by Niall McVeigh

2009 was a mixed year for a lot of areas in South London, and certainly for my neighbourhood, Tooting Broadway. The impact of the recession saw a number of stores close, most notably the long-established Marks & Spencer and Woolworths, Tube travellers were faced with early station closures for much of the summer, whilst property prices failed to drop as anticipated, making it tough for Tooting’s residents to stay permanently.

On the plus side, Tooting town centre has continued to attract shoppers, whilst the council’s Tooting 2Gether scheme has enjoyed some success. The area around the tube station has improved, and the arrival of new big-name high-street stores was a surprise, given the anticipated decline of Tooting as a shopping area. Also the area now hosts a number of modern, successful pubs and restaurants, and continues to hold a number of popular arts and community events. The question is, what does 2010 have in store for Tooting and its residents?

NEW DEVELOPMENTS

Following the success of London & Quadrant’s new housing development at Amen Corner, this year will see the completion of Wimpey’s St. George’s Quarter, adjacent to the hospital of the same name. It promises to increase the number of new and affordable homes in Tooting. If the economy allows, expect to see new stores appearing in the area; Sainsbury’s and the Co-op are setting up shop around Amen Corner, whilst St. George’s Quarter itself will include a number of retail units.

BOOK AHEAD

The library on Mitcham Road, due to open at the end of 2009, is now scheduled to open its doors in February. An under-used community facility previously, the much-anticipated renovation should help to make it a focal point of the community in 2010.

NORMAL SERVICE YET TO RESUME

As anyone who has passed through Tooting Broadway station will tell you, there is clearly still some renovation work to be done; expect further disruption this year, along with evening closures further up the Northern line as TfL aim to bring South London’s stations up to standard. We may also see further developments on the proposed Northern Line extension to Nine Elms, a move which could ultimately affect Tube services in South London as a whole.

GROWTH OF THE CURRY MILE

If there’s one thing Tooting does better than anywhere else south of the river, it’s Indian cuisine. Tooting has always had a fierce local reputation as the place to come for a curry, and now the area’s stock appears to be rising across the capital. Successful new additions such as Al-Mirage, sitting alongside established local favourites like the all-vegetarian Kastoori mean that Tooting cannot be far behind the likes of Brick Lane. With good transport links and a variety of cuisine from Kashmir to Kerala, it’s only a matter of time before Tooting’s own ‘curry mile’ is more widely known.

BORDER TOWN

The area known as Tooting Borders, a pocket of activity between Tooting and Mitcham town centres, could be in line for a popularity boost in the New Year. Consistently lower house prices on the Mitcham side of the tracks, plus a small but popular parade of stores heading into Tooting, mean that the area continues to appeal to first-time buyers. Tooting mainline station sits in the centre of this area, connected to a criminally underused line that runs directly into Central London and beyond. The much promised increase in rail services to the station, mooted to begin in 2010, would make the overlooked border area a commuter hot spot overnight.

GOING TO THE POLLS

This year, Tooting will also be electing their MP. The constituency, which comprises Tooting, Earlsfield and Balham, has voted Labour in every election since its creation in 1974. The present incumbent Sadiq Khan is a promising politician who is moving swiftly up the Westminster ladder. While the election will be much closer to call nationwide, it’s hard to bet against the popular Khan being reinstated by his constituents.