Get Living Unveils £500m Elephant and Castle Town Centre Transformation

A major milestone in London's regeneration landscape has been reached with the opening of The Elephant, a £500 million mixed-use town centre development delivered by Get Living in Elephant and Castle.

The landmark scheme brings together new residential accommodation, retail, leisure, commercial workspace and public spaces, creating a major new destination in one of south London's most significant regeneration areas.

Developed over a decade of planning, design and construction, The Elephant introduces 135,000 sq ft of retail, restaurant and leisure accommodation, alongside 485 new homes and approximately 50,000 sq ft of additional workspace.

The opening represents a significant achievement for the capital's construction and property sectors, demonstrating the scale of investment required to deliver a comprehensive new urban centre within an established London neighbourhood.

Major Retail and Leisure Destination Takes Shape

At the heart of the development is a new retail and leisure destination designed to attract residents, workers, students and visitors.

Of the 116,459 sq ft of commercial accommodation available at launch, 93% has already been let or is under offer, reflecting strong occupier interest in the scheme.

A number of major national and international retailers have already opened, including M&S Food, Mango, Oliver Bonas, Søstrene Grene and Superdrug.

Food and beverage operators Blank Street, Starbucks and Pret A Manger have also established a presence, contributing to the development's mix of shopping, dining and leisure facilities.

Further openings are planned, including The Elephant Kitchen, a food hall featuring 14 independent kitchens, alongside aesthetics clinic Injectual and beauty operator Rawr.

The development's leisure offering will expand further in 2027, with Everyman Cinema among the operators preparing to open.

Other confirmed future occupiers include Office, DistriAndina, Heytea, Bird & Blens, Jungle Berry and Hi Bowl.

The mix of established retail brands and independent operators is intended to create a diverse destination that reflects the character of Elephant and Castle and supports activity throughout the day and evening.

485 New Homes at Elephant Quarter

Alongside the commercial development, The Elephant incorporates Elephant Quarter, a substantial residential scheme delivering 485 homes.

The accommodation ranges from studio apartments to three-bedroom properties, providing a variety of housing options within a highly connected central London location.

Residents will benefit from a range of shared amenities, including rooftop terraces, dedicated fitness facilities and communal social spaces.

The residential element forms an important part of Get Living's wider vision for the development, creating a neighbourhood where people can live, work, shop and socialise within the same urban environment.

The integration of residential accommodation with retail, leisure and commercial facilities reflects the continued evolution of mixed-use development across major UK cities.

New Public Spaces and Transport Infrastructure

Public realm improvements form a central element of the £500 million regeneration programme.

The scheme introduces a new town square and enhanced pedestrian spaces, designed to improve connectivity and provide welcoming areas for the surrounding community.

These improvements are intended to strengthen the relationship between the new buildings and the existing neighbourhood, creating more accessible routes and opportunities for public activity.

The wider regeneration programme will also deliver a new campus for the University of the Arts London's London College of Communication, scheduled to open in 2027.

Further transport improvements are planned, including an upgraded Northern Line ticket hall entrance, which is expected to open in 2030.

The development has also incorporated foundations for a potential future Bakerloo line extension, helping prepare the area for longer-term transport infrastructure investment.

Together, these elements demonstrate the scale and complexity of the regeneration programme, combining major building construction with public realm improvements, educational facilities and transport infrastructure.

A Decade of Planning and Construction

Kate Freer, Chief Executive Officer of Get Living, described the opening as the culmination of ten years of work.

"Today's opening is the culmination of 10 years of planning, refining and building, and it is a moment we are immensely proud of. Very few companies get the chance to deliver a major new town centre, and we are delighted to see The Elephant welcome its first visitors," she said.

"Elephant and Castle's rich and diverse community has always been a place where worlds meet. Now it has a new town centre that reflects that, built for the people who live, work, study and visit here."

Freer also highlighted the importance of future transport connectivity, noting that the development has been designed with the potential Bakerloo line extension in mind.

Regeneration Investment Welcomed by Southwark Council

Southwark Council has welcomed the opening as an important milestone in the long-term transformation of Elephant and Castle.

Councillor Victor Chamberlain, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, Strategic Planning and Wellbeing, said the development would create new opportunities for residents and businesses.

"The re-development at Elephant and Castle has been a long process, but now the opening of the town centre marks an exciting new chapter for the area, creating more opportunities for residents to socialise and enjoy everything this historic part of Southwark has to offer," he said.

He added that the investment would help strengthen the local economy, generate employment and training opportunities, and support the creation of a more welcoming and sustainable neighbourhood.

A New Chapter for London's Mixed-Use Regeneration

The completion and opening of The Elephant represents one of London's most significant recent mixed-use regeneration milestones.

By combining hundreds of new homes with retail, leisure, commercial workspace, public spaces and future educational and transport facilities, the £500 million development demonstrates the potential of large-scale urban regeneration to reshape established town centres.

Retail leasing for the scheme has been supported by property advisers P-Three and Time Retail Partners, who advised Get Living on securing commercial occupiers.

With further retail, leisure and educational facilities scheduled to open over the coming years, The Elephant will continue to evolve as additional phases of the wider regeneration programme are delivered.

For the UK built environment sector, the project highlights the growing importance of integrated masterplanning, high-density residential development and the creation of mixed-use destinations that bring together commercial activity, community facilities and modern urban living.

The opening marks the beginning of a new chapter for Elephant and Castle, establishing a major new town centre destination following a decade of planning, investment and construction.