Southwark Council Approves Bermondsey Place Redevelopment with Over 1,000 New Homes
Southwark Council has approved plans for a major redevelopment of Bermondsey Place, paving the way for over 1,000 new homes and significant commercial and light industrial spaces.
The Planning Committee (Major Applications) A of Southwark Council met on Tuesday 6 October 2026 and resolved to grant planning permission for the demolition of existing buildings and phased redevelopment at Bermondsey Place, Phase 2 and 3, on Malt Street. The scheme will deliver 1,060 new dwellings, alongside 880 sqm of flexible retail, leisure, and commercial accommodation, and 2,571 sqm of light industrial space.
The development will comprise eight buildings, ranging in height from six to 36 storeys. The tallest building, Building B4, will be reduced from 44 to 36 storeys compared to the extant consent. To moderate the transition in scale, the design incorporates a step-down shoulder height of nine storeys facing onto the Friary and Unwin estate. Furthermore, the eastern shoulder of Building B7 has been removed, with its massing redistributed to the southern setback of Buildings B7 and B8, ensuring a clear line of sight is maintained along Frensham Street through the Surrey Canal Park. The proposed building designs aim for well-balanced proportions with distinct base, middle, and articulated crown elements for the tallest structures.
This approval follows extensive consideration of the proposal, including its impact on design, transport, and environmental factors. The overall construction period for Phases 2 and 3 is notionally 16 years, with preconstruction anticipated from September 2027 to August 2043. The applicant anticipates that construction work will commence in 2029, with the final building being completed around 2044.
Environmental considerations, including flood risk, land contamination, air quality, and noise, were addressed. The development is expected to achieve a 69% on-site carbon reduction for residential elements and 42% for non-residential elements, exceeding policy requirements. Beyond these targets, the development plan includes a significant increase in trees across the site, with over 200 proposed, aiming for an increased canopy cover of approximately 916 sqm. A biodiversity net gain of 26% is projected, exceeding the mandatory 10% requirement. New publicly accessible open space totaling 8,079 sqm will be created, in addition to improvements to existing amenity spaces. A robust and sustainable green structure is planned, featuring a network of generous sustainable open spaces and extensive tree planting. Green and blue roofs, along with dry swales, are incorporated into the Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) strategy. The locally listed Acorn Wharf Chimney will be retained and relocated to link to the site's industrial history. Four roof space amenity decks will be provided for communal resident use, and the scheme aims to achieve a UGF score of 0.4, meeting the London Plan target.
The development will include 880 sqm of flexible retail, leisure, and commercial accommodation (Use Class E/Sui Generis) and 2,571 sqm of light industrial space (Use Class B2/E(g)(iii)). The flexible commercial units are intended to ensure that they become occupied and add to the animation of the ground floor and linear park frontage.
The decision to grant planning permission was made subject to the completion of a Section 106 agreement and referral to the Mayor of London. The Section 106 agreement will include provisions for 12% affordable housing by habitable room, comprising 56 social rented homes and 25 intermediate homes. A three-stage review mechanism will allow for potential increases in affordable housing if the scheme's profitability improves, resulting in an aggregate of 17.9% affordable housing across all three phases. Community infrastructure contributions include £2,700 per dwelling for bus services, totalling £2,862,000.00. A contribution for affordable workspace will be 10% of commercial/employment floorspace, provided as an in-lieu payment. Extensive highway improvements are planned along Latona Road, Frensham Street, Haymerle Road, and the Malt Street/Olmar Road Roundabout. Further contributions include £12,874.00 for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) monitoring, £838,698.00 for carbon offset, and £438,100.00 for a shortfall in public open space. A public art strategy will be implemented, alongside the provision of two on-street car club bays on Latona Road with free membership for residents and commercial occupiers. A cycle hire contribution of £50 per home, totalling £53,000.00, is also included, along with pedestrian and cycle links through the site. Archaeology monitoring will receive £17,270.00. Monitoring for Construction Logistics Plans (CLP) and Construction Environmental Management Plans (CEMP) will be funded up to £21,468 annually for CLP and £20,000 annually for CEMP, for the 16-year construction period. A Delivery Service Plan (DSP) bond of £106,700.00 is required. A contribution of £5,500 per job lost will be made for the loss of employment floorspace. A maximum contribution of £1,375,400 is allocated for Employment and Enterprise (construction and operation stage jobs and training), with a commitment to contract procurement for local businesses and a sustainable employment, skills, and business support plan. Travel Plan monitoring will cost £2,790.00 per applicable application.
The development is expected to generate additional demand on local socioeconomic infrastructure, including GP surgeries, primary and secondary education, and open and play spaces. The NHS has indicated that local practices could be reconfigured to accommodate additional patients. Contributions are also being sought towards improved bus services and the expansion of cycle hire docking stations. The report notes that the surrounding public transport network is considered able to accommodate the relatively small number of additional journeys.
The applicant undertook extensive community engagement, including pre-application meetings with stakeholders and two rounds of public consultation with in-person and online events, supported by co-design workshops. Feedback influenced specific changes such as architecture reflecting local character, safer public open spaces, increased green space, meandering cycle routes, dedicated teen play areas, increased biodiversity and educational spaces, and the removal of Building B12 to increase public open space. Concerns raised by objectors regarding perceived overdevelopment, the reduction in affordable housing, and inadequate public transport provision were addressed through design modifications, the inclusion of a viability review mechanism for affordable housing, and significant contributions towards public transport infrastructure.
The overall conclusion was that the development would optimise the use of a brownfield site and bring significant regenerative and environmental benefits.
Further details on the planning application can be found in the Public reports pack.