The South London Partnership subregion is a vibrant, diverse, and thriving place to live, work, and visit. Across our boroughs of Croydon, Kingston upon Thames, Merton, Richmond upon Thames, and Sutton, we’re proud of our strong, deep-rooted communities and the unique character of our towns, villages, and neighbourhoods.
People choose South London for its outstanding quality of life – great schools, abundant green spaces, rich arts and culture, thriving leisure scenes, and a strong sense of place. Add
excellent housing, heritage, easy access to Central London and the close proximity of the UK’s two main airports, it’s easy to see why our boroughs and sub region continue to grow.
We’re now set to deliver bold, polycentric growth aligned with the new London Growth Plan. South London is already a hub for creative and digital industries, sustainable construction, deep-tech science, and health and life sciences, powered by world-class institutions like the London Cancer Hub in Sutton, Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, and the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington.
Our natural and cultural assets are second to none – from iconic parks and gardens to global sporting and cultural destinations. Think Twickenham Stadium, Wimbledon Championships, Crystal Palace FC, Hampton Court Palace, and Chessington World of Adventures Resort – all world-famous, all right here in South London. But we’re not standing still. To drive the growth London and the UK need over the next decade, we must accelerate innovation, support and develop future-ready talent, and connect our communities to opportunity.
That’s why we’re committed to working in partnership to deliver on three core investment and growth ambitions:
Investing in Place – to become a leading ‘go-to and stay’ place for inclusive, sustainable innovation
Investing in place-based innovation could transform South London’s contribution to London’s economy and generate billions in additional GVA for the UK. South London has strong potential for growth in key sectors including creative and digital industries, sustainable construction, deep-tech, and life sciences. By leveraging the strengths of our universities, colleges, and strategic investment sites, we will become a hub for innovation and enterprise.
Investing in People – to deliver greater access for all our residents to do good work – higher quality, higher paid, & higher value jobs
South London’s future prosperity is dependent on training, developing and retaining its future workforce, with a particular focus on Health and Social Care, Built Environment, Hospitality and Retail, Education and Information and Communication. We must unlock the potential of all our people by providing them with skills, qualifications and experience that South London needs to ensure its future sustainability, prosperity and success, and creating opportunity for everyone, everywhere. To supply the talent, skills and workforce that South London needs, we will continue to work closely with local businesses and education partners.
Investing in Infrastructure – to better connect people with opportunity to support polycentric growth
By better connecting people with opportunity be that skills, jobs or housing we can boost South London’s productivity and growth. South London’s growth relies on modern transport and digital infrastructure. Poor connectivity limits access to jobs, education, and housing, and constrains economic potential. Investing in transport and digital networks will unlock homes, support business growth, foster inclusion, and drive a thriving, sustainable economy. Our infrastructure must match our ambitions for growth.
Our ambition for South London is BIG, which mirrors the aspirations of our residents and local businesses. We now look forward to supporting London’s critical role in delivering the UK National Industrial Strategy by working with regional and national partners to deliver on these ambitions.