Following ongoing community pressure, the planning application to demolish Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre and London College of Communication will now not be reconsidered by councillors until after the local election on 3rd May.

Southwark Labour pushed through the previous controversial demolition of the Heygate Estate two months after winning a council election.

Latin American community newspaper editor Lina Usma said:

 “As a member of the Latin American community, we feel very confused because of this regeneration process. There have not been any concrete plans for Elephant’s small businesses. We have been based here for more than 40 years, we contribute a lot to the diversity of this borough. We are worried that we are going to lose the area’s fantastic diversity, the reason why we love Southwark.

"Also because these small businesses are not only businesses, they are social places. People go there to get advice, find friends, to speak their own languages. And this is what makes the borough so interesting. We want this to remain for the years to come. We don't want the regeneration plans to cut this, which has made Southwark so exciting a place to live and to work."

• Read the backstory at southwarkgreenparty.org.uk/elephant