Where is it?
The borough borders the City of London and Tower Hamlets to the north, Lambeth to the West, Lewisham to the east and Bromley and Croydon to the South.
Mayor landmarks include The Shard, Tate Modern, Globe Theatre, Imperial War Museum and Borough Market. Southwark is also known for its network of iconic bridges, including Tower Bridge, the Millennium Bridge and London Bridge.
Who lives there?
As of May 2014, the population of Southwark was 293,530, with this number expected to increase by 21% over the following decade. The borough has a young population, with 42% of its residents aged 20-39, compared to 35% in London and 27% in England as a whole.
What is the political landscape like?
Southwark has three parliamentary constituencies, Camberwell and Peckham, Dulwich and West Norwood (shared with Lambeth), and Bermondsey and Old Southwark, all of which are controlled by the Labour Party. In the most recent local council election, Labour gained 48 of the 63 seats.
What do houses cost?
Southwark saw the biggest price rises in London during September, with property costs hitting £631,055, an increase of 8.7% since August. The trend isn’t a new thing, however, with figures from last November showing increases of 27.9% year-on-year in Southwark, second only to Lewisham.
At the time of the 2011 census, the borough’s rented sector comprised 53.4% of its housing, one of the highest rates in England, and also had the greatest proportion of social housing in England – 31.2%.
In the news
A derelict shed behind a launderette in Dulwich recently sold at auction for £440,000, well above its guide price of £325,000, despite needing a complete rebuild to make it in to a two-bedroom home. The shed was first used as a blacksmith’s workshop before falling in to disrepair.
Regeneration
There’s plenty of change afoot, with Southwark council embarking on a programme to regenerate 11 different areas. Here’s the lowdown on some of the biggest changes set to happen in the coming years.
Aylesbury Estate
The first new homes here were completed in 2012, and plans are underway to take the regeneration of the area forward across four phases over the next 20 years. The project will include nearly 4,000 new homes, of which 50% will be affordable, in partnership with Notting Hill Housing Trust.
Bermondsey Spa
Working alongside the Hyde Group, Southwark Council plans to create over 2,000 new homes, with more than 40% of these classified as affordable housing. In addition, there will be two new health centres, a new pharmacy and new leisure and retail space.
Canada Water
The regeneration programme here is delivering a new town centre for Rotherhithe, with around 900 homes and a state of the art library. Working with the local community, the council also plans to deliver a further 2500 new homes and generate around 200 new jobs in the future.
Elephant and Castle
Elephant and Castle is undergoing a £3bn regeneration programme over the next 15 years, with the creation of a new pedestrianised town centre and 5,000 new and replacement homes.
New Homes
The Residence, Blackfriars Road
Affinity Sutton
The Residence, Blackfriars Road is a collection of apartments available through shared ownership, allowing buyers to purchase as little as a 25% share of a home. Through the scheme, buyers purchase a share of a property (between 25% and 75%) and pay a reduced rent to Affinity Sutton on the remainder.
Here, there are ten one- and two-bedroom apartments available, and each has been designed to suit a range of buyers from singles or couples to young families, and there is even a two-bedroom wheelchair-accessible apartment.
The homes are fitted to a high specification with spacious, open-plan living areas with large windows enabling natural daylight to fill the rooms, and each boasts a a private balcony or terrace with spectacular views of London’s stunning skyline.
The nearest tube station, Southwark, is only a two-minute walk from The Residence and the development is a ten minutes walk from Waterloo mainline railway and tube stations.
Price: From £590,000
Find out more at www.affinitysutton.com ; 0300 100 0303
Two Fifty One, Southwark Bridge Road
Oakmayne Properties
Two Fifty One Southwark Bridge Road is a landmark mixed use scheme by Oakmayne Properties, in conjunction with Lone Star.
The 0.51 acre development features of a residential tower providing 335 apartments and penthouses.
There will be 270 private sale apartments and penthouses here, providing studio, one-, two- and three-bedrooms. The highly specified apartments are designed to maximise space, light and views, with contemporary style, beautiful materials and bespoke finishes designed to create cool and stylish homes, with items carefully chosen for both their aesthetics and quality.
Construction of Two Fifty One is commenced last winter, with completion expected in 2017.
Price: From £390,000
Find out more at www.twofiftyonelondon.com ; 0203 4689 251
Athenlay, Nunhead
Empyrean
A rare collection of just nine new Victorian-style terraced homes is nearing completion in Nunhead. The spacious three-storey, four-bedroom family homes are located in a quiet tree-lined road within walking distance of two mainline stations.
The development on Athenlay Road, SE15, has two show homes nearing completion this autumn, with the entire scheme scheduled for completion before the end of the year.
Each home here has a separate living room to the front and a contemporary open-plan kitchen dining room at the rear of the property, with glass doors opening out on to the patio and a garden laid to lawn. The four bedrooms are spread over the first and second floors with en suites to the master and bedroom two on the first floor.
The location is a commuters’ dream, being within walking distance of Nunhead Station (Zone 2) with fast rail services to the city. Honor Oak Overground station (Zone 3) is also nearby, and trains to Canary Wharf and Shoreditch take around 20 minutes.
Price: From £900,000
Find out more at www.empyrean-developments.co.uk ; 020 3397 9800