The Liberty of Southwark
Reinstating the missing
piece of Southwark Street
The Liberty of Southwark, a 1.7-acre derelict site, is a rare opportunity to transform a vacant site, rich in history and local folklore, right in the heart of Bankside, just opposite Borough Market.
U+I were appointed by land owners Transport for London (TfL), in May 2017 to deliver a mixed-used development for this £250 million public private partnership project. Working together in partnership, U+I and TfL, plan to transform the site near Borough Market, from an under-utilised space to a local cultural and social hub where people will want to live, work and visit, providing new jobs and new housing in Southwark.
The Liberty of Southwark will provide more than 200,000 sq ft of new office space, plus shops, restaurants, cafés, flexible small business workspace and new homes. This will bring more than 1,850 new jobs to the area and 36 new homes, including 9 for social rent and a further 3 for discounted sale, equating to 50% affordable housing.
The scheme has been designed by local architects Allies and Morrison, as a varied collection of contemporary brick buildings, sensitive to the scale of their surroundings and full of references to the historic Victorian industrial and commercial architecture of the area. 15 Southwark Street, derelict for many years, will be restored as part of the development.
Crossbones Graveyard, a post-medieval burial ground adjoining the site, will be safeguarded from development in the long-term. Today, it is home to a garden of remembrance, which has evolved over two decades as a contemplative space. U+I and TfL will continue to work in partnership with Bankside Open Spaces Trust (BOST), Crossbones Forum and Friends
of Crossbones to deliver enhancements and a management plan for Crossbones, including longer opening hours and funding.