The date for the judicial review into Southwark Council’s planning approval of Elephant and Castle’s regeneration has been set at the High Court in Westminster.
The hearing will take place on July 17 and 18 of this year, with campaigners hoping to overturn the council’s decision to greenlight Delancey’s plans.
A coalition of those opposed to the regeneration argue the scheme fails to provide adequate social housing in an area with high need. Just 116 homes of nearly 1,000 will be for social rent.
A crowdfunder to pay the legal costs has raised more than £7,500. Jerry Flynn from the 35% Campaign which lobbies for more social housing, said: “A legal fight is always long and costly, but we are determined to do everything we can to get social rented homes that we simply cannot afford to lose.”
A spokesperson for Public Interest Law Centre, which has backed the campaign, explained: “This case highlights the problem of big new developments just not providing enough social rented housing in parts of London where it is most desperately needed.
“Local people are putting Southwark Council on notice that they must get the maximum amount of social housing from big developers like Delancey and not be bullied into settling for less.”
Meanwhile, traders have been disappointed by Tesco permanently closing – due to a rodent infestation – months earlier than planned, saying reduced footfall is threatening their businesses.
They have also opposed the erection of new hoarding around the bottom of the escalator to the former Palaces Bingo and bowling Hall, which is now vacant.
Meanwhile, Delancey was forced to backtrack after Southwark Council intervened and asked for a series of plastic ‘spikes’ to be removed from planters in the area.
To sit or not to sit? How to discourage public space use 101 #ElephantPark #Southwark pic.twitter.com/0UTOzKhePf
— Erica Belcher (@erica_belcher) April 25, 2019
Responding to queries from residents, a council spokesperson tweeted: “There’s no place in Southwark for spikes and other measures that make people feel unwelcome.”
As a Hispanic immigrant who has lived in the UK for 20 years, I find it extremely insulting that these campaigning groups have made this dilapidated, rat-infested shopping centre into a monument of what it means to be a Latino in London. My heritage and identity is not defined by this objectively horrible landmark.
They also seem to not understand basic economics, as a new shopping centre will bring in billions of pounds in investment and spending – not to mention countless jobs – that will benefit everyone in the area.
We need to redevelop the E&C shopping centre as it is out dated and does not invite passerby’s to enter. We need a new ecological centre with attractions to bring in visitors. It is zone 1 and needs to be an area to be proud of not an eyesore. If we do not move on we might as well go back to living in caves. So demolish the centre and rebuild our future now !