Property

Elephant & Castle sees new ambitious redevelopment plans amid heritage debates

Wednesday, 17 September 2025 4:08AM UTC

Southwark Council has approved HTA Design's plans to replace Skipton House with a large-scale mixed-use development featuring four towers, despite local opposition over height and heritage concerns. The project forms part of the wider regeneration of the Elephant & Castle area, aiming to transform the historic district into a vibrant urban hub.

Southwark Council has granted planning permission to HTA Design for a significant redevelopment project at Skipton House in the heart of Elephant & Castle. The approved scheme, commissioned by developer London & Regional, will replace the existing seven-storey office building with a large-scale mixed-use development featuring four towers. The new complex will deliver 1,434 student beds, 243 affordable homes, alongside 1,100 square metres of office space and 944 square metres of retail units. The design comprises two interlinked buildings, each formed by a pair of towers rising from 21 to 31 storeys, arranged around a newly created public space named Skipton Circus.

The site’s current building, designed by Paul Cayford and completed in 1993, has been vacant since 2022. It occupies a prominent position beside the Elephant & Castle roundabout and adjacent to the Grade II-listed Leslie Green-designed Tube station. This location falls within the broader Elephant & Castle Opportunity Area, identified in the London Plan for potential delivery of up to 5,000 new homes, underscoring the strategic importance of this redevelopment in the area's regeneration efforts.

HTA’s Skipton House scheme replaces two earlier approved plans: the 2016 "Toblerone towers" by SOM, named for their distinctive triangular footprint, and a 2022 office development by Piercy & Co. Both former schemes have now been superseded by this more ambitious proposal. The new design integrates a terracotta-coloured podium, inspired by the adjacent historic Tube station’s oxblood-coloured faience tiles, aiming to respond sensitively to the local townscape while establishing a contemporary architectural identity.

Despite council approval, the plans have encountered substantial local opposition, with 116 objections citing concerns about the design, height, massing, and potential harm to neighbouring heritage assets such as the Metro Central Heights estate, a 1960s Grade II-listed residential complex. The objections highlight ongoing tensions in Elephant & Castle regarding the scale and character of new developments within this historic environment.

Simon Toplis, partner at HTA Design, described the council’s approval as "an exciting moment in the evolution of Elephant and Castle." He highlighted the site’s significance adjacent to a key transport hub and central regeneration area, emphasising the scheme’s focus on community, sustainability, and inclusivity. The project team includes specialists from Turkington Martin, DP9, Chapmans, David Bonnet Associates, Knight Frank, MOLA, and Trium.

While the approved scheme envisions a robust presence of student accommodation, another recent submission by London & Regional proposed even larger Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) plans for Skipton House, comprising up to 1,500 rooms across towers up to 32 storeys. This proposal also aims to revitalise the vicinity with new retail and commercial spaces and enhance pedestrian connectivity, including the creation of a new Station Square adjacent to the London Underground entrance. A full planning application linked to that proposal is expected later this year, with construction potentially starting in 2028 if permission is granted.

This redevelopment is part of a broader wave of transformative projects within Elephant & Castle, which has seen a mix of new office, residential, and cultural developments. Notable contemporaneous schemes include Maccreanor Lavington’s four-tower redevelopment of the Mercato Metropolitano food market, Allies & Morrison’s proposals for the London College of Communication, AHMM’s student housing at a former builders merchant site, and Lendlease’s Elephant Park regeneration project.

Lendlease's H1 office scheme, also in Elephant & Castle, exemplifies the contentious nature of regeneration debates in the area. Initially rejected by Southwark councillors due to concerns over scale, massing, and impact on neighbours’ sunlight access, the building was later approved on appeal, with a planning inspector recognising its potential to positively shape the Elephant Park masterplan.

Furthermore, significant progress has been made on land acquisition for Elephant & Castle’s wider town centre redevelopment. A Compulsory Purchase Order confirmed in January 2025 aims to secure land necessary for delivering almost 1,000 new homes, a new university campus, and expanded cultural and retail facilities. This illustrates the scale and complexity of regeneration efforts underway, aiming to transform Elephant & Castle into a dynamic and sustainable urban hub.

The Skipton House redevelopment by HTA Design thus sits at the nexus of historic preservation, ambitious urban renewal, and contemporary housing demand, contributing to the evolving narrative of Elephant & Castle’s transformation while balancing community concerns and heritage sensitivities.

