We hope that our actions so far have demonstrated our commitment to deliver on the promises we have made to the community. We are endeavouring to create a place that is loved and nurtured for the long term and which will become a much-loved piece of this special part of London.
The project team would like to thank the community for all of their enthusiasm and engagement over many years which has positively shaped our plans for Elephant Park. In particular, we would like to thank our neighbours for their patience during the construction process as the new developments take shape. We would also like to thank our many collaborators and trusted partners for their involvement and support in bringing our vision to life.
Foreword:
30
25
23
21
18
15
11
09
07
04
10
08
06
05
03
02
01
Place Projects
Intepreting Our Place Pillars
Understanding Our Community
Understanding Our Place
Understanding Our Past
Elephant Park Overview
Elephant and Castle in Context
Place Pillars
The Placebook –What? Why? How?
Vision
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Our Vision
Elephant and Castle has always been a special part of London. It’s a place with a vibrant history and an exciting future. Elephant Park’s new homes, shops, offices and restaurants are adding new energy to the Elephant. Mature trees and new, green, open spaces connected by tree-lined streets make this Central London’s new green heart, and one of the capital’s most exciting places to live, work or visit.
“Breathe new life into a special part of Central London”.
scroll down
Elephant Park 2030
Twenty years ago, many Londoners’ experience of the Elephant was a place they passed through en route to somewhere else. From the roundabout, its buildings were white, blue and grey, sometimes tall, and often wide. It was concrete, railings, roads and subways. They didn’t know the Elephant. That was just what they saw as they passed through from where they had been, to where they were going. It’s different today. Now those that once passed through, stop off. They spend their time here, supporting local businesses and meeting friends. But the Elephant’s unique character that has always been known to those who know the Elephant has remained. One woman launched her business here 15 years ago when she was living in Southwark. Now she also calls this place home. Her friend, who grew up in the Elephant but left the area 40 years ago, remembers the buzz on East Street market, and the Sarsparilla stall all those years ago. They meet again at Elephant Park, in the sunniest spot by the largest tree – a place that stands out, welcoming people in. It’s quiet there, despite the bustle of the city around it. The big trees provide shelter and shade; after all they have been there longer than the buildings that surround them. The friend has a granddaughter with her, so they walk together while the child explores the play trail, and they chat about life at the Elephant now. They talk about the neighbours the woman has come to call friends. Neighbours from all walks of life and a wide range of incomes, and living in a range of tenure types within the development – not that you could tell which is which from the outside, which is how it was intended. She boasts that she walks or cycles nearly everywhere, not just because it is close but also thanks to the green links and routes that have emerged right up to the river and south to Burgess Park, it is simply the nicest way to get around. She talks of the produce she successfully nurtured in their communal garden, with more than a little help from her neighbour, Jean. She tells her friend about the great place where she gets the best empanadas in London, and the market where she buys some of the freshest and still some of the cheapest vegetables in the city. She delights in the regular festivals and events that signal the changing seasons and provide a reminder of the history and character of the place that has evolved over so many years. She recounts meeting one of the people who built the flat she now lives in. He had grown up in The Elephant and first heard about construction on a school visit. He learned his trade building her block and now runs a successful business of his own. He still lives in the Elephant. They caught up again more recently at an event to celebrate the success of the C40 Cities Climate Positive Development Program where Elephant Park was awarded Climate Positive status for its success in mitigating its carbon impacts, the first in the UK. In discussion, the woman recalls setting up her business all those years ago. A shipping container in The Artworks, which was a temporary project during the construction period, became the perfect first office – affordable and surrounded by like-minded people. They walk past a buzzing restaurant whose owner was also a fellow shipping container tenant. She looks in to wave to him but it’s too busy to catch his eye. The two friends pop in to the café in the park. A children’s birthday party is adding to its buzz. The woman knows a couple of the parents from her building. They grew a bumper crop of tomatoes together this year. The two women find a quiet corner. Something catches the friend’s eye. It’s a sign on the counter, “Sarsparilla on sale here!”. Her friend smiles. “Sometimes it’s the things that don’t change that makes a place what it is”
“Sometimes it’s the things that don’t change that makes a place what it is”
The Placebook, What, Why, How?
While specific roles can be quite different within the project team, ultimately, we are all working towards the same goal – creating the best place and a positive outcome economically, socially and environmentally. The Placebook should be relevant to everyone no matter what their role, just in different ways. Here are some tips on how to use it:
Review work against the place pillars and the place objectives
Share it with your team
Refer to the Placebook when developing or responding to briefs and designs and making key decisions.
In addition to reviewing work against the criteria set out in briefs, also compare these to the Place Pillars, to make sure that the work will achieve the place outcomes the project needs. Be challenging.
The Placebook is a packaged set of background information and big-picture thinking that will help everybody get up to speed quickly, and signpost to other key documents and information, as well as inspire them to find out more. Share it with them.
A lot of our big-picture thinking is covered in the Placebook. Make sure you refer to the vision and the place pillars, particularly when looking at new areas of the project, or in considering the broad impacts of decision making.
This is an invitation to get under the skin of this place, to find out more about where it has come from and where it is going.
Read it and understand the place pillars and project vision
This Placebook doesn’t provide answers or present a resolved outcome, but provides and expands on guiding principles that we hope will both inspire and challenge decision making. It is not a brief nor a masterplan. It articulates what our ambitions are for Elephant Park through our vision and place pillars, and encourages everyone working on the project to challenge how they can bring the place to life, in the things they do and the decisions they make, large and small. It should form part of your day-to-day, and should be consulted as decisions are made about the project throughout its life cycle.
4.
3.
2.
1.
How do I use the PlaceBook?
The PlaceBook A users guide
4
3
2
1
- A place designed to be used by the community - Establishment and ongoing support of Elephant and Castle Community Fund with Southwark Council - 6,000 local jobs created and promoted - Raising aspirations and employability of young people via work related learning opportunities - 25% of all homes will be affordable homes - Actively supporting the reduction of social isolation - Creation of the Castle Leisure Centre to promote physical health and wellbeing - Community platform for local events and interests - Investment in local arts - District heat and energy networks - Health and wellbeing initiatives for employees including mental and financial health - Flexible local commercial opportunities both short and long term for local start up’s and SME’s - Maximised diversity in local workforce
Elephant Park is creating local opportunity for residents, workers and visitors from day one, in the form of employment, skills and training, community initiatives and a place that gives back. Our approach brings together an understanding of the locality (needs, challenges, opportunities) and responds with specific programmes to create positive and lasting social outcomes.
Driving local links, maximising local opportunities
Drive local opportunity
- A C40 Cities Climate Positive Development Programme project, the only one in the UK - No net loss of tree cover through development, protection of mature trees onsite - Commitment to greening surrounding areas - A net gain in biodiversity - Use of CLT and responsible materials - Support to commercial and retail tenants for green fit out options - Seamless park access & outdoor fitness options - Sustainability education initiatives - Solar panels and air quality monitoring
Protecting and growing London’s green footprint is a vital part of Elephant Park’s role – delivering a healthy, breathing piece of city.
An original canopy of trees and connection of parks and open spaces, a healthy piece of city
A new green heart, a natural streetscape
- Seamlessly connected with surrounding neighbourhoods - Places to rest and play for all - Facilities that help build communities - Active building facades - Diverse products reflective of local needs - Social places and meeting points - Open offices and diverse tenants - A safe and clean place - 24/7 safety and assistance - Community engagement from Day 1
Elephant Park is inclusive and democratic, a place to meet and celebrate diversity and substance, a place that welcomes with open arms.
An open, inviting place with soul and character
Authentic & welcoming
- Human-scale design and focus on pedestrians - A vibrant and diverse community - High density living - Walkability - Great amenity at all hours / evening economy / 7 days a week - Diverse retail mix - Excellent transport connections - Businesses that give back to the community
Zone 1 living defines Elephant Park – harnessing this Central London energy to re-connect the city and its people through community-focused design and layers of amenity.
Cultural diversity, local connection
Our project vision and Place Pillars make up the cornerstones of everything that we want to achieve. They are designed to guide and inspire anyone working on Elephant Park to ensure that collectively we all work towards a combined vision for what we want to achieve, and ensure that the benefits of the regeneration are maximised for everyone and have been informed by our extensive consultation, research and understanding of the place. Refer to them, challenge your decision making against them, and keep finding new ways to ensure we are delivering against them regardless of your role on the project.
Central London spirit
Our Place Pillars
Elephant & Castle In Context
close
Maya, L&Q resident South Gardens
I like that you can get anywhere from the Elephant… not just the tube, it feels like every bus in the world must stop at the Elephant.
30 min
10 min
5 min
All figures correct at time of going to print
elephant & castle opportunity area
Elephant park Latest position
London’s population is rising, with 10 million people forecast to live in the capital by 2030. Making space for this growing population means fitting more into our urban fabric: quality homes, places to work, and the things that support our lives – such as transport links, schools, sports centres, shops and attractive places to walk, sit, enjoy and spend our leisure time. In practice, the way the city is planned has dramatically shifted since the design and delivery of the Heygate Estate in the 1960s, with more focus on sustainability, pedestrians and human-scale design. The Mayor of London’s ‘London Plan’ recognises Elephant and Castle as an opportunity area where significant growth can happen and should be encouraged. To deliver on this, Southwark Council and the Greater London Authority and Transport for London have worked together for over a decade to plan and implement improvements to the area. They have combined forces with others – including developers, housing associations, existing local institutions (including two local universities) and the community, to revitalise its building stock, roads and public space as a part of a wider vision to create a better London. Elephant and Castle is the missing quarter of Central London. After years of neglect, this zone one opportunity area now has planning permission in place for 12,800 new homes and 10,000 new jobs in construction, retail, office, culture and leisure. Once hailed as the Piccadilly of the South, the Elephant is re-awakening with new cultural venues and a new headquarters for the University of the Arts London planned to complement the Southwark Playhouse, Cinema Museum, Siobhan Davies Studio, Corsica Studios, Ministry of Sound, and The Imperial War Museum. Twenty five thousand students, a new £150m tube station, a state-of-the-art Castle leisure centre, newly refurbished parks and public spaces, and a vibrant new town centre which connects seamlessly to the historic Walworth Road and East Street. The Elephant’s time has come. In 2007 Southwark Council entrusted Lendlease as its development partner to deliver the regeneration of 28 acres of Elephant and Castle, making this one of the largest redevelopment projects within Central London. With this comes significant responsibility and expectation that Lendlease will deliver on the promises of the regeneration. Its success will be measured against its ability to ensure genuine and tangible outcomes for local people in the form of a more vibrant economy, jobs and skills for local people, genuinely affordable housing, built to the highest standards, and a safe and healthy environment that is accessible to all. However, Lendlease’s involvement in the Elephant is one part of a larger story of regeneration made up of a series of projects that is transforming this part of Central London. This exciting period of change requires collaboration between a wide range of parties. Lendlease, is one of the largest stakeholders with one of the most significantly progressed projects in the area. We are here for the long-term; we have an integrated team with the skill and capability to deliver a project of this scale. With this, we have a role and responsibility to lead in ensuring the place that is created remains true to its context and maintains the highest standards and expectations. This will ensure we deliver genuine positive outcomes for local residents and businesses, and help to provide a renewed sense of pride and optimism. For Lendlease, the existing community has helped us shape our plans for Elephant Park and will challenge and hold us to account throughout the development process. In addition, we are a founding member of the Elephant and Castle Partnership which brings together a number of public and private organisations and landowners either representing, or active in the area. For more information about the Elephant & Castle Partnership visit: elephantandcastle.org.uk
Elephant & Castle – Our big part of the big picture
As of January 2018: 927 Southwark residents employed 416 were previously unemployed 196 previously unemployed residents in sustained 6 month roles
This map reflects the number of people employed per ward within Southwark
Latest position (Inc. Trafalgar Place)
LOCAL EMPLOYMENT
use
2013 Masterplan (Inc. Trafalgar Place)
- A new global standard for sustainable inner city living - First Climate Positive Development in the UK - A model for training and skilling local people in opportunities in the built environment - An appropriate density and balance of amenity throughout the place - Growth and support of local creative community, arts and culture - A community of retailers and businesses that complement one another and encourage people to spend more of their time in the Elephant - World class quality that thrives in a local context
Since 2013 our team has been working up detailed design of buildings and public realm and the delivery of our vision is well underway. Due to the significant demand for business space of all kinds, subject to planning plot H1 will now comprise commercial space. This will ensure a more consistent daytime population, which will in turn promote ground floor retail businesses, and make the most of the incredible connectivity of the site. Overall, we will increase the number of homes that are provided, whilst still ensuring that the total proportion of affordable housing is 25%, in line with the commitment made in the regeneration agreement with Southwark Council. The principles of connectivity through the site, with a large proportion of public realm and a mix of uses, will remain the same.
