UK: The Collective has received a resolution to grant planning permission from the London Borough of Southwark for a site on Borough High Street.
The site will be transformed in to “a new cultural destination including a 14,000 square foot community and employment incubator that will include subsidised workspace and accelerator programmes to upskill local young people, community space available free of charge, and subsidised creative space for local artists”.
Plans for The Collective Borough High Street were developed following extensive consultation with the local community around Borough High Street and the Elephant and Castle area.
In partnership with the landowner Southwark Homes Limited, The Collective will develop, manage and operate the scheme. Construction of the project is expected to commence in summer 2020, with completion due in summer 2022.
The Collective Borough High Street is designed by Southwark-based architectural practice Allies and Morrison, and comprises a 175,000 square foot ground-up development including short-stay accommodation for creatives, entrepreneurs and business travellers. The project includes a new public destination for the area in the form of a 14,000 square foot community and employment incubator space across the ground, lower ground and basement levels inspired by Makeshift’s Peckham Levels project in Peckham town centre. Makeshift is a subsidiary business of The Collective. The space will include:
The development also comprises 20 new homes of which 50 per cent will be affordable. The homes will be accessed through their own entrance and include amenity spaces for residents, including a garden and children’s play area.
James Penfold, global planning and communications director at The Collective, said: “The Collective Borough High Street is a great example of how we are adopting a ground-breaking approach to urban planning in city centres across the globe. By engaging meaningfully with the local community and integrating their views and needs into the project, we unlocked an underutilised site in Borough High Street with a challenging local context. This project is an exciting opportunity for The Collective as we plan to create a new, innovative and dynamic destination which supports the community and local businesses through the shared economy, as well as delivering affordable housing.”
With the approval of The Collective Borough High Street, The Collective has now secured planning consent for four purpose-designed co-living schemes in London already this year, as well as a further approval in Chicago in the United States.
