High street supermarket chains will be banned from the Vinopolis wine complex development in Borough, after plans were approved by Southwark Council’s planning committee on Tuesday night.
It was decided that a clause in the legal agreement between the council and the developers, Sherwood Thames Ventures, would prevent big supermarket chains from setting up shop in the railway arches.
Plans for the area by Sherwood Thames Ventures, which bought the site after Vinopolis closed at the end of last year, include retail and office space, as well as a two-screen cinema and gallery.
Another condition on the planning permission is to limit the amount of floorspace for restaurants and bars to 30 per cent. Historical street names will also be revived in the development including Dirty Lane, Soap Yard and Clink Yard.
Dirty Lane will run from Clink Street through to Park Street, and the old Brew Wharf on Stoney Street will make up Soap Yard, which will connect to Dirty Lane through the railway arches.
The planning committee voted unanimously in favour of the scheme but concerns were raised about whether the new shops and restaurants would negatively impact residents nearby. It is claimed that the new scheme could create more than 1,000 jobs for the area.