The park at the centre of the Elephant Park development has been given an architectural award which recognises places that improve “the social, cultural and economic character of the local area”.
New London Architecture (NLA) named the park as the winner of their ‘Placemaking Award’, even though critics point out that its redevelopment saw thousands of council tenants booted out of their Heygate Estate homes.
Jerry Flynn, of the 35% Campaign, which represents locals, traders and others with an interest in the local regeneration, said: “This is all very nice for the designers and architects involved, but Elephant Park is built on the remains of the Heygate estate.
“We lost over a thousand council homes when it was demolished and many of the homeowners on the estate had to leave the borough, because they couldn’t afford the price of a new home.
“Elephant Park is also doing nothing to help Southwark in its housing crisis – it only has 100 social rented homes. Whatever else it is, it is not an inclusive development.”
NLA, which describes itself as “a world leading centre for excellence for the built environment”, also gave awards to redevelopments in Liverpool Street and Blackwall Yard.
Architects that were integral to the Elephant Park development, such as Maccreanor Lavington, Hawkins/Brown and Make, are listed as ‘contributors’ to NLA.
NLA’s founder, Peter Murray, is a member of Sadiq Khan’s ‘Design Advisory Group’, a collection of private developers which, according to their pamphlet, “identify the right approach to planning and creating the public realm”.
Peter Murray also sits on the board of Be First, the developers behind the Barking and Dagenham regeneration.