The original Elephant Park masterplan evolved through a significant period of consultation between 2010 and 2013 and set the parameters and principles for the development, reserving detailed elements such as scale, appearance, layout and landscaping for approval at each stage of development. The masterplan covers over 23 acres of land making it’s the largest and most significant land holding in the Elephant & Castle opportunity area (see masterplan on pages 32-33). It needed to deliver on Southwark Council’s vision for a mixed and balanced community of high-quality housing that is tenure blind; it needed to increase density, delivering more than double the number of homes as were previously on the Heygate Estate; and it also needed to deliver a significant amount of public open space and new shopping streets, connecting the traditional high street of the Walworth Road with the transport hub and commercial centre at Elephant and Castle.
Masterplan Evolution
Our Masterplan
Its bustling Zone 1 lifestyle makes it a place full of energy that is also safe and welcoming. There’s always something going on – a business meeting in a cafe, children tending to the communal grow gardens. It is created to bring the community together beyond just lifestyle, delivering tangible social, economic and environmental outcomes. Delivering across all of the project’s objectives is Elephant Park’s ‘green heart’. Thanks to a new 0.8 ha park, an ambitious plan to retain and plant hundreds of trees, and the project team’s commitment to the C40 Cities Climate Positive Development Programme, this place aims to be the world’s most sustainable urban regeneration project. The legacy and responsibility surrounding this project is not one that Lendlease takes for granted. As one of the largest stakeholders with the most significantly progressed project in the area, Lendlease recognises its role and responsibility as a leader to maintain the highest standards and expectations, to deliver genuine and tangible positive outcomes for local residents and businesses in and around this unique and special place, and to create quality homes and public spaces that will last. Our success will be measured in new jobs and thriving businesses, in the health and wellbeing of local people, and in a genuine community spirit.
Summary of key project aspirations:
A considered and meaningful piece of city
Elephant Park’s vision is to breathe new life into Elephant and Castle, in a way that respects its heritage and existing communities, while contributing to the growth and wellbeing of broader London by providing more homes, more jobs and more quality public realm, closer to the centre of London. It is designed to restitch into the city around it, bringing the land out of isolation and delivering a peaceful oasis at the same time, thanks to its human-scale approach. It is genuinely mixed-use and designed for all ages – a place for education, work, rest, play and a redefinition of healthy urban living.
Elephant Park Project Overview
VIEW MAP
Total
Elephant Park (Complete c. 2025)
Offsite Trees (Planted by 2017)
One The Elephant (Completed 2016)
Trafalgar Place (Completed 2015)
within the masterplan area, resulting in a neighbourhood that feels green and embedded within its surroundings from Day 1. However, the green heart of Elephant Park is broader than its trees. Through our Biodiversity, Ecology and Nature (BEN) strategy, we seek to encourage, through careful design, an increased range of biodiversity through the incorporation of green roofs and walls and swales and diverse species selection. Together this will encourage a broader range of wildlife, and create a stronger and more resilient ecosystem. Offsite planting also encourages connection of the Elephant Park habitat to other local habitats, thus increasing their collective resilience. Ultimately our aim is to make this a neighbourhood filled with birdsong and seasonal colour that will thrive for many years to come. These objectives underpin our thoughts now and will continue to do so as development progresses, resulting in a place where sustainability is engrained to build a greater legacy. Our ambition is so high because Elephant and Castle deserves the best.
Elephant Park’s commitment to creating central London’s new ‘green heart’ aims to set a new standard in city living. The team has set itself the high ambition of being among the most sustainable inner-city urban regeneration projects in the world. With this vision in mind, we can truly deliver above and beyond what is expected and make a real difference for the project and the area, and to ensure that it becomes part of London’s already rich tapestry of green spaces and streets. Ultimately, this place should nurture and contribute to the natural systems that will sustain us all, not deplete them – this is the only way we can really guarantee positive longevity and legacy for the project. This is why we signed up to the Clinton Climate Positive Development Programme making Elephant Park one of only 19 schemes around the world aspiring to become Climate Positive, and the only project in the UK. In practice, this means a low-carbon piece of city that improves air quality, becomes a healthier place to be and significantly reduces the use of non-renewable resources. A major factor for this is the legacy of the trees planted onsite in the 1960s. Elephant Park will protect as many of these existing trees as possible. This has required extensive reassessment of the masterplan to both reconnect with the surrounding city, and protect as many mature trees as possible. In the cases where trees will have to be removed, replacement trees will be planted to ensure there is no net loss of canopy
Protecting and nurturing Central London’s New Green heart
2011 - 2025
1970 - 2010
1900 - 1970
1052 - 1899
2017 The first phase of the Elephant Park masterplan, South Gardens completes 360 homes. 2017 also sees completion of the first phase of the new park, the centrepiece of Lendlease’s Elephant Park development, opened to the public in August 2017. With undulating grassland, large mature London plane trees and a children’s play area, the park is set-up to host a range of events throughout the year as well as all the usual park pursuits. The first phase of the park provides roughly half of the final park that is set to be delivered by 2021, once the construction programme is for Elephant Park is nearer completion.
2018-2025 IMore than £3bn is being invested in the regeneration of Elephant and Castle. This investment includes new homes, better transport and public realm, improved shopping and leisure, new education institutions and community centres, and thousands of new jobs and training opportunities. By 2025 more than 5,000 new and replacement homes will have been built in the neighbourhood, of which at least 1,650 will be affordable homes. The Elephant will be home to the largest new park created in Central London in 70 years as well as three new public squares, new pocket parks and green spaces.
2016 In September 2016, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, officially opened Southwark Construction Skills Centre at Elephant Park. The Skills Centre will train the housebuilders of tomorrow with the skills they need to gain work on the many construction sites across the borough.
2016 Transport for London complete their revamp of the northern roundabout at Elephant & Castle, closing one side of the roundabout to create a new public square outside the Northern Line ticket hall. The subways underneath the roundabout also close, delivering a dramatic change in how pedestrians navigate this part of the Elephant. The ultimate objective of the revamp is to improve cycle safety at this road junction, which had become notorious as one of the most dangerous parts of London for cyclists.
2015 Trafalgar Place, the first 235 homes to be delivered by Lendlease in the Elephant & Castle, completes in June 2015. The scheme has transformed the local area whilst referencing the historic fabric of the neighbourhood. Public spaces have been prioritised with a woodland walk to the north of the site along Victory place, and a central pedestrian thoroughfare (New Paragon Walk) that restores the former Victorian street pattern and connects communities to the east and west of the site.
2013 In June 2013, Elephant Park reaches ‘participant status’ in the Climate Positive Development Program, after submitting a comprehensive roadmap demonstrating how the project will be Climate Positive, or net carbon negative, by the time it is complete. Elephant Park is one of only 19 projects worldwide to take part in the scheme and the only one in the UK.
2016 Southwark Council’s new leisure centre, the Castle Centre, opened to the public in May 2016. The Castle Centre as well as major improvements to St Mary’s Churchyard Park was fully funded by Lendlease’s 284 home One The Elephant development which completed in June 2016.
2014 The Artworks Elephant opens to the public in september. The Artworks Elephant is just one of a number of ‘meanwhile uses’ that have popped up in the Elephant & Castle during the regeneration of the area. The purpose of these ‘meanwhile uses’ is to bring early regeneration benefits to the area and to ensure the Elephant continues to thrive during the construction of new developments. The Artworks provides incubator space for over 30 new and creative businesses, employing over 130 people each day on the site. Other meanwhile uses have included Grow Elephant, The Paperworks, Mercato Metropolitano and Lost Rivers Elephant.
2013 Following over two years of public consultation, the regeneration took a major step forward in 2013 when Lendlease gained planning approval for three sites across Elephant & Castle, including the regeneration of the Heygate Estate. These applications outlined plans for 3,000 new homes, 50 shops, restaurants and cafes, a new energy centre, and a brand-new park for Elephant & Castle.
2012 In 2012, Lendlease and Southwark Council set-up the Elephant & Castle Community Fund to provide grants to local groups and charities that celebrate and support the diverse Elephant & Castle Community. By 2017, over £175,000 would have been donated to more than 30 local groups.
2011 Local campaigners come together in 2011 to draw attention to the urban forest on the Heygate Estate, which comprised over 400 mature trees. The Elephant & Castle Urban Forest campaign convinced Southwark Council and Lendlease of the value of these trees and Lendlease committed to retaining over 120 trees in the final Elephant Park masterplan. Furthermore, Lendlease agreed a tree strategy that will see an overall increase in tree canopy in the area by the time the regeneration completes.
2013 With three planning permissions secured, Lendlease begins construction on over 500 homes across two sites (Trafalgar Place and One The Elephant), whilst demolition of the Heygate Estate also begins. The demolition of the Heygate Estate would take 16 months to complete, paving the way for construction of Elephant Park to begin in 2015.
2011 In May 2011, the Elephant & Castle Community Forum meets for the first time, bringing together over 160 stakeholder groups across the Elephant & Castle Opportunity Area to discuss and influence the regeneration plans for the area.
