Southwark Council is due to decide on Tuesday 16th January on permission for demolition and redevelopment of Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre, plus the London College of Communication (LCC) site. If permission is granted, property company Delancey plans to begin demolition work in September 2019.

200 objections have been lodged by the local community to Delancey’s current redevelopment plans. The Green Party’s submissions highlighted numerous features which many local people find unacceptable:

• No social rented housing, and no long-term tenancy rights in new homes – flouting Southwark’s own planning policies
• Loss of the bingo hall, bowling alley and Coronet theatre – without satisfactory replacement leisure facilities
• No low-cost retail units – Delancey simply states it “may not be financially viable for [existing retailers] to survive in the wider area over the longer term”
• No space for children’s play or youth activities
• Virtually no enhancements to green spaces or plant life
• Loss of daylight and privacy for existing residents from an overbearing cluster of new towers on the LCC site.

Local Green activist Peter Baffoe said: “We want to maintain the unique character of the Elephant & Castle area. It must stay a family-centred accessible place for the local community to enjoy.”

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