Lambeth - PN1 Waterloo and South Bank

Policy information sourced from Lambeth Local Plan 2020-2035

PN1: Waterloo and South Bank

By 2035 Waterloo and South Bank will continue to be a thriving and competitive area playing a key role in the central London and Lambeth economy. The council will secure this by supporting and enhancing Waterloo and South Bank’s various roles as:

a Central Activities Zone retail cluster;
a location for specialist and independent retail as part of the Lower Marsh/ The Cut/ Leake Street Special Policy Area;
an international centre for culture and arts as part of the London Plan South Bank/Bankside Strategic Cultural Area;
a pre-eminent international, domestic and local tourist, leisure, retail and entertainment area;
a major location for offices, creative and digital industries, healthcare, MedTech and life sciences businesses and higher education;
a mixed residential area with appropriate supporting community, service and shopping facilities;
having a valued historic character; and
one of London’s most important transport hubs.

This vision for Waterloo and South Bank will be achieved by:

supporting sustainable development for jobs and homes in line with London Plan targets, securing maximum benefits for Lambeth residents and businesses through the application of affordable housing policy, affordable workspace policy and planning obligations for local training and employment.
supporting development that contributes to long term place-shaping objectives.
optimising the area’s potential for the full range of central London and town centre activities consistent with its Central Activities Zone retail cluster status to enable it to compete effectively, securing significant inward investment for the benefit of the local community and more widely for the borough, including safeguarding and promoting the role of Lower Marsh/ The Cut/Leake Street Special Policy Area as a centre for local needs and specialist independent retailing. This will be done by:
- requiring at least 50 per cent of ground floor units in the Lower Marsh/ The Cut/Leake Street Special Policy Area to be in retail use and at least 30 per cent of ground floor units in Lower Marsh to be in food and drink use. Where necessary and justified to achieve the objectives of this policy, the council will use conditions and/or planning obligations in new development proposals to limit uses within Class E;
- not permitting in the Lower Marsh/The Cut/Leake Street Special Policy Area the conversion of two or more retail units into larger retail units;
- supporting improvements to Lower Marsh street market; and
- not permitting proposals for additional betting shops in the Central Activities Zone retail cluster.
promoting the growth of the area’s role as a business district by supporting office development and affordable workspace that provides a range of unit sizes, can be subdivided to encourage flexible use and co-working and workspace suitable for small and medium enterprises and creative and digital industries.
promoting and supporting development and uses of an appropriate height (in accordance with Local Plan policy Q26 and Annex 10), scale and form to reinforce Waterloo and South Bank’s distinct identity, respecting strategic and local views and local contextual considerations, preserving the setting of heritage assets and the Outstanding Universal Value of Westminster World Heritage Site (Local Plan policy Q19), and ensuring that design quality is worthy of a world city.
promoting expansion of creative, arts and cultural activities throughout Waterloo and enhancing the South Bank in its role as an international cultural and leisure centre and a London tourist destination through supporting the development of arts and cultural facilities, associated and supporting uses.
promoting a high quality, permeable, safe and accessible public realm that is durable, well designed and maintained to reinforce Waterloo’s status as a world class place. The combination of the riverfront, streetscapes, piazzas, squares and green spaces contribute to the broader public realm and are places for people and residents to meet, socialise, activate and dwell as well as move through. Development and uses should recognise and add value to this important asset through the inclusion of flexible places for people, residents and events, and actively contribute to the enhancement of the collective public realm and increase the amount of green infrastructure in the area. See guidance in the Waterloo and South Bank Public Realm Framework.
to supplement the public realm, green spaces will be protected and expanded, including Jubilee Gardens. Two thirds of Hungerford car park is protected as Metropolitan Open Land (MOL). Development at Hungerford car park can take place on the remaining one third if this promotes the expansion of the arts and cultural activities of Waterloo and allows for the extension of Jubilee Gardens on the protected two thirds. An element of enabling development on the one third may be acceptable, to support the delivery of the main arts and cultural uses. As with all development, any harmful impacts must be mitigated in accordance with the statutory tests for planning obligations.Development on one third of Hungerford car park should be designed to optimise the relationship with the adjacent MOL and have regard to the following urban design objectives:
