• Plans include delivery of almost 500 more new homes, including affordable and social rent and student accommodation
  • A new public square and flexible cultural uses for the community, as well as significant sustainability improvements, form part of the proposals
  • Elephant and Castle Town Centre is a major new destination in the heart of London, with the first phase set to launch in 2026

Get Living, one of the UK’s leading build-to-rent companies with a portfolio of almost 5,000 homes, is bringing forward new proposals for the West Site of the Elephant and Castle Town Centre development.

The plans are set to improve and diversify the masterplan for a better resident and visitor experience while reducing environmental impact, and form part of Get Living’s redevelopment of Elephant and Castle that will provide a diverse new town centre. Get Living is currently progressing with the construction of the East site, set to complete in 2026, that will provide 135,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space, 55,000 sq ft of workspace, 485 homes and new transport infrastructure alongside a new university building for UAL’s London College of Communication.

The project was granted consent in 2019 to build on the current site of the London College of Communication (LCC), University Arts London, which sits alongside Get Living’s existing neighbourhood at Elephant Central.

Since 2019, policy and regulatory changes have been introduced to reflect greater building safety and sustainability requirements for new developments and Get Living is using the opportunity to improve its proposals to ensure they better meet the needs of the local area.

The key benefits of Get Living’s updated proposals for the West site include: 

  • The delivery of 498 new homes including 49 affordable rent and 116 social rent (as consented)
  • A flexible cultural venue for local community uses
  • Reduced pressure on the local private rented market by providing new student residential units, ensuring the student population has housing that is high quality and fit for purpose
  • Leveraging the significant economic and cultural benefits that UAL and other universities bring to the local area
  • Improvements to the architecture in line with the changing landscape of Elephant & Castle as well as improved public realm with a new public square
  • More robust sustainability credentials and a reduction in carbon with a move to all electric
  • Compliance with the Building Safety Act with the addition of a second staircase and fire evacuation lift

Get Living invites members of the local community to view the developing vision for the West Site and provide feedback and input on the initial designs.

Two drop-in sessions will be held at The Castle Centre, which will be an opportunity to meet with members of the development and design team on a one-to-one basis. A webinar will also be hosted for those who can’t attend either of the drop-in sessions.

Public Exhibitions:

Drop-in sessions will be held at The Castle Centre, 2 St Gabriel Walk, SE1 6FG on the following dates and times:

  • Tuesday 16 July, 15:00 – 19:00
  • Thursday 18 July, 15:00 – 19:00

An online webinar will be held on Wednesday 17 July from 18:00 – 19:30. If you would like to register to join the webinar, please email info@elephantandcastletowncentre.co.uk

Rick de Blaby, Chief Executive at Get Living, said: “As long-term stakeholders in Elephant and Castle, we are committed to delivering our bold new vision for the Town Centre scheme, which will transform the area into a major destination in the heart of London. When complete, this development will bring forward new homes, a state-of-the-art campus for UAL, workspace, shops, restaurants, and cultural and leisure space, as well as major infrastructure improvements to public transport, including a new entrance to the Northern Line Underground.

“With works well underway on the East Site, we are pleased to present our enhanced plans on the West Site, which we believe will provide far greater benefits for the existing and new community than the original consent allowed.

“We look forward to working with the community and other local stakeholders on the next stages of this transformational project.”

With works progressing at pace, LCC is expected to move into its new campus building in September 2027 which will result in the West Site becoming vacant from January 2028.

With the existing neighbourhood at Elephant Central thriving, Castle Square providing a home local retailers and the ongoing development of the East Site progressing at pace, Get Living is fully invested and committed to the long-term future of Elephant and Castle.