Look to Battersea to see London’s potential

MY FIRST sight of Battersea Power Station was on the cover of Pink Floyd’s 1977 album Animals. By the time I visited in 1989, it was closed and already starting its downward spiral into the monument of post-industrial decline that it would become.

Since then, various projects have proposed to breathe in new life. But, until now, none have fulfilled their promise and the area has remained blighted by the decaying hulk in its midst. So near to central London, but without the infrastructure to make it soar.

That all changed yesterday, as the first trains on the Northern line extension glided into new stations at Nine Elms and Battersea, bringing the area within 15 minutes of the West End and the City.

Major construction began in 2015. Some 850,000 tonnes of waste material would be excavated, with most carried along the Thames to Essex to be used for arable farmland. Despite the pandemic, the project stayed on track. And to the sound of the local choir belting out The Jam’s Going Underground, the first trains departed yesterday.

The regeneration of the area — now on the way to becoming one of the most exciting in London — would simply not have been possible without the new Tube link. Everywhere you look there are new homes, new businesses, new opportunities for the local community. All in all, the extension is supporting around 25,000 new jobs and more than 20,000 new homes, boosting the UK economy.

This could not have come at a more vital moment, as London’s recovery from the pandemic gathers pace. The buzz being created will help draw more and more curious Londoners out to again enjoy all London has to offer. It shows that investment in transport doesn’t just get you better transport but also jobs, skills, homes and lasting improvements.

As the Government considers its spending for the next three years, it need look for clues no further than Battersea. Over the coming months, myself and the Mayor will be making the case to government that we must work together to ensure the transport network can continue to play its vital role in London, and London its vital role in the country.

⬤ Andy Byford is the transport commissioner for London