Policy information sourced from the Southwark Local Plan 2022
AV.03 Bermondsey Area Vision
Bermondsey is:
- An inner-London neighbourhood characterised by modest worker houses associated with the historic Rotherhithe docks and local manufacturing industries such as biscuits, jam, vinegar and pickles;
- Home to the historic riverside areas of Shad Thames, St Saviours Dock and King Edward III’s Stairs, each of which have their own distinct character. Supported, in the case of Shad Thames, by a Conservation Area Management Plan;
- Highly accessible with excellent public transport links and only a short walk to London Bridge and the City;
- Notable for its employment clusters such as The Blue, Jamaica Road, Bermondsey Street and Tower Bridge Road which provide local shops, the markets at Bermondsey Square and Maltby Street and the cluster of artisanal food and beverage producers and other light industries and creative industries in and around the railway viaducts;
- A place to enjoy public open spaces including Bermondsey Spa, St James’s churchyard and the Thames Path, with an important local view of Tower Bridge from King’s Stairs Gardens;
- An area containing nationally significant archaeological sites including the scheduled monuments of Bermondsey Abbey and the moated manor house of Edward III Platform Wharf.
Development in Bermondsey should:
- Provide as many homes as possible while respecting the local character. There may be opportunities for taller buildings on key development sites;
- Improve cycling and walking routes, such as the Thames Path;
- Enhance the environment of Tower Bridge Road as a gateway leading to Tower Bridge;
- Contribute towards the development of the Low Line, a new public realm corridor adjacent to historic railway arches, with lively accessible spaces for creativity, new jobs and retail;
- Improve existing and create new cycle and walking routes, including the Thames Path;
- Provide flexible workspaces for small and medium enterprises, particularly creative industries to strengthen Bermondsey’s reputation as an exciting, vibrant and creative place to work;
- Improve traffic flow on the road network, particularly on Jamaica Road;
- Preserve and improve the existing identities ensuring that the history and architectural wealth that comes from previous generations of residents is retained in the Old Bermondsey Village Forum Neighbourhood Area. This would be for both the Bermondsey Street Conservation Area and the surrounding housing estates mainly built between 1900 and 1950. Along with the network of local streets and yards where commercial uses are intertwined with residential buildings.
Growth opportunities in Bermondsey:
- Site allocations in Bermondsey will deliver around 22,000sqm (gross) new employment workspaces and around 2,300 new homes. The main development opportunity in Bermondsey is the redevelopment of the former Biscuit Factory site which will deliver 1,548 new homes including social rented homes, affordable workspace, new facilities for the Compass Secondary School and new pedestrian routes through nearby railway arches improving connections to The Blue Local Town Centre. There are also many smaller development sites that could accommodate a substantial number of new homes and new employment space.
For more information please see the Southwark Local Plan 2022