Plans for London and Regional’s Skipton House development in Elephant and Castle have been approved by the London Borough of Southwark.

The scheme, situated next to Elephant and Castle Tube station, will transform the currently vacant Skipton House commercial site into a mixed-use development comprising 1,434 student homes alongside affordable housing, commercial and community space and new public realm.

Simon Toplis, Partner at HTA Design, said: “Skipton House represents an exciting moment in the evolution of Elephant and Castle. This is a site of real significance – adjacent to a major transport hub and central to one of London’s most ambitious regeneration areas. Working with London and Regional and the Southwark Council, our design responds to the site’s prominence, contributing to a new generation of mixed-use developments that prioritise community, sustainability and inclusivity, creating places where people want to live.”

The existing basement is retained while making way for four interconnected buildings rising from 21 to 31 storeys with 243 affordable homes delivered across the two southern residential blocks, with 71% provided at social rent and 29% at intermediate levels, a total of 1,629sqm of employment-generating floorspace on the ground and lower ground levels and 1,434 purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) units across two towers to the north.

In addition to the community space, the development will deliver improved pedestrian and vehicle access, cycle parking, and wider public realm upgrades with associated highway works.