London’s Elephant & Castle new town centre approved

Developer Delancey’s revised application to redevelop the Elephant & Castle shopping centre in South London has finally got the thumbs upThe vast redevelopment will be phased over 10 yearsSouthwark Council’s planning committee narrowly voted in favour of the vast redevelopment scheme, which will employ 1,230 construction workers per year across the 10-year build.The iconic shopping centre will be replaced with a new town centre style scheme which will form the heart of the wider Elephant & Castle regeneration scheme being delivered by Lend Lease.Delancey has used Mace as construction adviser for the complex scheme, although formal procurement for the construction delivery partner on project has not yet started.Part of the central shopping areaAs well as over 170,000 sq ft of new shops and restaurants there will also be a 1,000 seat multi-screen cinema and a 500-audience capacity grass-roots cultural venue.The scheme designed by Allies and and Morrison also includes several housing blocks providing for nearly 1,000 homes. There will also be a landmark building for the London College of Communication.Full approval is subject to the completion of a Section 106 agreement and the Mayor of London nodding through the plan amid calls from protestors for greater social housing provision.London College of Communications will get a new building, vacating a site to the west of the shopping centre to make way for new housing.