Wandsworth is aiming to become the ‘art and culture capital’ of south west London with a new multi-million pound project unveiled this month.

The £600 million development of The Ram Brewery, near Ram Street, is at the centre of the £12 million regeneration plan led by developers Greenland Group.

A new quarter is being designed to transform it into a ‘cultural hotspot’ and providing it with activities and plans revolving around the local community and the area’s heritage.

Plans include to reintroduce the harvest festival to the former market town, as well as hops being grown this autumn which will be picked and used by a new microbrewery.

In addition, artists Tania Kovats and Neville Gabie will be creating exhibitions which celebrate Wandsworth’s heritage, past and present, and aims to develop new traditions.

Tania Kovasts, who is one of the first enlisted on the project, will deliver The Tapestry Commission which looks to combine the heritage of The Ram Brewery with celebrations of the River Wandle.

The River Wandle runs the length of the development and work has been done to recreate the river’s passage in addition to its natural flora and fauna.

Greenland is working together with Paul Winton and international landscape architects Gillespies to reintroduce 2,000 plants on the river bank and bed, with a line of new restaurants to go alongside them.

This is said to allow residents to walk along the stretch of the River Wandle for the first time while there are plans to construct three bridges which connect one side of the Ram Quarter to the other.

Mr Gabie will recreate a dinner party inspired by a photograph of The Ram Brewery staff’s Christmas dinner taken in 1948, which will be backlit and featured on the heritage site.

Original machinery and equipment which was on the site will be preserved in a permanent exhibition, which will include user-friendly and interactive multimedia platforms and will showcase original brewing material.

There will also be an onsite microbrewery which will be relocated from its old stable block home to a new facility and will be featured alongside a new restaurant.

Work on a new 2,208 sq ft heritage centre for Wandsworth has already started this month and is scheduled to open in November 2018.

Ravi Govindia, leader of Wandsworth Council, said: “The creation of the Ram Quarter is a key element of the council’s regeneration of Wandsworth Town Centre.

“It’s excellent news that the rich history of the site will be reflected in this cultural plan and that our thriving arts community is fully involved in creating a new cultural hub for the town which all our residents can enjoy.”

Taotao Song, managing director of Greenland (UK) Investment, added: “We are delighted to be working closely with the local community and highly commended artists to create this exciting new cultural centre for the whole of south London.

“This arts programme will establish the Ram Quarter as the dynamic heart of the town centre, with its own unique appeal that enhances Wandsworth’s existing cultural offering.”