Elephant & Castle shopping centre

Given the recent news that the plans were being delayed, when is the actual demolition due to take place? I thought it was in 2018 but has this been delayed too or would they go ahead with demolition even if plans are not agreed upon?

They don't technically need permission to knock down the existing buildings (as they are not listed or located in a conservation area) but in reality it's unlikely they will shut the centre until the new development is fully signed and sealed.

Also the bingo hall has a lease that has quite a long time to run. They will either need to do a deal with the owner, or the council will need to obtain a compulsory purchase order.

If the planning process runs very smoothly from this point onwards I guess it's possible the centre could close towards the end of this year, but I wouldn't necessarily put money on it.

I've seen an article elsewhere suggesting the decision is going to be deferred to early March now... so let's see. I imagine from March we'll see a renewed timetable for demolition and building works. But in my opinion it definitely won't be 2018... 2019 at a push.

Delancey just suggested it be deferred till March. How long it takes to come back to committee depends on several factors.

Depending on whether the changes are significant enough to require another 21-day public consultation, there's every possibility it won't appear on a planning committee agenda till after the local elections in May.

Thanks for keeping us updated James! Now I understand why they are trying to create a hall in the new building, to keep peace with the owner. I did not think it was so popular.
Will be very sad to see shopping centre go, even if it has become so ugly and unkept.

Interesting to note how the protests over this have been thoroughly hijacked by that sinister party inside a party known as Momentum. Let's wait to see if, as in Haringay, local housing policy is not hijacked by a small clique inside Labour's National Executive Committee with their own agenda.

boroughbloke wrote:

Interesting to note how the protests over this have been thoroughly hijacked by that sinister party inside a party known as Momentum. Let's wait to see if, as in Haringay, local housing policy is not hijacked by a small clique inside Labour's National Executive Committee with their own agenda.

Evidence please?

Walk past when the next meeting is on. The loudest voices with the biggest placards are all Momentum and I would lay money on few of them being locals.

Why has the discussion thread about the future of the shopping centre been hijacked by a posting about something else (the alleged Momentum presence)? Can people who start a new topic for discussion start a new thread unless I've misunderstood how this forum works?

The Momentum issue is completely valid when in the same week the same sinister organisation hijacked the Council in Haringay and led to a development being abandoned. I am in no doubt they are up to the same tactic here, which means whether the development happens may well not be down to what you think or your councillors think or you or the locals or local traders, but a cabal of leftists in Labour’s NEC many of whom couldn’t show you where E&C is on a map and couldn’t care less so long as the outcome serves their agenda.