11 December 2025
Summary: Clapham Park residents have taken part in research to shape the estate's regeneration project.
Clapham Park is in the middle of a major regeneration. Central to this is listening to our residents, and empowering them to guide the future of their neighbourhood.
Recently, six local people became community researchers, working with Social Life to gather the thoughts and experiences of those who call Clapham Park home. They spent time speaking with neighbours, listening to stories, and capturing what people value most, and what they want to see improved.
What stood out first was the strength of local pride in Clapham Park. Many residents spoke with warmth about the relationships that bind the neighbourhood together. A large majority said they feel they belong here, that people from all backgrounds get on well, and that Clapham Park is somewhere they would like to stay long term. One resident described having lived here all their life and “grown very fond of it,” capturing a feeling that came up often.
But residents were also open about the challenges. Some said the area lacks enough shops, leisure opportunities and places to spend time. Others talked about feeling isolated or less safe after dark. Their honest feedback is now at the centre of how MTVH and Vistry are shaping the regeneration plans.
In response, the project team is prioritising improvements that reflect the community’s voice. A new hub on Kings Avenue will bring shops, leisure uses and a community centre to the heart of Clapham Park. Plans include better lighting, upgraded paths and safer crossings, along with traffic-calming measures that will make walking around feel more comfortable. Work is also underway to improve cleanliness and develop new and enhanced green spaces, including a 300-metre linear park with areas for play and sport.
For MTVH Chief Executive Mel Barrett, the research demonstrates why listening to residents is essential to good regeneration. He describes this approach as a blueprint for how place-based change should work: grounded in people’s experiences and shaped with them, not just for them.
Progress across the estate continues to build momentum. More than 1,500 new homes have already been delivered, with nearly three-quarters of them affordable. Phase 2 of the latest works, which will provide 520 homes, is partially complete and due to finish in early 2026. Phase 3, which includes 323 homes and 250 affordable homes, will begin handing over properties in the first half of the same year. Throughout the process, the Clapham Park Residents Committee meets regularly to ensure residents’ perspectives remain central to each stage of development.
Clapham Park is changing, and it’s the stories, ideas and ambitions of the people who live there that are shaping that change.
Below: Part of the newly regenerated Clapham Park estate
Below: Clapham Park residents enjoy activities at their ‘Our Local Social’ club, held weekly at the Clapham Park Cube community centre.
