In the heart of Colliers Wood, plans are under way to regenerate the area and to begin to transform it into an up-and-coming, thriving neighbourhood, much like the nearby areas of Battersea and Clapham have become in recent years. One of the signs of a budding transformation is the planned proposals by the Indigo Planning Company to completely redesign the Donald Hope Library and the Cavendish House Building. A recent exhibition, on the 9th October, at the current site of the Donald Hope Library revealed the plans for the building. The new building will house 60 flats, ranging from one to three bedrooms in size, along with a replacement library and commercial unit which will include a number of community facilities, such as a conference room. Ms Tania Tindale, the regional director of Indigo Planning, stated that the aim of the construction would be to create an “iconic building” for Colliers Wood, which would be “taking its cue from history to create an old style building with a contemporary twist.” Ms. Tindale expressed her hopes that the exhibition and the building itself, if built, would “engage with local residents”, which was certainly a recurring theme throughout the exhibition. In fact, many local residents are hoping that the new building will prompt the government to focus once again on their plans to capitalise on the potential of Colliers Wood as a district centre by giving the go-ahead to projects such as this one. Mr Fai Chang, a Colliers Wood resident, . Mr. Chang said that he thinks “projects such as this will cause the government and council to sit up and take notice of the possibilities that lie in Colliers Wood.” The plans are as of now being submitted to Merton Council for planning permission, and if they are approved, the work on the building will be due to start early next year. The exhibition on the 9th of October detailed how the five-story building would contain two top ‘receded’ levels made of a modern lightweight material, which would allow for extra room for facilities without causing an obstruction to the surrounding area, to allow for minimal inconvenience for any locals. Indeed, the new building aims to benefit the local people as much as possible, by creating a free to use, public space for the community, which was underlined by the fact that the exhibition invited all local residents to offer their ideas and opinions about the plans. Local people are encouraged to become as involved as they wish in the project, as, if they lend their support and faith to the project, it is far more likely to become a success and an exciting and rewarding experience for everyone involved. If Indigo Planning’s proposals are accepted by the council, it will be the first in what many hope will be a series of new projects focusing on the Collier’s Wood area, which will not only make Collier’s Wood a place to be on the London map, but will also allow the local community to continue to organise events more efficiently and increase the vitality of the neighbourhood. By Louisa Chaib