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Source: Noah Wire Services

More on this

https://www.bdonline.co.uk/news/htas-four-tower-elephant-and-castle-scheme-approved/5138178.article - Please view link - unable to able to access data
https://pbsanews.co.uk/2024/07/04/elephant-and-castle-pbsa-plans-for-1500-room-development/ - Developer London & Regional has submitted plans to redevelop Skipton House in Elephant & Castle into a 1,500-room Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) scheme. The proposal includes several towers up to 32 storeys high, with up to 200 additional units in lower-rise buildings. Designed by HTA Design, the development aims to revitalise the area by introducing retail and commercial spaces, enhancing pedestrian routes, and creating a new Station Square adjacent to the station entrance. A full planning application is expected in autumn, with construction slated to begin in 2028 if approved.
https://www.buildington.co.uk/buildings/8699/england/london-se1/80-london-road/skipton-house - Skipton House, located at 80 London Road in Elephant & Castle, London SE1, is a mixed-use development project. The plans involve creating 490,000 sq ft of flexible workspace suitable for both large and small businesses. The building will feature a triple-height garden on the 7th floor, offering panoramic views over London. The redevelopment aims to modernise the existing 250,000 sq ft office building, which was previously occupied by the Department of Health and later sold to London & Regional Properties.
https://www.hta.co.uk/activities/camberwell-union-gains-planning-approval/ - HTA Design's Camberwell Union masterplan has received planning approval. The project will provide a mix of artists' studios, co-working spaces, community facilities, and 375 new residential homes in South London. Located south of Burgess Park in Southwark, the development aims to transform the area from light industrial and office units into a dynamic creative hub. The design includes new routes and connections to the local street network, enhanced landscaping, and public spaces, with a focus on community engagement and affordable housing.
https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/acmes-bulky-elephant-and-castle-office-scheme-approved-on-appeal - ACME's 18-storey office proposal for Elephant and Castle has been approved on appeal, a year after Southwark councillors initially rejected the scheme. The development, known as H1, is part of Lendlease's £2.3 billion Elephant Park regeneration project. The planning inspector noted that the building would positively impact the area's character and appearance, providing a distinctive focal point within the Elephant Park masterplan. The approval marks a significant milestone in the ongoing regeneration efforts in Elephant and Castle.
https://www.jonesday.com/en/insights/2025/02/elephant-and-castle-town-centre-redevelopment - On 7 January 2025, an Inspector confirmed the London Borough of Southwark's Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for the Elephant and Castle Town Centre redevelopment. The CPO will assist Southwark Council and developer Elephant and Castle Properties Co. Limited in acquiring the remaining land interests required to complete the major redevelopment scheme. The project includes almost 1,000 new homes, a new university campus for the London College of Communication, retail, restaurants, and cultural facilities, marking a significant step in the area's regeneration.
https://www.se1.news/lendlease-elephant-park-h1-rejected/ - Southwark Council's planning committee unanimously rejected Lendlease's H1 scheme for Elephant and Castle, citing concerns over the building's excessive height, mass, and bulk, as well as its impact on neighbouring amenities due to daylight and sunlight loss. The proposed 18-storey office block, part of the wider Elephant Park masterplan, was described by councillors as 'an enormous carbuncle of a building' and 'completely out of place on the Walworth Road'. The decision highlights ongoing debates over the scale and design of developments in the area.

Noah Fact Check Pro

The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may warrant further investigation.

Freshness check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative reports on Southwark Council's recent approval of HTA Design's redevelopment project at Skipton House in Elephant and Castle. The earliest known publication date of substantially similar content is 16 September 2025, as reported by CoStar News. ([costar.com](https://www.costar.com/article/1552182916/london-regional-gets-all-clear-for-major-student-homes-led-redevelopment-of-elephant-castle-offices?utm_source=openai)) The report includes updated data on the project's approval and details about the development, indicating a high freshness score. However, earlier versions of the project, such as the 2016 'Toblerone towers' by SOM and the 2022 office development by Piercy & Co., have been superseded by this more ambitious proposal. ([e-architect.com](https://www.e-architect.com/london/elephant-castle-cultural-quarter?utm_source=openai)) This suggests that while the current narrative is fresh, it builds upon previously reported plans. Additionally, the report includes updated data but recycles older material, which may justify a higher freshness score but should still be flagged. ([architectsjournal.co.uk](https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/hta-submits-new-scheme-to-replace-elephant-and-castle-90s-office?utm_source=openai))

Quotes check

Score: 9

Notes: The narrative includes a direct quote from Simon Toplis, partner at HTA Design, describing the council’s approval as 'an exciting moment in the evolution of Elephant and Castle.' A search for this quote reveals no earlier usage, indicating it is potentially original or exclusive content. This supports a high originality score for the quotes used.

Source reliability

Score: 7

Notes: The narrative originates from BDOnline, a reputable source in the architecture and construction industry. However, the report includes references to other sources, such as PBSA News and Jones Day, which are less well-known and may not be as easily verifiable. This introduces some uncertainty regarding the overall reliability of the information presented.

Plausability check

Score: 8

Notes: The narrative presents detailed information about the redevelopment project at Skipton House, including the number of student beds, affordable homes, office space, and retail units. These figures align with previously reported plans for the site, suggesting the claims are plausible. However, the report lacks supporting detail from other reputable outlets, which raises questions about the comprehensiveness of the information provided. Additionally, the tone and language used are consistent with typical corporate or official language, indicating a standard reporting style.

Overall assessment

Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): OPEN

Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): MEDIUM

Summary: The narrative provides a detailed account of HTA Design's redevelopment project at Skipton House, incorporating original quotes and updated data. While the freshness score is high, the inclusion of recycled material and references to less verifiable sources introduces some uncertainty. The plausibility of the claims is supported by alignment with previously reported plans, but the lack of supporting detail from other reputable outlets raises questions about the comprehensiveness of the information. Given these factors, the overall assessment is 'OPEN' with a medium confidence level.

Elephant & Castle
Urban redevelopment
London regeneration