2010 With the London Plan requiring higher densities of housing across Opportunity Areas like Elephant & Castle, Strata SE1 becomes the first of a number of tall buildings set to complete over the course of the regeneration. The 43-storey tower provided 408 new homes in the heart of Elephant & Castle and made its mark on London’s skyline.
First of early housing sites completes Garland Court on Wansey Street is the first of ten schemes to complete as part of Southwark Council’s Heygate rehousing programme. In total, the programme will deliver 536 new homes across ten Council-owned sites and in partnership with five separate housing associations, representing about 10% of the of the total number of new homes set to be delivered across the Elephant & Castle.
2004 Southwark Council establish plan for Elephant & Castle’s future. The newly-established London Plan provided a clear context within which Southwark Council could work, and the Council went on to draw up its own Southwark Plan. In 2004, Southwark Council published a vision for development in Elephant & Castle. This included a comprehensive regeneration ‘masterplan’ for Elephant & Castle, describing where, how and what regeneration might take place, as well as details of the council’s aspirations for jobs, housing, community safety, transport, education, shopping, health and more.
2002 Elephant & Castle identified as a key growth area. With the office of Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority established in 2000, the London Plan is published in 2002, setting out a vision for the development of the capital. As well as establishing a framework for more jobs and homes, the 2002 plan identified key Opportunity Areas across London that would be able to accommodate substantial economic growth. Elephant & Castle was selected as a key Opportunity Area.
2003 Elefest was established with the aim of celebrating the culture of the Elephant and Castle. Events at the annual festival have included outdoor cinema screenings in the Pullen’s Estate, photography exhibitions in the subways under the Elephant and Castle roundabout and classical music performances in the Shopping Centre.
2007 Regeneration partner chosenIn July 2007, following a competitive tender process, Southwark Council selected Lendlease as its preferred master development partner for the regeneration of the Elephant & Castle. The Global Financial Crisis, which would go on to cause the longest recession in the UK since the Second World War, struck in 2008 causing delays in the regeneration.
2010 Regeneration Agreement signed In July 2010, a Regeneration Agreement between Southwark Council and Lendlease is signed. The Leader of Southwark Council, Peter John OBE, calls the signing of the Regeneration Agreement “an historic moment for the future of Elephant & Castle. This signing paves the way to a transformation of this part of Southwark over the next 15 years, creating a new and exciting destination for London.”
1992 The Latin American presence at the Elephant and Castle dates back to the early 1990s, when young migrant entrepreneurs started to lease and revive some of the less desirable retail spaces in the Shopping Centre. Later the businesses expanded into shops at Draper House and into railway arches stretching from Eagle’s Yard to Rockingham Street. By 1992, there were ten shops owned by Latin Americans, including food shops, fritter stalls, a travel agency, a jeweller, an employment agency, a hairdresser and a tailor’s shop. The Latin businesses are supported by a strong community of people who socialise, live and work in the area.
1998 Carnaval del Pueblo began in Southwark Park. From 2002 the carnival included a vibrant and colourful procession from the Elephant and Castle to Burgess Park. It showcased Latin American heritage through music and dance and built its audience from 3,000 to 130,000. It is estimated that nearly one million people have attended the carnival since it began.
1990s The turn of the decade also saw organisations such as the Ministry of Sound, Corsica Studios and Hotel Elephant moving into disused industrial spaces and railway arches around the area, utilising them as arts venues for clubs, as galleries and as artists’ studios. In 1990, the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre was painted pink and a market was introduced into the ‘moat.’
1980 The Labour Party moved its national headquarters to 144-152 Walworth Road. The Labour Party remained in occupation until 1995.
1980s In contrast to high-rise living in concrete buildings, the 1980s saw the development of low-rise, low-density brick houses such as the Newington Estate and the Pasley Estate, designed around village greens with village halls.
1973 New Crossway Church opens on the Heygate Estate. The Crossway Mission had stood on the Old Kent Road since 1904 when Reverend Kenward was the first minister. It closed from 1967-1973 while a new church was constructed on the Heygate Estate. The new church was used by many, including people from Ghana, Korea, the United States South Africa, Poland, Canada, Uganda, Ireland and Hungary. In 2017, the congregation moved into a new church building on Hampton Street, the old one having been demolished to make way for Elephant Park.
1969 ‘Baldwin’s’ is relocated to 173 Walworth Road to make way for the Heygate Estate. Baldwin’s is one of London’s oldest herbalists and is famous locally for its Sarsaparilla. When George Baldwin founded the company in 1844, the shop was based at 77 Walworth Road. In 1951, it was bought by long-standing employee, Henry Dagnell. In the 1950s, Brian Frampton remembers “Everybody used to go to Baldwin’s. You got an ache or pain, you’d go to Baldwin’s”¹ Since the mid-20th century, the shop has provided African and Caribbean communities familiar herbs and foodstuffs like Cerassie and Aloe. The shop was compulsorily purchased in 1969 to make way for the building of the Heygate Estate. It is now run by Henry’s son, Steve Dagnell.
1968 The Heygate Development Area Planning brief is published outlining plans for a new estate. These involved the demolition of tenement buildings and Victorian housing south of the Elephant and Castle train station. The new estate of around 1214 homes was designed in a ‘neo-brutalist’ style by Tim Tinker and was completed in 1974. It included tall concrete blocks, mainly flats, to surround smaller maisonettes set within gardens. The blocks were linked by concrete walkways and bridges. Each home was built to Parker Morris housing standards, which proposed generous dimensions for each room.
1937 The Borough Council opened the ‘Health Services Department’ next to Newington Library. It was the first to install an X-Ray department and included a solarium to treat tuberculosis. The inscription ‘The health of the people is the highest law,’ can still be seen above the door
1961 The Faraday Memorial was complete and since 1996 has been listed as a protected structure.
1960 Vast areas at the heart of the Elephant and Castle were demolished to free up space for roads, altering “the old busy intimacy” of the former junction. The masterplan included two new roundabouts and the construction of tower blocks. The new buildings varied in design and quality and a number were recognised with awards. Alexander Fleming House is now a Grade II listed building.
1958 Buddy Holly begins his only British tour at the Trocadero with two shows starting on 1st March. 1959 The Victorian pub, after which the area had become known, was demolished to make way for the northern roundabout and the Michael Faraday Memorial. The name of the pub was transferred across the road to the former Rockingham Arms, ensuring that an Elephant and Castle pub “still watches over the junction. The pub is still there today.
1911 The first subways were built at the Elephant & Castle before there were traffic lights. At this time only a policeman on point duty controlled the traffic and trams coming from 6 directions.
1900 Newington was one of four parishes that amalgamated to become the Metropolitan Borough of Southwark.
1939 – 1945 The Elephant and Castle was bombed heavily during the Second World War. The worst raid to hit the area took place on the 10th May 1941, when bombers deliberately targeted the South London district. Elephant and Castle was engulfed by a ‘ferocious firestorm’ the effect of which was exacerbated by a chronic shortage of water. The war memorial located outside Walworth Town Hall commemorates local people killed in the air raids. It reads, “In memory of 925 inhabitants of Southwark who lost their lives in the enemy attacks on London 1939-1945.” At least 445 of those killed, came from Walworth. After considerable bomb damage during the Second World War, the London County Council’s post-war plans proposed an “improvement of the existing road intersection and a comprehensive redevelopment of the area as a major shopping and commercial centre.” These plans meant even more demolition of the area’s familiar sights.
1963 The Trocadero is demolished, but its famous Wurlitzer organ was saved and is now installed at ‘The Troxy’ in East London.
1950s Young people from the Elephant and Castle are said to have been the very first Teddy Boys. They were impressed by an Edwardian style of dress which was derived from Saville Row tailoring for upper class ex-army officers in Mayfair.While some just followed the fashion and the music, others were involved in gangs and violence. A notorious screening at the Elephant and Castle in 1956, of the film ‘Blackboard Jungle,’ included the soundtrack of ‘Rock Around the Clock’ during the credits. The audience, made up largely of Teddy Boys, tore up seats, danced in the aisles and fought with the police.
1930s Large areas of old housing were designated as ‘Slum Clearance Areas’ and a new house-building programme included the construction of developments such as the Rockingham Estate.
1920s Walworth had “the worst and most densely populated housing of any metropolitan borough.”
1898 Herbert Stead (warden of the Browning Settlement) and Charles Booth (social researcher) launched a national campaign in support of the Old Age Pension and organised a historic conference at Browning Hall. This campaign culminated in the establishment of Old Age Pensions through an Act of Parliament in 1908. 1909 saw the first means-tested pensions paid to people of 70. Late 1800s – 1935 By the end of the 19th Century thousands of shoppers and commuters converged at the Elephant and Castle, arriving by horse-bus, electric tram, overground and underground trains. Grand shops, restaurants and theatres lined Newington Causeway, Newington Butts and the Walworth Road.
1890 The City and South London Railway (C&SLR) opened the Northern Line underground station at the Elephant and Castle. During this time, the number of people living in the parish of St Mary Newington almost doubled to 202,479. Electrified tram rails arrived on the Walworth Road in 1903 and the Bakerloo line underground station was opened at Elephant and Castle in 1906.
1880 Walworth was now closely packed with streets of Victorian houses, and the former gardens of the Georgian housing lining the Walworth Road were built over with shops and sheds.
1872 Theatre Royal was opened, but was destroyed by fire in 1878 and replaced by the larger Elephant & Castle Theatre. In 1932 the theatre’s auditorium was restructured in the Art Deco style and reopened as a cinema with stage facilities. Both the Victorian and Art Deco buildings then obscured in the 1980s creating the frontage of the Coronet.
1863 The London, Chatham and Dover Railway Company opened the Elephant & Castle railway station in 1862, followed a year later by the Walworth Road station in what is now John Ruskin Street. In 1916, as an economy measure during WWI Walworth station was closed.
1779 Richard Cuming (1779 -1870) and his son, Henry Cuming (1817-1902), collected over a hundred thousand artefacts from all around the world without ever travelling abroad themselves. Henry left the family collection to the people of the Parish of St Mary Newington along with the funds to build a museum.
xxx xxxx xxxxx
xxx xxx xxxxx
1751 to 1771 The New Kent Road, London Road, Blackfriars Road and St Georges Circus were all in construction – bringing with them a ready supply of thirsty travellers and around 1760 the White Horse became and inn and was re amed the Elephant and Castle public house. It was rebuilt in grand Georgian style in 1818 and then in gigantic Victorian fashion in 1898.
1893 Manor Place Baths opened to great acclaim providing an alternative to washing in a copper bath in the kitchen for many local people. It continued to serve them in this way, and as a swimming pool and laundry up until its closure in 1978.
1889 Charles Chaplin was born in East Street Walworth to music hall performing parents. Charlie and his half-brother Sydney spent periods in institutions for destitute children including the workhouse in Renfrew Road. The film ‘Easy Street’ is set in an environment similar to that in which Chaplin grew up. It is believed that the film title is a reference to East Street.
