6 FEATURE London Chat By Roger Mills


Elephant – the uncertainty continues


Mil l s y ’s de f ini t ion of regeneration? A project that takes years, goes through any number of different hands, costs an absolute fortune and, at least half the time, ends in nothing. Cynical, moi? Not really, there’s a lot to be said for many of the schemes put forward. But


experience in this column now stretching back to 2005 has seen me cover many an ambitious plan, involving high aspirations, likely to impact for good or ill on a market which run into the sand. Usually after costing somebody a tremendous amount of money. Queens and Shepherds Bush come most easily to mind but they stand for many others. Like? Well to take a current


example the cont inuing saga of the redevelopment of the Elephant and Castle Sho p pi n g Ce n t r e i n Southwark which formed one of the first stories I covered after taking over from Betty Batt. For newcomer s and


those with short memories the various schemes put forward concern a 1960s retail development on an island site surrounded by


Some years ago a food market was launched on the other side of the site but again at below street level. This view was taken on launch day but gives a pretty good idea of the state of the place eight years down the line. There’s a real palpable sense of waiting for something to happen here.


After writing this Chat I popped into the Elephant for a look around and found enthusiastic traders working in less than ideal conditions. This view shows the view of the market from the street – trust me it is brilliant once you get downstairs but hardly inviting from above. The fruit and veg offer is tremendous and stunning value too.


busy roads and the two Elephant and Castle stations. How best to describe it? Think of those ‘how they used to look postcards’ published in nostalgia magazines with a title like ‘easy shopping in the new town centre of’ – well any post war development from around 1955 to say 1975. Concrete, of its time, li fe expired, essent ial ly redundant. Here though as well as the bricks and mortar retail it’s also home to a stall market and a few street trading kiosks. I had hoped when planning


this to be able to report on the approval of the latest scheme and its implications for traders. This diaried after a planning committee meeting on 16th January where the agenda includes a detailed report on current proposals together with a pretty strong recommendation for approval from the case officer. In short after a meeting


lasting I understand eight hours it was booted out, or not – again more in a minute – due to concerns about the amount of affordable housing in the replacement mixed


leisure/retai l /resident ial development . The vote was narrow and apparently inconclusive. Inconclusive? Well immediately afterwards Southwark Council issued this statement. “The motion to approve


the planning application was voted against by the committee (4 to 3 with one abstention). However, during discussions the detailed reasons for refusal weren’t formal ised and i t was suggested that the meeting be adjourned so that a more detailed draft of reasons for


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