had their own approach to Waterloo alongside the Main Lines, and a distinct section of Waterloo station. The Richmond Railway was extended to Windsor by the Windsor, Staines and South Western Railway; the company built a loop line via Hounslow in addition. Both independent companies were absorbed into the LSWR.

References

  1. Nock, O. S. (1965). The London & South Western Railway. London: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN   978-0711002678.
  2. Mitchell, Vic; Smith, Keith (1988). Waterloo to Windsor. Middleton Press. p. 18. ISBN   0-906520-54-1.
  3. BR sells Nine Elms site for new London market Railway Gazette 6 June 1969 page 407
  4. Nine Elms Station, image and information at Science and Society accessed 7 March 2007
  5. "Election results for Nine Elms, 5 May 2022". Wandsworth Council. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  6. "Election results for Larkhall". Lambeth Council. 22 May 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  7. "U.S. Takes First Steps Toward Embassy Relocation". Embassy of the U.S. London. 2 October 2008. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
  8. Lawless, Jill (2 October 2008). "US to build new embassy in suburban London". USA Today .
  9. "Location of the US Embassy London". usembassy.gov. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  10. "Embassy Gardens plans approved". wandsworth.gov.uk. 17 February 2012.
  11. Webb, Nick (24 May 2014). "Mulryan is close to wiping slate clean". independent.ie. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  12. Booth, Robert (20 June 2008). "Latest plans for Battersea power station revealed". The Guardian . Retrieved 11 March 2009.
  13. Whitten, Nick (24 March 2009). "Battersea Power Station regeneration to go to planning" . Retrieved 24 March 2009.
  14. "Battersea Power Station opens after decades of decay". BBC News. 14 October 2022. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  15. "TfL applies for Northern line extension legal powers". Railway Gazette International . 30 April 2013.
  16. Wainwright, Oliver (25 November 2015). "Public fury as new bridge across the Thames announced at Nine Elms". The Guardian.
  17. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. "Vauxhall Nine Elms Battersea Opportunity Area Planning Framework Consultation Draft November 2009" (PDF). Greater London Authority. November 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 August 2012. Retrieved 29 September 2015.