Plans for Snowsfields scheme signed off despite more than 100 objections from members of the public
Southwark council has approved plans by Allies & Morrison and DSDHA for a £350m life sciences complex next to the Shard.
Designed for a trio of developers including the Guys & St Thomas’ Foundation, the Snowsfields Quarter will consist of three blocks up to 16 storeys in height in an expanding cluster of tall buildings around London Bridge station.
The Snowsfield Quarter Partnership, which also includes developers Oxford Properties and Reef Group, says the scheme will provide a total of 360,000sq ft of floorspace and 245,000sq ft of specialist laboratory facilities.
The scheme was recommended for approval by Southwark planning officers despite its planning application receiving 109 objections against 15 comments of support, with concerns focusing around the potential biohazard risk of laboraties in the building, the loss of a car park on the site and the appearance of the scheme, which some objectors said was not in keeping with the existing character of the surrounding area.
Planning officers argued the proposals were justified by public benefits including a significant contribution to the borough’s life sciences and research sectors.
Located next to Guy’s Hospital and close to King’s College London’s Guy’s Campus, the scheme will contribute to one of London’s largest academic and clinical research clusters.
The team said its vision is to “create a place in Southwark that tackles global health issues locally, building on hundreds of years of medical innovation and the incredible work already being done by existing medical and academic experts in the area.”
Existing buildings on the three sites, which include a multi-storey car park, four retail units, a pub and a 1990s hotel, will all be demolished to make way for the new buildings, two of which have been designed by Allies & Morrison and one by DSHDA, which is also landscape architect across the development.
The project team also includes structural engineer AKT II, planning consultant DP9, transport consultant Velocity and environmental consultant Hoare Lea.
The demolition of the site’s existing buildings is scheduled to start in late 2026 with construction getting underway in summer 2027 and the scheme completing by 2030.
Other development sites in the area include a 20-storey life sciences tower at Vinegar Yard designed by KPF for Guys and St Thomas Foundation, King’s Health Partners, Lambeth council and Southwark council.
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