New cafe for Clapham Common – from the shell of an old toilet block

By Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter

A dilapidated former toilet block will be converted into a new café with outdoor seating on Clapham Common.

The scheme aims to provide better facilities and improve the appearance of Clapham Common, which is one of London’s biggest public parks.

The scheme from Lambeth council includes repairs to the former 20th century toilet block, next to the changing rooms on the common, to bring it back into public use. It has not been used for more than 20 years.

Overgrown plants surrounding the building will also be removed, while a surrounding fence will be repaired and outdoor seating added.

The new café will have two toilets, including an accessible toilet, for staff and visitors. Wandsworth council’s planning committee approved the plans on Thursday of last week.

A report submitted with the application said: “The conversion of the building into a café would improve the experience and facilities of those using the playing fields and the wider common and conservation area.

“The provision of indoor and outdoor seating would enable these facilities to be used throughout the year.

“The building is in a dilapidated condition that currently attracts antisocial behaviour and squatting.

“The works to bring the disused building into public use would restore the functional and structural integrity of the existing building so that it no longer posits a risk to the general public and discourages trespassing.”

The café will be run by a private tenant under a lease agreement with Lambeth council. Exact opening times will be agreed at a later date, but proposed opening hours of the new café and toilets are currently 8am to 8pm on Mondays to Fridays, and 8am to 9pm on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays.

Pictured top: The former toilet block on Clapham Common. (Picture: Dannatt Johnson Architects/Lambeth council)