1877 St Mary’s Churchyard which is adjacent to where One the Elephant and the new Castle Leisure Centre now stand was first designated as a public park.
1867 The Borough Synagogue was completed on a site in Albion Place (which later was to become Heygate Street). The building was demolished in the late 1960s to make way for the construction of the Heygate Estate.
1800 - 1820 The population of Newington increased from 14,847 to 44,526 as wealthy inhabitants began moving to the suburbs due to the increase in railway lines which meant expanding population of poorer people needing new housing, places of workshop, entertainment and shops were moving in to the Elephant.
1774 The construction of new bridges across the Thames brought new life and an impetus to build in and around the Elephant and Castle. In 1774 an Act of Parliament permitted brick (rather than timber), housing to be built in Walworth.
1052 Walworth is first mentioned in the Doomesday book of 1086 and means ‘farm of the serfs or Britons or where such worked’. Walworth was famous for its peaches and its gardens, and was ‘very little affected by its proximity to London until the middle of the 18th century’
The place we now call Elephant and Castle hasn’t always been known as such. The area is first recorded around the 13th century as the hamlet of Newington. Since then, the impetus for its development has been its location as a busy intersection, where roads leading to and from the Thames bridges meet. It is fitting that the ‘Elephant and Castle’, was the name given to the 18th century public house located at the centre of this junction. Here thirsty travellers stopped on their way into and out of the city.
How the area has changed over time
An historical timeline 1052 - 2025
The Elephant and Castle
Another English polymath, born in same year as Faraday (1791) in Newington. There’s a blue plaque to him on Walworth town hall. Babbage is known as “the father of computing”.
Charles Babbage
Great English scientist. Born in the Georgian era from Newington Butts, Faraday made major discoveries around electricity. These include the Faraday Cage effect, where a metal sheet or net acts as a shield blocking electric fields and electromagnetic waves.
Michael Faraday
Born in East Street. Michael Jackson, who was a huge fan, even visited East Street and is photographed dressed in a tramp’s costume
Charlie Chaplin
World boxing champion in the 1980s. Lived on the Heygate Estate
Lloyd Honeyghan
Born in 1867 and lived all her life in the Elephant. Too poor to have enough to barely feed her own family, all the local poor children would wait at her door and Clara would make a huge pot of stew to share. The call would go out in the street, “Mrs Stock has got the stewpot on!”, and the children would wait on the stairs, never to be disappointed.
Clara Stock
Filmed the video for their hit song Come on Eileen by Brook Drive behind One The Elephant
Dexy’s Midnight Runners
Was responsible for fighting for a lot of the social housing in Walworth that still stands today. Octavia Hill fought to retain open spaces and is responsible for a lot of London’s parks today and went on to found the National Trust.
Octavia Hill
Was born in St Olave’s hospital, Rotherhithe in 1933. After war his family was rehoused in Elephant & Castle. His autobiography is called “The Elephant to Hollywood”
Stanley Kubrick
Michael Caine
Set up a dance school known locally as ‘Renie’s Dance School’ which is now known as SuperArts Academy and still operates today. As a child, Renie “entertained the public by dancing in the tube shelters during the Second World War.”
Irene Hayes
Elephant & Castle has an interesting history and along with that has come a rich history of people who have lived and worked in the Elephant and become known for some remarkable things.
Elephant & Castle Character and Characters
FUNCTIONAL attributes
SWOT ANALYSIS
emotional attributes
Social and Cultural Focus
- c. 3,000 homes with 25% affordable housing delivered tenure blind - 1,000 people trained per year in the construction skills centre - c. 350,000 sq ft non-residential floorspace - 38 businesses at The Artworks business incubator space - 800 local residents involved in creating temporary communal gardens - 39 projects funded by the Elephant and Castle community fund to date - 6,000 jobs created (5,000 during development; 1,000 once complete) - Seven new squares, parks and public spaces - 47% of publicly accessible open space – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - Focus on fresh produce and locally sourced food - A new war memorial providing a civic and ceremonial focal point in Walworth Square - At least 10% of retail floorspace provided at affordable rents and deal structures to local and independent retailers - Over 2,000 local people consulted on the masterplan
Sustainability and Future Focus
- One of only 19 climate-positive developments worldwide and first in the UK - A minimum of 50% reduction in storm water run-off - 100% FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) Timber Certification - 98% diversion of construction waste from landfill targeted - 11 acres of public, open space with green amenity and linkages - Unique opportunity to deliver a 40-year headstart for the landscape through retaining existing mature trees - Retained trees creating a mature landscape and hundreds of trees planted locally to ensure an overall increase in tree canopy across Elephant and Castle. - Biodiversity, Ecology & Nature (BEN) plan incorporated into every plot including green roofs on available roof space - 15 ‘FutureHome’ Townhouses built to Passivhaus standard – the first in central London - Onsite energy centre that delivers net zero-carbon heating and hot water across Elephant Park, utilising biomethane as a carbon offset - Electric vehicle charging point in every phase - Modern methods of construction such as the use of Cross Laminated Timber - 3% of total electricity generated by solar PV
Location and Connectivity
- A central Zone 1 neighbourhood and pivotal transport hub, connected to Greater London in every direction - Within walking distance to the South Bank and the City - Pedestrian priority – walkability focus throughout and beyond the neighbourhood to celebrate and maximise the incredible connectivity of the place - Connected cycleways including four routes through the site; over 3,000 bicycle spaces within the neighbourhood and 90 new bicycles for hire - Over £30m invested in local transport infrastructure - Nine new Car Club spaces
The functional attributes describe the practical assets of Elephant Park that exist by nature of its geographical location as well as the functional benefits that will come about as a result of the regeneration.
functional attributes
Opportunities
- Building on existing creative hub and culture - ‘Fill the hole’, create a heart, create a destination for all - Perception change: from a place where many people are in transit to a place where they may stop and spend time (and spend money?) from grey to green - Value creation: house prices, business opportunities, (local) jobs - Increase pride in place and lift the surroundings, raise the bar - Be bigger than just Elephant Park (place + LL opportunity) - Authentic, get the best out of the grit (not too tidy!)
Weaknesses
- Perception of South London - No boundary, indistinguishable from other projects in the area, risk of negative association - Transcience - Somewhere people pass through and don’t stop - History - Poor perception of safety due to barriers in physical environment
Threats
- Disparate developers - ‘Beautification’ – perception of only cosmetic-only changes - Rental value drives out locals and the reputation of gentrification - Capital values drive out local buyers - Inward investment (opportunity and threat) - Failed activation - Sanitation of the ‘grit’
Strengths
- Location – Central London - Recognition and appeal of name - Connectivity (and pre-established understanding of it) - Character of community - Pride of place - History - Discovery / layers of cultural experiences - Greenery, trees, places to enjoy nature
Jean Brown, Trafalgar Place resident
The Elephant has sometimes had a bad reputation. But I’ve lived at the Elephant since 1942 and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
future
current
The emotional attributes relate to how people think and feel about Elephant Park. They create the intangible and emotional connection we understand to exist now and those we hope they will have in the future when the development is complete.
We want this development to set a new standard in city living, one that provides access to fantastic shops, restaurants and services as well as a friendly atmosphere, and human scale, and open space that you can really unwind in. Somewhere you can get to know your neighbours. Elephant Park’s potential residents are attracted to a lifestyle enlivened by social interaction and culturally diverse experiences. They also seek out world-class accessibility and amenities. They’re looking for an area they’ll be proud to call home – somewhere their friends and family will want to visit. The melting pot of experiences on offer in Elephant and Castle, from local theatre groups to diverse food options, to convenience and fun, will appeal to their desire to live in a special place.
Investors
Investors are crucial to ensure early funding for projects to get under way. Investors at Elephant Park are wide ranging. They will include those who buy the homes that are built; Southwark Council, which has invested the land in the project; institutions looking to invest in homes for Build to Rent and affordable housing, and retail and office space; members of the existing community, who have invested significant time in the consultation process; and Lendlease itself. What unites all investors is the desire to see long-term value creation, some with horizons of a few years, others looking for longer term value creation and revenue generation. The success of the place in being a desirable place to live, visit and spend time and in feeling safe, clean and exciting, is vital to protecting and enhancing this long-term value for all.
The Elephant is home to over 30,000 students – that attend both the two local universities – London College of Communications and London Southbank University as well as some of London’s major universities. The challenge for The Elephant, and for Southwark, is that while many of the world’s most talented students live and study here, very few stay to start their careers and businesses in the area. Offering a range of options for start-up business spaces, as well as attracting a range of employers, will help to keep students in the area in the longer term. The development process itself also offers fantastic opportunities for students to showcase their work and collaborate in new ways of thinking about urban regeneration. Finally, the new development will provide more places for students to spend time and money locally, which will support jobs and businesses in the area.
students
The Elephant’s visitors are as diverse as its residents. They range from students from across Central London, to families with young children who live in the urban fringes of London. Currently many of those who may visit the Elephant, currently see it as somewhere they may pass through on their way somewhere else. The ambition is that Londoners of all types may once again see the Elephant as somewhere exciting, inspiring and where they are welcome to spend time. Future visitors to the Elephant may have stumbled upon and become captivated by this green piece of city. They may have planned lunch with a friend. They may be regular commuters who decided to stop off on the way home from work one time. In any case, they will enjoy the new connectivity and ease of getting to and around the Elephant on foot. Visitors will be looking for new ways to maximise their free time, places where they can catch up with friends and family while enjoying the best the city has to offer. They are interested in both traditional and unconventional experiences, are curious about other cultures, enjoy eating as an adventure and like to know what’s new. It’s somewhere interesting, easy and welcoming to stop, where they will always find something to tell their friends about.
Visitors
There is a wealth of opportunities for businesses large and small across the significant amount of workspace to be provided in Elephant Park. There are significant opportunities for local businesses in the area that are providing goods and services to the development; for students and entrepreneurs looking for affordable and flexible space to start a new business; and for local businesses looking to expand. The creativity, energy, and opportunity in the local economy is vital to secure the long-term future of the Elephant and its residents, and will be a critical part of the lifeblood of the ground floor uses at Elephant Park. We must continually seek to maximise opportunities and adapt to changing business needs as the development progresses. Commercial residents at Elephant Park will range from large scale businesses to SME owners in creative or professional services. They’re either stepping into a more formalised business setting, or migrating to larger, closer or more appropriate premises. They are inspired by, and work with, the diversity of businesses and students in the area, or they may have started their business nearby, and want to stay and grow here. They want to establish their business in a place which reflects their values – a place which embraces diversity, forward thinking and uniqueness. Being connected to the heart of London is critical. It makes sense economically, and it keeps them on the map.
