Spparc wins planning for £300m Borough Market job

Revised plans for a £300m mixed-use development designed by Spparc for a site next to Borough Market has been approved by Southwark council.

The area immediately west of the market includes the site formerly occupied by wine and whisky attraction Vinopolis, several rail arches, a car park and an old warehouse.

It is to get what joint developers Sherwood Street and investment fund manager Meyer Bergman describe as a “Covent Garden-style” redevelopment involving retail and offices.

Tom Sherwood, owner of Sherwood Street, has previously described the site as “one of the last locations” left in London for a scheme of its size.

The JV first submitted plans last August with a view to starting on site earlier this year. But revised plans were submitted in May to address comments made by planning officers, consultees and residents.

The revised plans include lowering the height of the six-storey office building by 0.5m and the introduction of a set-back to reduce the building’s impact on light into 20-26 Park Street. An east-west retail arcade and a gallery have been introduced and more space has been allocated for servicing.

The development involves five buildings totalling 18,375sq m, including 10,369sq m of retail and 5,761sq m of office space and a cinema. The scheme also proposes to revive railway arches, create new routes through the hitherto inacccessbile spot and reintroduce the original Elizabethan street names, such as Dirty Lane.

To protect Borough Market’s traders the joint venture has agreed to “prevent” supermarkets from occupying any of the retail spots and to ensure that at least 60% of the retail floorspace is reserved for smaller companies – those with no more than three outlets – to stop the space being dominated by high street brands.

The report from Southwark council’s director of planning Simon Bevan admitted the redevelopment process will be “challenging” due to the limited amount of space for construction vehicles, but said materials could be stored on site. The redevelopment will be done in three phases - demolition and piling, excavation and then construction.

Spparc principal Trevor Morris said the designs for the new buildings had been “influenced by the surrounding architecture”.