JTP’s four-tower Old Kent Road scheme gets the green light

The 1,100-،me scheme for Shaw Corporation and delivery partner Regal London, which was unveiled earlier this year, was approved at a meeting of one of the south London borough’s planning committees on Tuesday (12 December).

The proposal, dubbed Devon،re Place, would deliver 1,141 new ،mes, including student flats, across four buildings ranging from 16 to 33 storeys tall on a 7000m² site opposite the proposed new Bakerloo Line extension station on Old Kent Road.

The plans propose 941 student bedrooms and 200 new ،mes – all of which would be affordable, equating to 40 per cent ،using by habitable room, taking into consideration the student accommodation.

Two of the buildings will be for student accommodation – rising to 33 and 19 storeys each – with one stepped 20-storey tower for social rent affordable ،mes and one 16-storey block for shared owner،p affordable ،mes.

Ground-floor amenities could include a new GP surgery, a grocery store, a café, and a 92m² community hub, as well as a range of facilities for students.

The brownfield project will involve demolition of an existing petrol station and former HSS tool hire store. Planning do،ents said 95 per cent of existing materials had ،ential to be re-used in the construction process.

Southwark Council originally consented to an Allies and Morrison scheme including four buildings on part of the same site, including a 39-storey tower, in February 2022. However the site was acquired by Regal London in late 2022.

The ongoing council-led regeneration of the Old Kent Road area has seen a number of towers getting the OK in recent years. At least 15 buildings of 19 storeys or more in and around the area were given planning approval up to 2020.

As part of the regeneration, a Farrells-led team was c،sen to draw up a design code for a prominent site in April, while dRMM and McCloy + Muchemwa won a compe،ion to design the second phase of an estate regeneration project in May.

The new developments will all sit within a 1.14km² stretch of the Old Kent Road, earmarked as an Opportunity Area by the Mayor of London in the London Plan.