Mayor unveils plans for major revamp of Peckham Town Centre

The Mayor of London and Southwark Council have announced plans for a major revamp of Peckham Town Centre:

The proposed £3-5m project will be funded by the Mayor’s £70m Regeneration Fund, set up to help repair the damage caused to high streets and town centres in the August riots, £20m of which was secured from central Government and the rest from City Hall.

Working together, the Mayor, Southwark Council and its partners are developing a proposal that will help Peckham Town Centre benefit from extension of the East London Line and see improvements to the platforms and facilities at Peckham Rye station as part of the National Station Improvement Programme. Highlights include:

• Creating a new, high quality public square outside Peckham Rye station - by clearing and demolishing the arcade buildings in front of the station and installing the electricity and lighting infrastructure needed to allow flexible use of the area, for example to locate outdoor market stalls.
• Transforming the plaza to the rear of Peckham Rye station - by relocating existing light industrial businesses and refurbishing the railway arches to a high standard to stimulate investment and support growth of the night-time economy.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “The plans put forward for Peckham Rye are hugely exciting and have the potential to boost the local economy and bring great benefits to everyone living in the area. I really hope the community get behind these plans and give them the support they need to become a reality.”

Councillor Fiona Colley, cabinet member for regeneration at Southwark Council, said: “Peckham's Rye Lane was once one of London's premier shopping streets featuring department stores like Jones & Higgins, but sadly it's become rather run down. For instance Peckham Rye Station is a beautiful Victorian Grade II listed building, but it's hidden away from view behind a tatty shopping mall. In recent years we've been working with local residents' group, Peckham Vision, to improve the station starting with the old waiting room. What we really want to do is knock down the mall and create a fantastic new public square in front of the station - a grand entrance is just what Peckham needs to welcome residents and visitors alike and to help kick start the local economy."


For more background about this story, visit South East Central's Peckham forum.