Office workers and employees
Elephant Park is buzzing at night, a place where people gather to meet, shop and eat to unwind and recharge at the end of the working day. Its proximity to Central London makes it a lively place during weekdays, but also through to evenings and weekends, where the shops and many places to eat foster a flow of people through its streets. Some retailers will be local, small and independent, others will be well-loved chains. They will be a critical part of the local economy, adding income to the neighbourhood day and night, and encouraging workers, visitors and residents to spend more of their time and money in the Elephant. Retail at Elephant Park will be a community of businesses that complement one another to form a mixed, vibrant experience, attracting people to visit and return. Local retailers will already have a customer base and want to stay in the area. New retailers will be drawn to Elephant Park’s Central London location and connectivity. The intimacy of its neighbourhood will appeal. They will know their customers, and the network of businesses will be strong. By and large, they will not be trying to be everything to everyone. They will be aware of, and attracted by, their role in completing the neighbourhood scene.
retailers
Elephant Park, with its network of connected and walkable streets, free-flowing roads and green spaces spreading the smells and sounds of nature through it, this is a place that will feel relaxed despite its city centre location. Residents and visitors will feel that they can let their hair down and enjoy the place. And it will provide them with the events, traditions, cultural diversity, food experiences and quiet spaces that will allow them to do that. It will feel safe but not be overly managed and controlled. The residents of Elephant and Castle are already a diverse group, ranging from a multi-ethnic cross section of first and second-generation immigrants to long-term residents, students and renters. The new development will enable more people to live in this Central London neighbourhood. The homes provided will cover a wide cross section of size and tenure from three and four-bedroom townhouses, to studios and one-bedroom apartments – 25% of the housing will be affordable and designed to be tenure blind, and a large number of homes will be built for rent. It will have a special appeal to city dwellers who desire to live in Central London locations to pursue their careers, but it may also appeal to downsizers who want the convenience of a comfortable home within a green and peaceful setting that has a village feel and grow gardens, but is close to all of the amenities of Central London.
Elephant Park Residents
It will be a place many more will want to call home. It will offer others an exciting place for work or play. These new audiences will help support the local economy, with more people encouraged to spend locally and enhance the local economy. Everyone will experience Elephant Park differently and will develop their own relationship with the area. New stories will develop naturally over time, providing even more layers of meaning to Elephant and Castle. Despite its Central London location, Elephant and Castle has historically significant social and economic challenges, such as high unemployment, poor health outcomes, high levels of childhood obesity, relatively low daytime working population and therefore low local spend. The Elephant has also been a gateway area of London for many arriving to the city to make a new life, and as a result the area has become shaped and enriched by waves of immigration including Bengali, Caribbean and Latin American communities. Many have set up businesses in the local area which in turn reflect the communities that live there. The opportunities that can be unlocked through large-scale regeneration must therefore ensure tangible benefit is delivered to local people and businesses. This is why we have committed to ambitious targets in local employment, local procurement, affordable housing, and environmental sustainability. Ultimately this development needs to create a genuinely mixed-use and mixed-tenure community, that is economically, socially and environmentally resilient, to achieve long-term success.
Elephant Park is a local neighbourhood within a global city. First and foremost, Elephant Park needs to appeal to those who already live in the Elephant. In time, this will encourage those who currently pass through the area – such as the students who currently study here but do not stay on after their studies, and people from other parts of London who may commute through – to spend more time here too. It will also encourage business owners and entrepreneurs to see this as a place where they can start or expand their businesses.
OUR COMMUNITY
Interpreting Our Place Pillars
The place pillars are intended to provide a guide and inspiration for all those working to deliver regeneration in Elephant & Castle and, in particular, on the Elephant Park project. What follows are some examples of ways in which the place pillars can be interpreted in the context of our asset classes that will exist in the completed development, but also critically in the way in which we approach critical aspects of the development that will have a significant impact upon the way it feels and is experienced by those who live and work here. They are intended to be illustrative, not exhaustive and to provide a guide and inspiration not a set of rules.
Articulating our Place Pillars through our asset classes
public realm & infastructure
retail
residential
Public realm & infrastructure
A new green heart & natural streetscape
Authentic & Welcoming
- Planting along road edges and highways - Unprecedented commitment to greening not just the development but the surrounding streets including up to 1000 trees planted within a 1 km radius of Elephant Park - Green links in all directions from Elephant Park - Low carbon, decentralized district heat network and energy centre with the capacity for local buildings to connect into - A net gain in biodiversity through the integration of green walls, rain gardens, green roofs, insect hotels and bird & bat boxes - Promotion of green spaces beyond the site boundary to improve biodiversity & enhance accessibility to public realm in the surrounding area
- Community platform for local people to put on events in the public realm - Design and maintenance of public realm for use by local community groups - Community involvement in the design of public spaces - Considered planting on and off site, contributing to the local initiatives such as the Low Line and Walworth Green Links - Local furniture makers and community groups engaged in the reuse of felled timber to create outdoor seating and sculpture in the public realm
- Seamless connection between Southwark and Elephant Park streets through the use of the local material palette - Integration with broader London through layout and direct relationship to existing streets such as Wansey Street, not a closed, private estate disconnected from its surroundings - Streets and buildings named after local people, places and things through community naming project - Park open 24 hours a day, not fenced- Play areas that provide opportunities for those of all abilities and spread throughout different parts of the site - Lots of opportunities to sit and rest throughout the public realm - Consideration of management in design to ensure no element of the public realm will become a long term financial burden to the Estate
- Streets where pedestrians and cyclists feel safe and prioritised over vehicles - ‘Human scale’ streets: designed for people rather than cars- Use of durable materials that will last and are robust reflecting the surrounding context - Commitment to preservation of tree canopy thanks to extensive tree replacement, planting programme and planting of semi-mature trees - Incorporation of 90 bikes for hire within the development - London style public realm of streets and squares
ReTAIL
- Generous retail spill-out areas and safe pathways for shoppers - Fringe of food and beverage retail that opens up on to the park - Use of green leases - Support provided to tenants at fit out stage for more environmentally considerate operations - Walkable and cycle friendly masterplan welcoming pedestrians and cyclists in to the retail environments to drive footfall and foster environmentally conscious businesses that are connected to their community
- The inclusion of successful artworks tenants as part of the project legacy - Commitment to local operators and start-ups - Commitment to 10% affordable retail - Contribution to the objectives of the Southwark Council Economic Wellbeing Strategy - Curatorial approach to leasing that considers cultural fit and the needs of the local economy - Food offer that enables healthy yet affordable choices
- The genuine integration of local businesses within the mix - A diversity of price points and products reflective of local needs - Highly-social cafes, pavilions and popups that create various meeting points - Cafes and restaurants that spill out onto the pavements and streets to create a convivial atmosphere
- Busy, bustling and vibrant retail that activates the social life of the neighbourhood - 7-days-a-week retail offer - Trading hours that meet the needs of inner city residents creating week round activity and life and encourage an evening economy - Quality established and emerging retail mix for diverse offer - International flavour reflective of population living, working and visiting the Elephant - A retail masterplan that complements the high street uses to the south and town centre & transport hub to the north
Residential
- Homes that contribute to the Elephant’s Green Heart (delivering on the three pillars of sustainability: social, natural and economic) - Public and residents’ wellbeing at the heart of design with the greening of spaces maximised - Extensive use of Cross Laminated Timber - Use of responsibly sourced materials, and healthy finishes such as low VOC paints - Building designs sympathetic to, and enhancing, the existing and proposed natural environment - Sustainable design integral to the design process, not a ‘tick box’ - Internal residential courtyards provide a green heart and focal point for all plots - Selection of Townhouses built to passivhaus standards
- Affordable homes available for local people first through help-to-buy scheme and shared ownership - All homes marketed to the UK market first - 3/4 bed family homes provided at social rent levels of affordability - 1 & 2 bed affordable homes for rent capped at 50% of market values - Places for residents to meet, work and socialise at all times of day regardless of living and working patterns - Local jobs promoted wherever possible (including through our provision of affordable housing on the project) - Places designed for informal and serendipitous meeting - Opportunities for diverse mix of people to meet and engage
- Architecture which responds to the local context - Quality materials to make the area feel both established and welcoming - Buildings named after local people and stories gleaned from a community naming project - Resident facilities and amenities designed to help build communities (Grow Gardens and residents’ rooms) - Ongoing resident engagement for continued improvement - A safe and welcoming environment: active frontages from buildings that don’t ‘turn their backs’ on neighbours - Public and semi public spaces overlooked by homes providing natural surveillance. With blank elevations and back of house minimized to animate the streetscape - Tenure-blind buildings - Maximum of 8 homes per core designed to reduce circulation and offer opportunity to get to know your neighbours
- A place where people want to live, a vibrant community - Safe, secure, welcoming and exciting - A community (new & established) of residents of diverse backgrounds - A range of homes from studio to four bedroom townhouses with flexible layouts and excellent finishes offering a broad choice for residents from different needs and backgrounds - Bringing contemporary standards and a suitable density to the area - Selection of high quality materials that celebrate local heritage and have a durability akin to the best of London’s residential buildings - Exemplar amenity offering that is flexible and futureproof - Walking distance from your front door to the best of London’s entertainment and food offerings - Buildings that age gracefully
COMMERCIAL
- Outdoor spaces within the trees that can provide opportunities for outdoor working and meetings - Open, grassed areas for team building exercises and fitness classes - Support provided to tenants at fit out stage for more environmentally considerate operations - Tenants who encourage healthy and environmentally - conscious choices for their employees - Activity based working and future proofed design of spaces to maximize flexibility to reduce overall space requirements per person.
- New employment opportunities for local residents, smaller independents and start ups - Flexible workspaces, smaller spaces and shorter leases to minimise barriers to entry - Engagement with workers to support local businesses and charitable endeavours - Support of bustling day time and early evening trade in local shops - Tenants that will maximise opportunities for local talent pool to stay in the area.
- Increased diversity through international businesses - A bustling, welcoming, lively place for all with additional office workers in the area - Open access for all in ground-floor office areas (all-weather locations for people to meet) - Commercial tenants that reflect the existing and future character of the place.
- Businesses that invest in the community (time, money and resources) to benefit local schools, colleges and not for profit organisations - Estate Charge income to contribute to the maintenance and upkeep of the public realm - Excellent transport connections maximise proximity to central London - A place for businesses that appreciate and enjoy the mix of convenient location as well as the existing character.
RETAIL
Our strategic approach will be articulated throughout the public realm, our asset classes, and the place’s ongoing stewardship.
Bringing our Place Pillars to life
Interim place activation & community engagement
- Open up part of the park and public spaces as soon as is practical and engage people in the spaces through fantastic facilities and a range of events and activities - Host the Park Advisory Group - Engage and educate people in the tree story such as through tree planting, and the reuse of timber from felled trees for furniture and sculpture - Considered planting on and off site, contributing to local initiatives such as the Low Line and East Walworth Green Links.
