Transport for London's initial response to the scheme{:target="_blank"} outlined a number of significant transport issues that needed to be resolved. One of these was the access route for service vehicles to the new shopping centre, which was originally going to be provided by an underground tunnel from Delancey's neighbouring Elephant One (formerly Tribeca Square) development. Indeed, Delancey's viability assessment for Elephant One argued that the ramp for the underground tunnel would cost £12.5m and the development could therefore not viably provide ANY affordable housing. The council accepted the argument and even signed over land to Delancey's shell company (Eadon Ltd), in order to build the underground access tunnel. However, Delancey's planning application now says that it wants to use a different, direct access route off New Kent Road instead. TFL says that this will cause congestion for buses and affect safe passage across the new pedestrian routes.
TFL also raised the issue of the mainline train station. This sits at the centre of the redevelopment and will have to cope with a huge capacity increase, but will have no improvements made to it whatsoever. Another major question surrounds the proposed Bakerloo line extension, announced after the Delancey's development plans were drawn up, and how this will impact on the Elephant's transport links. The original masterplan{:target="_blank"} envisaged an 'integrated transport interchange' linking the mainline train station with the Northern and Bakerloo lines, and which was central to the entire masterplan.
Transport interchange envisaged by original masterplan{:target="_blank"}
Southwark's own Design Review Panel criticised Delancey's scheme heavily, in particular with relation to the transport interchange. In their report to the Council's planning committee they said that the "significant size and scale of the proposed UAL and the shopping centre buildings adjacent to the viaduct which block off access to the station from the north or south along the viaduct."
It goes on to raise "significant concerns" about the building infront of the railway station "Firstly, the scale of the building and how it affects the generosity of Elephant Court which is severely restricted as a consequence and does not have the proportions of a civic square which a scheme of this scale will require. Secondly, ‘Elephant Court will be an importance entrance point for the railway station at the Elephant and Castle from the west. This includes the interchange from the new underground station at the Elephant and Castle peninsula. The Panel felt the current proposal does not demonstrate how this important transport interchange will be facilitated by the scheme and remained concerned that the new building will impede access to the railway station."
The panel raises significant concerns about the new Northern line entrance, which they felt "lacked visual presence on the street and is currently proposed as a simple single-storey shopfront – no different to a retail unit."
It also criticises Delancey's public realm proposals; "In respect of the public realm, the Panel felt the current proposals lacked generosity. They noted that other significant schemes provided appropriate civic spaces and public realm on their sites and felt that the current proposal did not strike the right balance between pubic realm and built form to mitigate against the enormous scale of the proposal."