Policy information sourced from the Southwark Local Plan 2022

AV.13 Old Kent Road Area Vision

Old Kent Road is:

  • Not just any old road. For 2000 years it has been a vital artery connecting the commerce and culture of one of the world’s great cities to Europe. Its strength as a place to live, work and do business is its central London location and inner city character;
  • A place with a strong community identity. It has excellent park and local spaces and there is a clear pride in locally maintained community gardens. Burgess Park nearby provides valuable wildlife, open space, play and sports facilities benefitting physical and mental health;
  • A place with excellent schools, active voluntary organisations and home to many faith groups. Some 10,000 people are employed locally in a wide variety of jobs including manufacturing, transport, the arts, distribution and retail;
  • Home to many different types of retail, from small shops and cafes on the high street to larger supermarkets, builders merchants and retail warehouses;
  • A place where pockets of heritage survive from different eras including the Livesey gasworks and the ceramic mural which tells the story of the Old Kent Road.

Development in Old Kent Road should:

  • Deliver direct benefits to the existing community including new and improved homes including new council homes, schools, parks, leisure and health centres, and the creation of a wide range of jobs;
  • Promote car free development and support the Bakerloo Line extension, electric buses, taxis, commercial vehicles and cycling (including cycle parking and cycle hire) which will help to tackle air and noise pollution, vital for the health of all but particularly the health of children and improving mental and physical wellbeing. This should enable ease of movement around Old Kent Road without using a car, creating clean and tidy streets, good wayfinding and calm and quiet places to travel through, rest and enjoy green spaces;
  • Help foster a community in which old and young can flourish. Building nursery schools together with older people’s accommodation has had great success in other cities in reducing loneliness and social isolation. There will be opportunities to connect schools and further and higher education institutions with local employers to make the most of the diverse employment opportunities that exist in the Old Kent Road;
  • Help grow the significant economic base in the Old Kent Road, not just for offices, but over a wide range of skills and job types, including the types of business that service Central London such as the distribution industry and new and growing sectors such as the arts industry. This includes promoting innovative ways of mixing homes with commercial uses and making the best use of space which, done with care, will deliver a place that is desirable to live and work in;
  • Build new homes that come in a range of types from terraced houses to apartments with a high design quality including generous room sizes, high ceilings and big windows to ensure people have space to think and to rest;
  • Link existing open spaces like Burgess Park to each other and new park spaces to provide a “Greener Belt” network accommodating play, sports, growing spaces, nature and places to just sit and contemplate. The ambition is to create an environment that delights the senses. There will be new neighbourhoods that promote physical activity, social interaction and shield from pollution and feeling unsafe;
  • Demonstrate excellent standards of environmental sustainability including pioneering new district heating networks to reduce carbon emissions, measures to tackle poor air quality and sustainable urban drainage systems to reduce flood risk.

Growth opportunities in Old Kent Road:

  • The Old Kent Road Area Action Plan will set out the physical framework that will enable the community to realise its potential. The construction of the Bakerloo Line Extension will drive the growth of central London southwards encompassing Old Kent Road.
  • The Area Action Plan will identify the opportunities for growth and benefits for local communities including delivering 20,000 new homes, over 10,000 new jobs, 9ha of new parks, civic spaces, green routes and raingardens, two new tube stations and two district town centres for shopping.
  • Development will be phased based on the commitment and delivery of the Bakerloo Line extension. It is anticipated around 9,500 homes will be committed in Phase 1 (2018-2023) alongside enhancements to the existing public transport network prior to the letting of the construction contract for the Bakerloo Line extension. The remaining 10,500 will be committed for Phase 2 (post 2023) and will be subject to agreement between Southwark Council, the Greater London Authority and Transport for London relating to the status of transport improvements. A detailed phasing plan is included in the Southwark Plan 2022 Infrastructure Plan and in the Old Kent Road Area Action Plan.
  • The Department for Transport has made a safeguarding direction for the Bakerloo Line Extension which will support the project in safeguarding sites and routing alignment. The Bakerloo Line extension will enable the planned development for Phase 2 to be delivered and will provide a further catalyst for change.

For more information please see the Southwark Local Plan 2022