Construction on this £600 million project began initially in 2014, and as we near the final stages of the construction, I look at the positives and negatives.
The build is a huge project and it is being backed by the Chinese company Greenland holdings group. Beer has been brewed at the location since the Victorian era, and the project seeks to reinvigorate the abandoned brewery, with modern flats and stylish open spaces replacing the industrial buildings of the brewery. There will remain a microbrewery on site, in an attempt by the developers to uphold the tradition of the area. The Ram Quarter will look to attract young couples and families to Wandsworth, and this is expected to bring more business to the shops, restaurants and cinemas of the Southside shopping centre, a stone’s throw from the site.
On the other hand, there have been some serious concerns raised around the build. The area is already very congested, and there have been worries surrounding the issues that a large influx of people into Wandsworth will do. With smaller but not insignificant developments occurring in neighbouring areas such as Putney, congestion could become an issue for a much wider area. Another issue is the fact that there is another fairly sizeable development, upon which development has only just finished, around 200m away, offering the same product: upmarket flats for young families. Some have questioned the need for two very similar developments in such close proximity.
Despite the clear potential of this project, there are a number of clear drawbacks. One thing that’s not up for debate is that it is a very ambitious project. Only time will tell whether it will be a success or not.
