The former Southwark Council housing office in Rotherhithe will be knocked down and replaced with a six-storey block of flats containing thirteen council flats.
The Abbeyfield Road building, which property guardians live in at the moment, will be knocked down to make way for the new homes after the part-six, part-three storey project got planning permission.
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Some locals were concerned about overshadowing and the size of the building compared to the nearby Abbeyfield and Pedworth estates, which are largely low-rise – as well as Southwark Park, which the new building will overlook. At one stage the building was going to be seven storeys, but plans were reduced after consultation.
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However, the wider area has plenty of high-rise buildings, including the Silverlock Estate across Rotherhithe New Road and Addy House on the corner of Hawkstone Road. Southwark has a severe shortage of social rent homes, with more than 16,ooo households on the waiting list.
Architects Bell Phillips, who also designed the much-celebrated Southwark Park pavilion, said the new block will mirror the style of the Mission House three doors down.
Southwark Council’s website says that work should finish on the new homes by October next year, although this was based on a timetable that had construction starting in April this year, so will likely be pushed back.