- Set up and continue to build the Elephant & Castle community fund - Work with our staff and supply chain to deliver successful community days in the local area - Maximise the opportunities of the development and construction process to educate and inspire local school children and young people in the built environment - Working with Southwark Council to ensure the Southwark Construction Skills Centre drives skills enhancement among local people - Utilise the site during transition to create opportunities for entrepreneurs, creativity, and the exploration of ideas
- Open up the site as much as possible and as early as possible to bring forward the benefits of regeneration - Work with local partners to deliver community programmes, temporary uses and events on and around the site - Listen to and engage with the community to ensure we understand their expectations and hopes for the development.
- London is constantly changing both physically and demographically – this process of change creates space for innovation and for the temporary which can create unique opportunities for enterprise and creativity. We should seek to maximise these wherever possible - For many who live and work around the development, the period of construction could be all that they experience of the development, as a team we must seek ways to make this experience positive and bring benefits now, not just in the future.
Commitment to construction excellence
- Protection & nurturing of retained mature, and newly planted semi-mature trees - Unplanned removal of trees as last resort - Removed trees only removed at the latest possible moment to maximise the benefits of their canopy for Londoners - Impact of the construction process on the environment minimised wherever possible - 100% responsibly sourced timber - Holding yards to minimize vehicle movements and idling on public roads - Insistence of (Fleet Operator Recognition Scheme) FORS for vehicles attending site to support best practice for fleet in terms of safety, efficiency & Environmental protection - Air Quality monitoring throughout the build process - Solar Panels used on project offices.
- Lendlease & Southwark Council focus on opportunities for local people to find work and upskill through the construction process and through working closely with the Southwark Construction Skills Centre - Engagement and inspiration of young people to choose a career in construction and the built environment - Local suppliers engaged whenever possible - Seek to maximise the diversity of the workforce.
- Respectful consideration of end users and the public who are living and working around the construction site - Lendlease presented in the best light at every opportunity - Regular, timely, ongoing communication with our existing community and new residents, and tenant occupiers - One central site accommodation bringing together the whole project team from development and construction to sub-contractors offices and operative welfare, to create a respectful and collaborative environment that recognises the team effort in achieving the project vision.
- Established quality of workmanship through Trafalgar Place and South Gardens - Detail and quality of design and delivery - Highest quality in workmanship that will stand the test of time - Minimise disruption of the construction process to local residents and workers - Education of workforce and cyclist re: cycle safety, use of holding yards, use of FORS - Sharing of the learning and process of the development with Greater London.
Norma Lawrence, Wansey Street resident
They’ll always return your call,” she says, recalling how her emails were answered by staff even when on holiday. “How many developers can you march over and tell them your thoughts? I don’t think many. And I always do because I can.
Our projects are long and complex, and for many, both existing communities and our first residents and businesses, their experience of Elephant and Castle is now, not in 2030. Therefore it is crucial that we consider the experience of the place in transition while we are here, as well as the place that will continue long after we have gone. This experience of a place in transition can be positive and help to create the place we ultimately hope it will be – or it could detract and do the opposite. As a consequence, significant care must be taken in how we approach the process of change. This we see as the crucial part of what will shape the place in the long term.
“Great places rarely happen overnight”
Using our Place Pillars to guide project delivery
Ongoing place stewardship
- Biodiversity, Ecology and Nature (BEN) management to achieve real ecological gain - A “biodiversity first” management regime - Education of residents/visitors - Nature-based learning engagement with local schoolchildren - Focus on linking biodiversity across plots and beyond the boundary of site - Elephant Park as an integral link in greenway habitat corridors, in-line with local authority initiatives such as Walk Elephant (Southwark) and Green Links (East Walworth)
- Estate management and security presence that is low-key and welcoming - A safe and clean place, but not overly controlled or sanitized - Development of an Estate Management Regime that is unobtrusive yet efficient - A public realm delivering the highest standards of security and cleanliness - An ‘Elephant Park Team’ that has broad knowledge of place, assigned to build team spirit and a sense of ownership through careful selection of delivery partners/contractors/staff - Ongoing input from local authority and police teams (appropriate staffing levels and responses risks) - 24/7 safety and assistance
- Estate management and security presence that is low-key and welcoming - A safe and clean place, but not overly controlled or sanitized - Development of an Estate Management Regime that is unobtrusive yet efficient - A public realm delivering the highest standards of security and cleanliness - An ‘Elephant Park Team’ that has broad knowledge of place, assigned to build team spirit and a sense of ownership through careful selection of delivery partners / contractors / staff - Ongoing input from local authority and police teams (appropriate staffing levels and responses risks) - 24/7 safety and assistance
- Estate operatives and staff that are identifiable but not heavily branded - Development that feels like a piece of city, not a theme park - Estate operatives that act as ‘Park Hosts’ welcoming visitors/residents to Elephant Park - Park Hosts trained on key security aspects (as determined by consultation with the Police) - Assignment of ambassadors and ‘Park Makers’ (akin to Olympic Games Makers) to develop a sense of community - Long term: cohesive town centre management across the wider Elephant & Castle area through early and active engagement with local partners
The way that a place is managed in the long term can have a significant impact on how it feels as a place. The public realm at Elephant Park is unlikely to be adopted by Southwark Council. Therefore, it’s long term stewardship will be funded by the service charges of residents, retailers and businesses in Elephant Park and managed by their representatives. How we set the tone in the management will be important in ensuring that our vision for an open and welcoming place that drives local opportunity and remains that way long in to the future. That starts from designing with management in mind, and ensuring our designs do not create an unnecessary financial burden on the service charge. Then in operation it means ensuring the place is managed in the most efficient way possible, and provides a warm and welcoming environment that engenders a sense of ownership and pride among the local community so that there is a collective desire and responsibility to ensure it is well managed and can be enjoyed by all, long in to the future.
The role of the Place Pillars in Legacy
VIEW DETAILS
Plot H7
Masterplan Phase 4
MP1a – Energy Centre
South Gardens Elephant Park Masterplan Phase 1
Masterplan Phase 3
West Grove Masterplan Phase 2
Plot H1
One The Elephant
Trafalgar Place
Although every aspect of what we do in Elephant & Castle should be guided by the place pillars, there are specific areas that will more prominently and visibly capture our place vision, and where the benefits of the regeneration project will be most obvious. The next section of the Placebook describes what we call our ‘Place Projects’ in more detail. The section is divided in to 3 parts: 1. Core Place Projects: Specific areas within the completed development that have a distinct character and purpose, aiming in different ways to reflect the place vision and place pillars. 2. Adjacent Place Projects: This section highlights key local projects, either existing or in development that complement and enhance the vision for the Elephant. The examples provided here are not completely exhaustive as there are so many wonderful places in the Elephant both now and in development, but it is hoped the examples provided here will help to provide some inspiration and context for the special places that we seek to create, enhance and learn from.
16
14
20
19
17
13
12
9
8
7
6
5
1a
OTE
H.5
H.7
H.4
H.1
H.2
H.3
H.6
H.10
H.12
H.13
TP
H.11b
H.11a
Over 0.8 hectares of open space with many retained mature trees Significant new area of open green space for all to enjoy Canopy of new and existing mature trees provide shelter and shade Landscape is not overly manicured, with a wide range of species to promote biodiversity and resilience
Opportunities for local people to participate in community growing projects Events and activities in the park that are provided for and put on by the community Pavilion opportunity for a local retailer Creation of the new green heart to drive footfall through the development Play areas which are accessible for all
Open to all, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week Local talented retail offer Mix of the best food & beverage retail to the north and health /wellness retail to the south Indoor/outdoor feel to the retail Children’s play area overlooked by the Pavilion café
Traditional London Park providing an oasis of calm in the hustle and bustle of the surrounding city Surrounded by fantastic restaurants and cafes, it provides a real social focus for Elephant Park with activation throughout the year A suite of cafés and restaurants, making the most of the southerly aspect and fronting directly onto the green heart of the development
The Park
The Park and the promenades to its North and South are the defining centre of Elephant Park. The Park is dominated by mature trees planted in the 1960s which are now in their prime. The Park is a peaceful and green heart to the surrounding bustle of the city. It is framed by buzzing restaurants to the North, quieter, slower-paced shops, to the South. In the centre of the Park at the apex of Sayer Street is the pavilion, which provides a focal point for social activity, a meeting point. It’s a place that encourages people to dwell longer, to visit all year round and in all weather.
Core Place projects
park links
Park Links describes the three important routes between New Kent Road and the Park; Ash Avenue, Lion Way and Chatteris Way. These routes are critical in providing strong north / south routes through the site bringing a more open and accessible feel to the Park and the wider development. Each route has its own unique character and purpose. Ash Avenue is the route closest to Castle Square, and characterised by small shops and work spaces on the ground floor of Elephant 1 on its western side, and a large residential entrance on its eastern side. The landscaped street is primarily pedestrian and a key route for cyclists, providing a visual connection to Meadow Row to the north. Lion Way is in the centre of the triad and is slightly wider than the other Park Links. Lion Way provides an important visual connection from Falmouth Road to the north to the Park. It also allows for the servicing of the buildings to its east and west, which critically helps to take vehicular traffic away from the Park edge. The landscaped space will be activated by the comings and going of people from the East Grove Tower, and also with the large play area adjacent to the Park. Chatteris Way is the narrowest of the three park links, and the least natural desire line, which in turn will help to make it a quieter route. The businesses that will operate on this street will not rely on footfall but do provide activity of their own and will visually and physically take ownership of the street with shop fronts and signage that create an individual signature. This is the street you might take a slight detour to walk up, just because you like it. Chatteris Way will primarily provide space for small and creative businesses that are perhaps too small to take on a larger office space but have outgrown shared work spaces.
A pedestrian-friendly street with interesting things to see along the way Softened streetscapes through subtle landscaping Cycling hub at the southern end of Chatteris way
Unique, smaller and therefore more affordable business units with their own front doors Unique and diverse business spaces provide new opportunities with strong connections to local universities
Opportunity for passers-by to see what is happening in the businesses inside - the opposite of ‘behind closed doors’ Opening the Park from north to South with a strong pedestrian focus
The best of London’s entrepreneurial spirit Workspaces for new creative businesses Compact and active streets – every street has its own character Reconnecting traditional street patterns
Retain as many of the large mature trees as possible and increase tree planting to help absorb pollution and create a more pleasant environment Make a virtue of the wider pavement to create places for people to meet and spend time
Aim to attract businesses that will both employ local people and utilise local services and restaurants to support the local economy Workspaces that will appeal to local, creative and small businesses
Softening the existing environment to ensure it is more pleasant for walking with increased numbers of crossings along New Kent Road connecting north and south
Making the most of a busy location to bring activity all week round Workspaces and social spaces fit for the future High density living and working
New Kent Road
New Kent Road is a busy thoroughfare within Elephant & Castle located on the route of London’s inner ring road, it is a key traffic route through to central London from the south east. The vision for New Kent Road is to make the most of this active frontage and dynamic location to provide for a range of contemporary commercial workplaces and retail environments. This is where businesses that blur the lines between retail and office and social spaces could thrive. Critically for the wider Elephant Park development, the mix of tenants along New Kent Road will provide a valuable daytime and evening audience for Elephant Park, further supporting the retail elsewhere.
