UK Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has approved the £1bn extension of London Underground’s Northern line from Kennington to Battersea through Nine Elms.
This approval follows a public inquiry conducted by an independent Inspector in 2013 to consider the Transport and Works Act Order (TWAO) application.
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The project is expected to support the development of Vauxhall, Nine Elms and Battersea and generate 24,000 new jobs and more than 18,000 new homes.
Once completed, the extension will cut journey times to the West End and the city to just under 15min.
Construction on the line will start in mid-2015 and more than three miles of new tunnels and stations at Nine Elms and Battersea are expected to be operational in 2020.
London Underground managing director Mike Brown MVO said: "This vital new part of the Underground network will support and enable growth in an area that is rapidly developing.
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By GlobalData"By 2020, we will have created over three miles of new tunnels and two brand new stations that will transform transport links to the area."
Financial support for the project will be delivered by the developments in the area that will benefit from the extension.
Mayor of London Boris Johnson and the UK Government have agreed for a funding package, which includes the creation of an Enterprise Zone from 2016 for a period of 25 years.
Meanwhile, Bee Urban project coordinator Barnaby Shaw has argued that this project will lead to the demolition of Kennington Parks community beekeeping and Bee Urban education centre.
Although negotiations for a new home have been underway for quite some time, the bees’ future is now in doubt with many issues still remain unresolved.
