Stalled E&C rebuild to go ahead

by Emily Inglis

The £1.5bn plan to regenerate Elephant and Castle, which had been stalled for the past two years, finally got the go-ahead this week with demolition of the notorious Heygate estate beginning in the new year.  

On Monday evening, Southwark Council executive reached an agreement with Lend Lease Europe, which will see Lend Lease develop 50 per cent of the Elephant and Castle Opportunity Area.

Councillor Nick Stanton, leader of Southwark Council, said that Elephant and Castle was one of the most deprived areas in the borough, which itself was one of London’s poorest.

“This decision paves the way for another important step on our journey to transform Elephant and Castle.

"The joined-up approach we are taking with our partners Lend Lease is seeking to realise our joint ambition of transforming this historic part of south London.”

Six phases

The project is split into six phases, according to the agreement, with the demolition of the first block of the Heygate Estate due to start in February 2010. The Elephant and Castle Opportunity Area wants to establish a thriving, successful, and environmentally friendly, new urban quarter for London.

The aim is to create opportunities for local people, support a successful, vibrant mix of homes, shops and businesses and a range of high quality recreation and cultural facilities.

London College of Communication, the largest college of the University of the Arts, is at the heart of the area. UAL was once considering proposals to move central services from Davies Street, and London College of Fashion, to the newly regenerated area.  

Funding from the London Development Agency (LDA) has seen £600,000 kept aside for the development of the southern roundabout and subways at Elephant and Castle. Additionally, Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed additional funding of £1.2 million. The scheme has been agreed with the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson. 

On Monday night, the executive asked council officers to continue negotiations with TfL and the Greater London Authority, to safeguard the viability of all phases of the project, including the shopping centre.

Dan Labbad, the Chief Executive officer for Europe of Lend Lease said: “We are extremely pleased with Southwark Council’s decision. We understand the importance of the successful regeneration of Elephant and Castle to the local community, Southwark and London, and are committed to continuing to work in partnership with the council to finalise agreements and begin work on site.”