Elephant and Castle traders can return after closures say Southwark Council

Southwark Council and Get Living have announced that units which have recently closed in the Elephant and Castle can return to the site.

Traders at Castle Square had complained after receiving large utility bills with some then finding their unit locked out of use. They’d previously been evicted from the Elephant and Castle shopping centre now undergoing redevelopment.

This afternoon an agreement was announced:

Councillor John Batteson, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency, Jobs and Business, said:

“Together with Get Living, we have reached an agreement that provides an opportunity for Castle Square businesses to return to their units.

“As part of a new payment plan, traders can now pay off their arrears over the course of a new 12-month arrangement. We understand that some business owners may choose not to return to the site and Get Living has confirmed that any outstanding debts for those businesses will not be pursued.”

“Through ongoing discussions with Get Living, the owners of the site, it is clear that although businesses have benefitted from low rental rates, rising electricity costs have placed significant financial pressure on them. As a council, we are committed to supporting local businesses and hope this new package will provide some relief for traders.

“More broadly, the council continues to work with partners to develop an affordable retail package for local businesses within the new Elephant and Castle town centre.”

Problems

Five traders had been locked out after claims that no electricity bill had been sent for years despite requests until substantial payments were recently requested which needed to be paid within a short time frame.

Tenants stated fees of £10,000 and £20,000 were demanded after metering issues prevented regular payments from 2021.

Get Living previously stated “We recognise the sensitivities of this situation and enforcement action is never our desired course of action – this has only been pursued as a last resort after all reasonable alternatives were exhausted.”

While this may offer a reprieve to those in the Elephant and Castle, Get Living’s site in Lewisham remains completely empty six months on from a major flood.

That saw all residents forced to vacate and shops preparing to open having to pull the plug. The entire development is still empty with through-routes blocked to pedestrians.

No shops, no jobs, no cinema and no occupied homes on the site which saw £9,558,850 of section 106 funding from Lewisham Council and a Housing Infrastructure Fund contribution of £10m.