The Elephant and Castle is the region around a major road junction in London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark where the wider Elephant and Castle project seeks to create a diversified new town center with housing, restaurants, stores, a university, workspace, leisure and cultural facilities, transportation infrastructure, and acres of the new public realm.
The construction of the new town center is taking place in three phases, the first of which is already complete. The second phase began in October 2020 with the destruction of the current shopping center site, and development on-site is already ongoing.
Dubbed “The East site” this phase, the completion of which is expected in 2026 seeks to deliver:
- Economical and market rent homes for Londoners, expertly managed by Get Living, the UK’s pioneer in construct to rent. Get Living provides simple and clear rental with no fees or deposits, as well as safe, flexible tenancies. Homes will be completely furnished, with smart home amenities and superfast WiFi. Residents will benefit from 24/7 security, an onsite team accessible to help six days a week, and access to a calendar of free social activities organized by the Get Living team once the project is completed.
- A mix of shops, restaurants, and recreational facilities, with existing shopping center independent traders given first dibs on relocating to the more inexpensive retail areas. In addition, they will be introducing new businesses to Elephant and Castle.
- A cutting-edge new home for London College of Communication, UAL, to continue their long-standing presence in Elephant and Castle while also providing a public-facing facility to invite the local community to their outstanding exhibitions and end-of-year shows.
- Major transportation infrastructure enhancements include a new entry to the Northern Line Underground that provides both escalator and lift access and is designed to protect against any potential Bakerloo line extension. At street level, there is step-free access between the Overground Rail and Underground stations.
- New London streets and an open-to-the-public center court.
The third phase will begin on the site of the London College of Communication after the College has relocated to its new facility in phase two, and will take four years to complete, with an estimated completion date of 2030.
Adjustment to the original Wider Elephant & Castle Project plans
Southwark Council approved a minor adjustment planning proposal in February 2021 to enhance the size of the LUL station box to safeguard for an integrated subterranean station at Elephant and Castle if the Bakerloo Line extension is built in the future.
Southwark Council gave clearance for a second Section 73 planning application in July 2021, for minor changes to the authorized scheme. These changes are a logical progression of the initial ideas, which were filed in 2016, and will enable us to offer major benefits for everyone in Elephant and Castle.
The new plans for the redevelopment include:
- Increase the number of affordable dwellings by 7 affordable units and 3 market apartments. In accordance with Southwark policy, the 7 new affordable housing units will include four London Living Rent units and three social rent equivalent dwellings.
- Make larger, family-sized homes, as we know our residents prefer. Our residents’ tenures are growing longer and longer across our developments as they establish roots and become a part of the local community.
- Elephant & Castle will add 50,000 square feet of new office space (including 10% affordable workspace at a 25% discount from market rates) and create more employment.
- Accept the need for a new and improved town center experience to entice people to return to shopping. A feeling of place will be more vital than ever after the pandemic. By fine-tuning the architecture and removing empty façades, we can create a more appealing, friendly, and bustling town center for the entire community to enjoy.
