Last night, during an almost four-hour meeting of the planning committee, council members voted: three in favor and three against the officials\u2019 recommendation to approve one of the tallest residential projects in the capital. The chair\u2019s decisive vote tipped the balance in favor of the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The development, designed by architectural firm Maccreanor Lavington, includes nearly 900 housing units, 230 of which will be available at reduced prices. The project features four buildings with heights of 14, 18, 38, and 44 floors, located on a 0.86-hectare site in the Borough Triangle area, Elephant and Castle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The proposal has faced numerous objections from local residents and heritage protection organizations, including Historic England, due to its potential negative impact on nearby conservation areas and historic sites, such as the Grade I-listed Southwark Cathedral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some business owners from the Mercato Metropolitano food and drink market, currently occupying the site, were also critical. Although space for the market is included in the new complex, traders fear their business will suffer due to the multi-year construction period, which could last up to nine years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Overall, the application received 410 objections and just 20 letters of support. One critic described the project as an \u201coversized monster,\u201d and the closure of Mercato Metropolitano as a \u201csignificant loss for the local community.\u201d Another noted that the new development would \u201cserve wealthy investors\u2019 interests more than those of local residents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the same time, the council\u2019s 265-page report stated that Mercato Metropolitano \u201cbroadly supports\u201d the proposal, highlighting \u201cpositive and constructive engagement\u201d with Berkeley, despite acknowledging that the market\u2019s operations would face challenges during construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Additionally, due to new commercial property requirements, Mercato Metropolitano must cease operations at its current location by 2030. Berkeley has assured that the market will have a \u201cmodern and stable space\u201d to return to once the project is complete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Heritage organizations also raised concerns about the demolition of several historic buildings, including a Georgian structure from the 1820s at 38 Newington Causeway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While planning specialists acknowledged that the project would cause some harm to historic assets, they concluded that public benefits, including 35% affordable housing, would outweigh these losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Approval of the project followed a lengthy design process. Initially, in 2022, the application was withdrawn following the introduction of new requirements for second staircases in tall residential buildings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the redesign, the tallest building was reduced by two floors, and the total number of housing units increased from 838 to 892.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The site was also expanded after Berkeley acquired the neighboring Institute of Optometry building in September 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The project team includes planning consultant Lichfields, landscape architect Gillespies, structural engineer Walsh, environmental consultant Aecom, fire engineer Introba, heritage consultant Tavernor, and transport consultant TTP Consulting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3914,"template":"","class_list":["post-3917","novosti","type-novosti","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n