- Respect the open character and accessibility of Jubilee Gardens.
- Include urban greening measures as part of the development.
- Carefully integrate with Jubilee Gardens and its extension, including with existing and new hard and soft landscape features and materials, resulting in a unified design, and where possible include an active interface between the development and Jubilee Gardens.
- Maintain connection between Belvedere Road and Queen’s Walk, optimising the Belvedere Road spine route and taking account of the new pedestrian routes from York Road to Belvedere Road through the Southbank Place development.
- Respect the character of the river frontage and surrounding views.
- Respect views from the Royal Festival Hall towards Jubilee Gardens, the London Eye and the Westminster World Heritage Site and through the Belvedere Road railway bridge towards Jubilee Gardens.
- Respect the setting of heritage assets such as Royal Festival Hall and County Hall.
- Preserve or enhance the South Bank conservation area.
Any change to the boundary of the MOL shown on the Policies Map should take place through the development plan process. Development proposals that propose a different configuration of MOL at Hungerford car park to that shown on the Policies Map will need to demonstrate the benefits of the alternative approach, having regard to the urban design objectives above. In all cases, MOL on Hungerford car park must be contiguous with Jubilee Gardens and should cover no less than two thirds of the area of the car park. The landscaping of the remaining two thirds of Hungerford car park to provide an extension to Jubilee Gardens should reflect the quality and design of the existing gardens and be predominantly soft landscape. It should be accessible to all and cater for a range of activity appropriate to the character of the Gardens, including quiet areas. Connections to the Belvedere Road spine route should be optimised. Management, maintenance and servicing requirements (including for sustainable watering) should be planned and designed from the outset. Supporting infrastructure and servicing arrangements should not harm the openness of the MOL and should address Local Plan policy EN1(a)(iii). There should continue to be provision of public toilets in Jubilee Gardens. Where it is demonstrated that major developments in the vicinity of Jubilee Gardens and its extension will result in a significant increase in visitor numbers to the open space, planning obligations will be sought to mitigate the impact on management and maintenance of the Garden.
reducing traffic and supporting better conditions for walking and cycling, throughout Waterloo alongside improvements in capacity, accessibility and interchange quality at Waterloo Station; this includes the implementation permeability by providing better linkages to Lower Marsh and other parts of Waterloo, while respecting the heritage context of the station and adjoining areas. Traffic management measures to deter unnecessary motor vehicle trips and innovative measures to reduce the impact of freight and construction traffic will be promoted, including increased use of the River Thames and existing piers for transporting people and freight. Promotion of low and zero emissions vehicles will be a particular focus across the area.
working with industry stakeholders to minimise the impact of construction activity in the area by planning and co-ordinating activities to reduce disruption, ensure safety, especially for vulnerable road users, and reduce environmental impacts.
supporting the reconfiguration of the Waterloo roundabout and its potential for development of Central Activities Zone uses appropriate to its location.
supporting measures to improve air quality, including the creation of ‘greenways’ which are located away from heavy traffic, air pollution and noise. Measures to promote and enable zero emissions vehicles across the area will be supported, including the taxi fleet serving Waterloo Station.
supporting the development of a MedTech health cluster by supporting the strategies of St Thomas’ Hospital, Guy’s and St Thomas’ Charity and King’s College London at Royal Street in accordance with agreed high-level design principles for the estates to achieve new health facilities; replacement housing, open space and community facilities; capacity for Combined Heat and Power; new commercial development including workspace for small and medium enterprises; and related and supporting facilities such as accommodation for staff. Creation of a new primary care centre in the wider Waterloo area will be supported.
the creation of through routes and activation of the arches within the railway viaduct known as the ‘Low Line’ with a mix of uses to connect Waterloo Station and Vauxhall.

For more information please see the Local Plan