Beautifully designed landscape and play spaces, with attention to detail Retained mature trees and new planting
High quality public realm and play areas opening up more public space in to active use New nursery, 1400 sq ft space community use
Opening up the workings of the energy centre to a new audience Human scale building, with a play area, front doors and gardens facing the street, creating a welcoming environment Name taken from previous Victorian street pattern, identified as part of community naming project.
Bringing function, learning and socialising together in one space
Bodley Way
Bodley Way brings together the new Energy Hub and the Brandon Place Pocket Park, creating a new civic and social space. Although the primary function of the Energy Centre is to provide heat and hot water to the development (and the ability to connect into over 1,000 homes in the surrounding area), this building offers a fantastic opportunity to engage with residents, locals and visitors alike through bringing more visibility to the process of energy generation. The building itself will have a range of social and community uses such as a cafe, and nursery. The building opens-up to Brandon Street which will be a priority pedestrian and cycle-friendly street with a large and engaging play area. Further to the South and West is the Wansey Street community garden which provides a quieter more contemplative space where food growing and communal gardening is actively encouraged.
Resurfacing of Wansey Street provides significant enhancement to public realm No loss of existing trees provides mature and established feel to the street Some townhouses built to passivhaus standards, setting the highest standards in sustainability
Community garden for benefit of new and existing residents Rephasing of scheme to bring forward southern part of site enabled existing residents to enjoy benefit of regeneration sooner, and limit disruption of construction
Extensive community engagement programme from day 1, including the use of Spaceshaper to consider wide range of views and needs. Community garden and events to support integration of new and existing community
Design responds to the Larcom Street conservation area to the south in scale and style New and old adjacent Timeless design with the highest standards of sustainability
Wansey Street
Wansey Street, although primarily residential, has set a number of important precedents for the wider development in terms of our place vision. Wansey Street is the part of the development site that has an immediate border with existing residents, The Elephant Park development completes Wansey street with a row of new town houses to the north to complement the existing Victorian terraces and the start of the Larcom Street conversation area to the south. The street is also an important connection from west to east, connecting Walworth Square and Walworth Road to communities to the east, providing a pleasant and more direct walking route, and the South Gardens buildings provide new routes through from south to north increasing connectivity. Wansey Street residents have been actively and extensively engaged in the consultation from the start shaping the design and holding us to account. Wansey Street also sets an important precedent for ensuring strong connections between new and existing communities, that we hope to support through a range of events and also through communal engagement in the management of the Wansey Street Community Garden.
Trees provide shelter and shade and a green link to the Park to the north Opportunities to sit and rest along the way Pedestrian priority, with design measures used to slow down traffic
Smaller independent retailers prioritised and units offered at below market rents providing a unique opportunity, with low barriers to entry for local start-ups and SMEs Local employment opportunities in the shops and cafes
Pedestrians prioritised and encouraged to take time and enjoy the space Active thoroughfare day and night with warm lighting to provide welcoming and safe feel Name taken from previous Victorian street pattern, identified as part of community naming project
The best of the village atmosphere of parts of London - the contrast of the high street and the pace of the transport interchange with the neighbourly feel of the village street – human scale and slower pace A diverse offer of independent retailers Traditionally proportioned London Street
SAYER STREET
Although a shopping street, Sayer Street will take on a distinctively slower pace than the high streets of Walworth Road and New Kent Road. The streetscape is designed to slow down traffic and prioritise pedestrians encouraging them to take their time and linger. There will be places to sit along the way, and a range of smaller independent shops and cafes with an occasional known retail brand.
Trees provide shelter and shade and connect old with new, and extending the tree lined feel of Wansey Street to the Walworth Road Tree canopy that will provide a sense of enclosure, and frame to the space
Provide for people of varying means, proving affordable heathy food as well as a key social space Public realm improvements will open up more of the site for public access, creating more routes and more spaces to sit
Paving material that creates a sense of place and fits in with the context of the area Street furniture and public art will create a welcoming feel Town hall providing a backdrop for events and community gatherings, a familiar place where the community can come together and celebrate or reflect
The best of old and new meeting in a new civic space A typical London Square providing civic and social function creating a space for both formal and informal gatherings. A listed building
walworth square
Walworth Square is the southern gateway to the site from the Walworth Road. Walworth Square will be Elephant Park’s most significant food hub, providing a mix of casual dining and fresh produce with a distinctly independent style and providing a large civic space connecting Sayer Street and the wider Elephant Park development to Walworth in the south. The Square is bordered to the south by Walworth Town Hall, which is a heritage listed building and a building which has long served an important civic function in Southwark. Unfortunately, large parts of the building were destroyed by fire in 2013 and plans for its refurbishment are ongoing. It is hoped that a suitable use can be found for this building which will act as an important anchor to Walworth Square. The Square is also the preferred location for the new Southwark War Memorial which will provide a focal point for reflection, commemoration and remembrance. Walworth Square will be a meeting point and a chance to dwell, and a place that will appeal to a wide cross section of the Elephant & Castle community.
Erel Onojobi, Trafalgar Place resident
I think people even just enjoy walking through it (Trafalgar Place) because it’s clean, it’s light. All of that does really help to bring the place up and help people to feel proud of the place.
I think people even just enjoy walking through it (Trafalgar Place)because it’s clean, it’s light. All of that does really help to bring the place up and help people to feel proud of the place.
25 matures trees retained and 75 trees planted on the site, resulted in net gain in tree canopy Victory Place woodland play area amongst existing trees Blue roof and water recycling system and sustainable urban drainage along streetscape
Grow Gardens provide opportunity for residents to grow their own food and enjoy gardening in a communal setting Significant improvements to adjacent residential streets Balfour Street and Victory Place Woodland Walk play area, including incorporation of totem poles carved by the community from local trees
Open streets, with 50% of the development site accessible to the public Meet your neighbours events held in September 2015 to welcome new residents and existing neighbours New public walking routes across the site
Tonal brick pattern to reflect the locally listed Peabody buildings opposite Won ‘Best new place to Live’ in the London Planning awardsShortlisted for the RIBA Stirling prize Provides a new benchmark for city centre residential architecture
Trafalgar Place is the first phase that was completed in 2015 by Lendlease in Elephant & Castle. It was critical that this building set the tone for what we aimed to achieve with the wider development. As with all early stages of the development, the community living adjacent to the site were extensively involved in the consultation process and the development has blended well in to its surroundings. As with the wider Elephant Park development, Trafalgar Place increased permeability, re-establishing an historic Victorian route from west to east, and providing a significant proportion of high quality publicly accessible realm including a neighbourhood play area. The development has also paid close attention to its surroundings through careful selection of materials that will stand the test of time, and with considered design to enable the retention of many mature trees.
Tree lined boulevard including mature retained trees along southern side of the street Richly planted play areas and lush and green public realm to soften street environment
Creates a key link between the communities of Walworth in the south with Elephant Park to the north Public realm enhancements and new crossings along Heygate Street help encourage footfall to new local shops and businesses along Sayer Street
Front doors and gardens face the street providing good natural surveillance and welcoming feel Routes across the street welcome people to walk through the site rather than around it Two new street crossings New pedestrian routes on both the north and south sides of the street
Tree lined boulevard Important east / west link and increasing north / south links High quality paving and surface finishes that blend in with surrounding streets and provide a central London feel Retention of key east / west route
Heygate Street
Heygate Street bisects the Elephant Park development site from east to west, and has been one street that has remained since the Heygate development. When the Heygate was in place the street was overly wide, creating a favourable route for traffic, but with few routes through for pedestrians and an unwelcome street experience. In its legacy state, Heygate street will continue to provide a key route east to west, but it will be narrowed slightly, to slow traffic and create a friendlier, greener and more accessible environment for pedestrians and cyclists, encouraging more movement across the street from north to south
Tree-lined street with places to rest along the way Visual links through to the Park from Walworth Road
Walworth Road retail will be Elephant Park’s link to and continuation of the existing High Street retail. It will provide the local community primarily with convenience and everyday purchases from well-recognised brands
Local retailers, and human in scale Reconnecting the centre of Elephant & Castle to the high street of Walworth Road to the south encouraging visitors and commuters to explore further to the south of the transport hub
The feel of a traditional London neighbourhood street with quality finishes that will stand the test of time
Walworth Road
Walworth Road is a typical London high street. The southern part of the Walworth Road stretching from the Town Hall to Camberwell is already busy and diverse, selling everything from wigs, to bridal stores, to bespoke tailoring, peppered between high street chains, newsagents and hairdressers. Elephant Park, and specifically the ground floor retail of West Grove and Plot H1, will complete the connection between Elephant & Castle Town Centre and the existing Walworth Road High street to the south. This section of the new development will reconnect these two areas of commerce, with a typical high street offer of convenience and high street chains. The line of trees, named locally as ‘Walworth Woods’ that you can see as you walk under the railway bridge from Elephant & Castle are a clear visual marker that you are coming to Elephant Park and Walworth further to the South. This was identified through the consultation process as important trees for signifying that you are ‘coming home’. Therefore the retail will be set back somewhat from the road, with the trees providing some protection between traffic and pedestrians, creating a more pleasant walking environment that will draw people further south to explore beyond the transport hub, and therefore less likely to jump straight on a bus. As a high street, Walworth Road will always need to funnel large pedestrian, bus and traffic volumes. Elephant Park should act as a catalyst to support and enhance the southern part of the street.
The Pullens
The Pullens estate was built by James Pullen during the late 1800s, and at its fullest extent it comprised 684 homes over 12 blocks and 106 workshops arrange around 4 yards. Following bombing during World War II some of the buildings were damaged and others were demolished when they fell in to disrepair. The Council planned to demolish the buildings in 1970s but by the 1980s their plans were curtailed by an alliance of tenants and squatters. Today, the homes are in a mixture of council and private ownership and 3 of the yards, Clements, Iliffe and Peacock, still remain and house a variety of workspaces including architects, a dressmaker and potters as well as a number of small shops. The yards are of particular note, not just for the historical architecture, but for the role this has played in accommodating a range of work and retail uses in close proximity to residential dwellings that thrive despite not being on a major thoroughfare. Therefore, they provide a particularly useful precedent for the Park Links, and Chatteris Way in particular.
London College of Communication & The Tabernacle
London College of Communication is part of the University of the Arts London, and well known for its high calibre courses and alumni in the creative and communication arts. It has approximately 5,000 students studying courses in media, design and screen in preparation for careers in creative industries. The London College of Printing first moved to its campus in Elephant & Castle in 1962 becoming the London College of Community in 2004 as part of its formation in to University status as part of the University of the Arts London. Notable alumni include the photographer John Rankin and editor Jefferson Hack. The London College of Communication will move in to new premises as part of the Town Centre redevelopment, and the current site will be redeveloped in to a mixed use scheme.
