Walworth residents are concerned by plans to build a student accommodation block, saying it should be used for affordable housing, writes Herbie Russell…
Developers Thorstone Land & Property Ltd want to turn 31 Amelia Street, currently the site of a Reed Partnership Office, into a 152-bedroom student accommodation and commercial building.
Diana Cochrane, Walworth Society committee member and local resident said: “Walworth badly needs affordable housing and what we are getting is a plan for yet more student housing from a greedy developer.
“In the last few years, a huge amount of student housing has been built at the north end of the Walworth Road. Because the financial returns are so great we are being lined up for even more.
“We have demanded that the developer re-think these plans and put the requirement for social housing first in line with council policy and the needs of local people.”
Local residents attended a consultation in December 2021, but are not confident that their concerns will be listened to.
Vincent Brown of the Pullens Tenants and Residents Association, a housing estate opposite Pullens Gardens said: “What we need is social housing for families offered at affordable and social rents.
“The current proposal towers over Pullens buildings and our local park. Pullens Gardens is directly in front of this building and was redesigned and opened in 2015.
“It would be a great asset for new families with children as it is a well-loved community green space.
“The TRA is not opposed to housing students locally but this is not an appropriate location for it.”
The plans are currently in the pre-application phase in which the developer consults with the council before lodging an official planning application.
The proposals come amidst an affordable housing crisis in the borough, with the News reporting that Southwark Council has vowed to deliver 40,000 homes by 2036.
Exclusive: Council wants 40,000 new homes in the borough by 2036
Peter Gallagher, a spokesman for BECG, a consultancy working with the developers said: “The site is not an allocated residential site within the Southwark Local Plan but is located within the Major Town Centre location for Elephant and Castle, where student accommodation is considered acceptable.
“There is demand for high-quality, well-managed student space in this location to support the University and HE colleges in Southwark and central London. The borough needs to support a range of different accommodation types, and this is perfectly suited to its location. Affordable housing will also be provided as part of this proposal.
“We are waiting for our planning application to be validated and look forward to delivering the local benefits that will come from this development – an improved public realm, new commercial space, and a massive uplift in economic spend locally in local businesses and shops by our residents.”