Team London Bridge to champion Social Regeneration approach on St Thomas Street

There can be no doubt that London Bridge has been comprehensively regenerated over the past two decades, with many successes and plaudits gained across complex and contrasting projects. 

However, the general concept of ‘regeneration’ has acquired some negative connotations in some quarters, and a process that should be beneficial to all is not always seen as delivering its full potential across the whole community. 

Southwark Council has sought to define the overall approach differently, introducing a new framework for managing change in the borough. The Social Regeneration approach promotes a critical focus to ensure that, in collaboration with communities and developers, they are creating places that create new life opportunities, promote wellbeing and reduce inequalities.

There is still substantial development yet to take place in London Bridge, particularly along St Thomas Street. Therefore Southwark Council has approached Team London Bridge to help initiate the Social Regeneration framework for this area, collaborating with the developers in the St Thomas Street East area to ensure residents, businesses, and everyone with a stake in improving the well-being of the area will be engaged from the earliest possible point. 

Communities provide valuable insights to inform local developments and this process will bring opportunities to identify local needs, voice aspirations and concerns and help develop solutions. 

Initially Team London Bridge will be leading the project to establish a baseline against which the success of the developments in terms of Social Regeneration will be measured over the coming years. As an independent, not-for-profit organisation, we feel that we are best placed to build initial trust in this relatively new approach, install good communication practices from the start of the regeneration process and involve the widest range of stakeholder possible in dialogue.