Old Kent Road is about to change extensively and rapidly. This is in part due to the planned Bakerloo Line extension. The underground line currently terminates at Elephant and Castle but under proposed plans it will be extended to Lewisham with 3 stops along Old Kent Road. As with the Elizabeth Line property developers have preempted these infrastructure improvements by drawing up plans to develop the extensive swathes of land currently occupied by industry, out of town shopping and supermarkets. The developments are all much taller than anything Old Kent Road has seen before and if Elephant and castle, Nine Elms or Canada Water are anything to go by the area will be transformed.
OKR like most of London has constantly been changing and has gone through several defined eras/stages, this though seems like the biggest yet. Many of the towers have planning permission already and 1 (Bermondsey Works) is complete.
There are 2 main improvements coming from the Bakerloo Line Extension. Number one is improved links between central London and the area of OKR, this should have a huge positive impact on the pollution along the road. Number 2 is the building of thousands of new homes. It’s down to the council to ensure it’s done properly with sufficient affordable housing and to ensure the community and character are preserved.