The Tabernacle is a large independent Reformed Baptist church and one of the largest and most recognizable buildings in Elephant & Castle. The Tabernacle fellowship dates back to 1650, but it was not until 1861 that the building, designed by William Wilmer Pocock was finished enabling a permanent move for the fellowship to larger premises. The original building burned down in 1898 leaving just the front portico and basement, and then the rebuilt building was destroyed during bombing in World War II. Again, the portico and basement survived with the remaining building rebuilt in 1957 and is the building used today.
London Southbank University (LSBU) 251 & Skipton House
London Southbank University has been in Elephant & Castle since 1888, when it was originally set up as a polytechnic to ‘improve the mental and bodily health and social happiness’ of local people. The University has over 17,000 students and covers courses as diverse as arts and creative industries to applied sciences. In 2009 it opened a landmark building at the forefront of building sustainability and home to the university’s Centre for Efficient and Renewable Energy in Buildings (CEREB). The LSBU campus itself is also undergoing a programme of refurbishment and development. Just to the South of the LSBU campus is Skipton House which is a large and distinctive office building, currently occupied by the NHS. This site is subject to planning consent for a major redevelopment to provide a major office and leisure destination. Building 251 further to the north along Newington Causeway was completed in 2017 and is a 41 storey tower comprising 335 apartments, 3,100 office space and 280 sqm retail and designed by Allies and Morrison, and lies along a key route connecting Elephant and Castle to Borough in the north.
St Mary’s Quarter
Realstar’s new development at Newington Butts, and just to the south of the new Castle Centre, will provide 457 new homes. Realstar will deliver 278 one and two-bedroom apartments, and once complete will have a team who live onsite to look after residents and manage the building. Within the development, Peabody will offer 69 homes through their shared ownership scheme and the remaining 179 homes will also be managed by them. The building will be the new home for the Southwark Playhouse and will include a café, gym and Sky Lounge.
One the Elephant, developed by Lendlease and completed in 2016 provided a major catalyst to unlock Southwark Council’s desire for a new leisure centre, The Castle Centre. Our shared vision has enabled this one site to deliver successful residential, leisure and open space. The Castle Centre provides free gym and swim to local residents on certain days during the week. The project was fully funded by One the Elephant, alongside St Mary’s Churchyard Park which was also updated with improvements to the play area, and a new fountain, providing a popular and welcome oasis of green near the hustle and bustle of the transport hub.
New Town Centre
Delancey, the owners of the Shopping Centre at Elephant and Castle are bringing forward plans to redevelop it as a new pedestrianised town centre. This will comprise new homes, shops, leisure facilities, a new Northern Line station, and a new campus for London College of Communication, which is part of the University of Arts London. In 2016 TFL completed work to transform the former northern roundabout in to a peninsula, connecting the Northern Line ticket hall to the shopping centre. The new peninsula has created a significant new public open space and improved walkability between the Bakerloo line and Northern Line at the surface.
Elephant 1 & Castle Square
Although not part of the Elephant Park development, Elephant 1 delivered by Delancey is the closest new development and sits immediately adjacent to the Elephant Park buildings on New Kent Road. Also positioned on New Kent Road and adjacent to the railway track, Elephant 1 sits in a key position between the transport hub to the west and the residential neighbourhood to the south and east. The building itself is comprised 374 units, which are a mixture of student and build to rent accommodation. At the ground floor, the building is activated by a Sainsbury’s supermarket, a gym and a range of smaller shops and restaurants. To the south of the building is Castle Square, which is a new significant civic amenity space which will host a market and events throughout the week and at weekends. Castle Square is the main gateway to the Park and therefore it is important that these two spaces, despite their different ownership, work well together.
The Low Line
Inspired by the High Line in New York, the Low Line is a jigsaw puzzle of pockets of land that together will create a new pedestrian route running adjacent to the railway line connecting London Bridge by the River to the southern parts of Southwark. The Low Line is a collection read of projects, ranging from landscaping, lighting, brick cleaning and events to celebrate the history and potential of these amazing Victorian Arches. The Low Line runs right through Elephant & Castle, with a key stretch running alongside Elephant Road between Castle Square and the new shopping centre. Over time this will provide even more walkability and accessibility and support a range of businesses along the way. A Low Line project at Spare Street, just to the south of Elephant Road is now home to one of the temporary use projects on the former Heygate site, Hotel Elephant which has refurbished 5 derelict railway arches to create new artist workshops and a café.
Victory Park & East Walworth Green Links
Victory Park borders the Elephant Park development to the east and provides an important neighbourhood green space. Maddock Place will provide a key route from Elephant Park to Victory Park connecting the new green spaces of the park with the wider East Walworth Green links, which include Victory Park, Salisbury Row Park, Nursery Row Park to Burgess Park in the south. The purpose of East Walworth Green Links is to encourage an alternative way of travelling between the Elephant & Castle and Burgess Park, visiting the smaller parks on the way. If offers a safer, quieter, greener, cleaner and more relaxed way to travel around the area for those on foot or bike, as well as being of great benefit to local wildlife by connecting networks of green spaces, thus enhancing habitats.
All around the Elephant Park development site there are further new developments as well as some existing local gems and community initiatives, that all need to work together to build a picture of a place that is both new and optimistic, yet with layers of history still apparent and increasingly better connected that ever to its Central London context. What follows is a selection of some of the key places to be aware of. There are many more if you take the time to explore.
adjacent place Projects
Randy Co-Founder of Marcel & Sons
“We’re really excited to have set-up at the Artworks and already have people travelling from all over London to sample our food. We love the local area, having lived and studied here for over 10 years, and can’t wait to be part of all the change that is going to take place over the next few years”.
(November 2016 - est February 2019) An event space located on the same future development plot as The Artworks, the space is London’s first ‘contamphitheatre’ – a tent structure encircled by shipping containers. The space will host larger events and performances, bringing a new audience to The Elephant, supporting new opportunities for dance, performance and music, and supporting the evening economy, as well as celebrating the music hall, cabaret and circus history of The Elephant’s heyday. Lost Rivers is located at the southern edge of Castle Square.
Lost Rivers
(Temporary use on the Elephant Park site between September 2012 – September 2014. Then relocated to a temporary site on Newington Causeway, and now located within refurbished railway arches on Spare street – Part of the Low Line). A gallery and bar as well as affordable studio and space for artists to rent, Hotel Elephant utilised space in the former doctors’ surgery of the Heygate Estate between 2011 and 2014 to make way for demolition. During this time, the artist Reuben Powell ran an art project with local school children to engage them in the process of demolition and to create artwork for the hoardings. Hotel Elephant then moved to another temporary site on Newington Causeway and in 2016 it secured a 25-year lease on a series of railway arches on Spare Street.
Hotel Elephant
(August 2017 onwards) The first phase of the park provides just over 0.4 hectares of public park for use by the community, residents and visitors alike. It connects to Castle Square and provides a peaceful oasis of trees, grass and intricate and varied planting in amongst the hustle and bustle of the Elephant & Castle transport hub and the construction site. The Park also provides a performance space and large play area and there will be an extensive programme of activities to encourage people to make use of this space before it evolves in to the completed park c. 2021
Park Phase 1
(August 2016 - May 2021) At its peak, the project will have c. 1,800 people working on site. Therefore, the people working on the project will begin to shape the place by their presence, it is also important that the experience of working at Elpehant Park is a positive one, where workers feel cared for and respected, such that they will also treat the work and the community with the same degree of care and respect. A cornerstone of this approach was to ensure that the project provides world class welfare and office facilities, and at Elephant Park this has meant bringing together development, construction, subcontractors and operatives under one roof. The Faraday Project office is 5,000 sqm and designed to evolve with the project needs over time, aiming to accommodate the five peak years of activity onsite. The office is designed to the highest standards of sustainability, and intends to improve collaboration and reduce waste in duplication of multiple smaller site offices.
Faraday
(August 2016 - est May 2021) The Southwark Construction Skills Centre is located adjacent to the Faraday project office and will train over 1,000 people per year. The site is unusual in its city centre location, and also with its outdoor training yard. The building itself is wholly owned by Southwark Council and has been designed to be moved to another construction site within the borough at the end of its time at Elephant Park.
Southwark Construction Skills Centre
(October 2012 - est September 2017) Community gardens which emerged when the site first became vacant. A place has been provided at three different locations within the development site since 2012 to ensure that communal gardening could continue throughout the demolition and construction processes. In the completed scheme there are many opportunities for communal gardening in the resident courtyards, and within spaces in the public realm.
Mobile gardeners /Grow Elephant
(September 2014 - February 2019) A business incubator hub of 38 shipping containers, including a community library, and meeting space / venue for hire. The Artworks hosts a range of businesses from startup creative businesses, to food and lifestyle. The shipping containers have provided a stepping stone between startup and market-style businesses being able to take on a longer term lease. It is hoped some of the businesses, many of which are owned by Southwark residents, will go on to lease space in the completed development.
Artworks
A key theme to emerge from the consultation process was that for many local people the completed development was too far into the future to be meaningful, and for them the experience of the place is now, and the benefits of the regeneration needed to be felt sooner rather than later. At the same time the work force on the project was growing and it was important that they had a great place to work. As a result, we set out to ensure that we made good use of the site during the development stages, aiming to bring about early regeneration benefits and driving opportunity for local people and beginning to establish the features of the place that will become part of the completed development. The projects listed here are all projects that began; have been; or are currently located within the Elephant Park development site. There are also a host of exciting temporary projects in the local area such as Mercato Metropolitano on Newington Causeway, the Art Academy at the old Newington Library on Walworth Road, and the LCC studio in the Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre.
The place is now!
Our Interim Place Projects:
Important information: The contents of this document have been prepared by Lendlease as developer. The document has been prepared for information purposes only and to guide Lendlease colleagues and their consultants in the development of Elephant Park. This document portrays Lendlease’s vision for Elephant Park. It does not constitute what Lendlease will deliver in Elephant Park and the images and words used are to convey the concepts and ideas of the team. Many of the concepts and ideas within this book are aspirations only, all subject to approval and funding by Lendlease. All illustrations and imagery are for conceptual purposes only and are subject to design development and regulatory authority. Lendlease makes no warranties or representations as to the accuracy, correctness (political or otherwise), reliability, omissions or errors of the information and content provided in this placebook. Nothing in this document constitutes specific technical, financial or investment advice and prospective owners and tenants are advised to seek their own advice. Lendlease does not guarantee the accuracy of the information nor does it accept responsibility for any action taken by its recipients. This document is confidential and by accepting it you agree to keep it and the information contained herein confidential and not disclose it without first obtaining Lendlease’s prior written consent. This document must not be copied or distributed in whole or in part without Lendlease’s prior consent.
Tom.Branton@lendlease.com
Tom Branton Senior Development Manager
If you have any questions please contact:
