The fate of controversial plans to redevelop Elephant and Castle shopping centre should finally be decided on Tuesday as councillors prepare to vote for a second time.
The plans put forward by developer Delancey failed to get approval from a planning committee following a tense, seven-hour meeting last week.
Councillors voted four against and three in favour of passing the plans, while one abstained, prompting many campaigners to celebrate – but the following morning the council said the decision did not mean the plans had been rejected.
Instead, councillors will discuss what the formal decision will be at a meeting on Tuesday, January 30, and will then vote again.
Delancey’s huge ‘town centre’ development plans for Elephant and Castle propose to demolish and rebuild the existing shopping centre and London College of Communication campus, and bring 979 homes, an additional Northern Line entrance, and a cinema and music venue to the area.
However, they have been met with fierce opposition from traders, residents, and councillors, who are concerned over the amount of affordable housing and retail on offer, and the loss of a popular bingo hall, among other things.
Protestors demonstrated outside the council’s Tooley Street headquarters ahead of the meeting last week and managed to get inside the foyer as it began.
Days prior to the meeting, a number of Southwark Labour politicians also wrote an open letter setting out their reasons for opposing Delancey’s plans in their current form.