Blog’s update: The City Hall approved , the development on Bermondsey’s former Biscuit Factrory the 21st February 2020. Please read below for more info.
If you live in the greater Bermondsey community you may have received a pamphlet over the last few weeks updating local residents on Grosvenor’s proposals for the former Peek Frean Biscuit Factory and Bermondsey Campus sites. It is an issue that elicits strong and divided opinions, but regardless of which side you fall on, it’s important to know what is being proposed.
Earlier this year Southwark Council decided not to accept Grosvenor’s initial proposal, however the Mayor of London invited the company to reactivate and revise their proposal this past May.
Here is the rundown of their new proposal:
– 35% of new housing is to be affordable housing. This equates to around 482 affordable housing homes;
– Of that, 30% will be available to Southwark residents at Social Rent Equivalent;
– The other 70% would be available at Discounted Market Rents to households earning 600,000 per annum;
– The fine print: the majority of these affordable homes would be delivered in dedicated buildings.
– Around 1,066 new homes will be delivered for private rent;
– Altogether this is an increase of 206 new homes since their last proposal.
– Certain building design elements have been altered, including taller buildings in some instances, amended shapes and sizes of buildings, and reinterpreting some of the planned commercial spaces into residential spaces.
– More office space has been added in two of the buildings, increasing the total number of jobs the development is projected to implement.
– The new proposal has gone “car free”, eliminating all parking spaces aside from Blue Badge spaces.
– Bicycle parking has been increased, and two cycle-hire docking stations added.
Of course the rhetoric around community and local benefit stays unchanged, with a proposed new secondary school and more green spaces topping the list.
We encourage everyone in the community to inform yourselves on the plans and voice your opinion. Positive or negative, it will impact us all.
Full information on Grosvenor’s plans can be found at www.belonginbermondsey.com, but we suggest branching out and reading articles and opinions from third party sources to gain a full perspective on the proposal, its potential effects on the community, and how people are reacting.
If you want to hear it straight from the horse’s mouth, the next scheduled public information events are:
Wednesday 9 October, 2-5 pm
Thursday 10 October, 4-7pm
Saturday 12 October, 10am-1pm
All held at the Community Hall at 100 Clements Road, SE16 4DG.
Alex Smith & Matteo Donna