Southwark Notes is always happy to try and simplify matters regarding the long and complex and endless consultations, supplementary planning papers, core strategy reviews, almost final-ish masterplans and so on that make up regeneration comings and goings. So here we present a quick consultation on the current plans for the Elephant & Castle’s Leisure Centre:
1) Do you want a smaller leisure centre with a 36 storey tower block of private flats in front of it with zero affordable housing in it AT THE ELEPHANT?
Answer: Yes / No
The planned new mega-tower block at The Elephant
We’ve devised our easy consultation from weeks of intensive research and asking some people consultants down the pub. This also seems to to be The Question That Was Never Asked during all the LendLease & Soundings consultations even though it’s the most obvious one to start off with. Instead we are asked what kind of architectural details are important in new buildings and what kind of retail do we want and so on. But what about the question above – how many local people would say yes to that?!
Councillor Fiona Colley, Southwark cabinet member for regeneration, typically says here “For anyone thinking of moving to Elephant and Castle, or those who already live in this buzzing part of central London, this will be welcome news….It’s easy to see how an enjoyable city lifestyle could be further enhanced by superb leisure facilities, as well as new shopping and recreation opportunities. I’m anticipating lots of interest and welcome people’s feedback on what promises to be an exciting project.”
Apart from committing the cardinal sin of using the adjective ‘buzz’ as if we are all in thrall to such nonsensical regeneration speak, she forgets (because she most know this) that most of us are not enjoying a city lifestyle here nor would we wanna be. What is an ‘enjoyable city lifestyle‘ anyway? Have you got your ‘lifestyle‘ sorted? Answers on a postcard as usual to our Southwark Notes cave!
You can read our three in-depth articles about how the new reduced Leisure Centre is coming about here:
• Leisure Centre: Why Have More When You Can Have Less
• Southwark Notes asks 1 More Basic Question On A Rip-Off In Progress
• Soundings: Sounding Us Out!
Southwark Notes - whose regeneration? 