New student housing approved for Old Kent Road

A scheme to provide new student accommodation on Old Kent Road has been approved by Southwark Council’s planning committee.

The scheme, at 671-679 Old Kent Road, will provide 267 student bed spaces, 35 per cent of which (93 spaces) will be designated as affordable.

The 10 to 12 storey development, on the site of what is now a KFC restaurant, also includes 257 sqm of retail/restaurant space at ground floor level and a new, publicly-accessible pocket park.

Demand for student accommodation in the area is growing (both from those studying in Southwark as well as other parts of London).  Last year, approval was given to a London School of Economics development to provide housing for its students on the site of a warehouse in Glengall Road.

This proposal, from Tribe Student Housing, will cater to students studying in Southwark at the University of the Arts, King’s College London and London South Bank University.

Southwark Council’s regeneration plans for Old Kent Road also include proposals to bring a new college or university to the area .

The park will create a direct route through to the nearby Ruby Triangle development and the proposed linear park.

This means there will be a green link between this site and the Grade II Listed Gasholder which is also slated to be turned into a public park. New green links and spaces, such as these, sit at the heart of the plans for Old Kent Road as set-out in the recently updated Area Action Plan.

Approval for the scheme was granted at Planning Committee on 21 April and a recording of the meeting is available on the council’s YouTube channel.

Find out more about the benefits of regenerating Old Kent Road