LONDON BRIDGE AND GUY S CAMPUS CHARACTER AREA APPRAISAL

LONDON BRIDGE AND GUY S CAMPUS CHARACTER AREA APPRAISAL CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2. Purpose 3. Context 4. Heritage 5. Built Form 6. Building Frontages 7. Legibility 8. Permeability 9. Streetscape and Public Realm 10.Landscape and Open Space 11. Contacts 12. Glossary 13. References 14. Appendices 1

1. Introduction Appraising the historic character and built form of Bankside and the Borough was identified as a high priority in the Bankside and the Borough SPD: Business Case. The study has been extended to London Bridge, Bermondsey and Shad Thames areas. As they both have an important influence over the SPD area. This appraisal forms one of 9 character area appraisals that have been developed for Bankside and the Borough. These appraisals cover the following sub-areas: Borough Markets, Clink Street and Southwark Cathedral; Borough High Street; North of Southwark Street and west of Cannon Street Railway Viaduct; South of Southwark Street and north of Union Street; South of Union Street and north of Borough Road; Blackfriars Road; Bermondsey; London Bridge & Guy s Campus; and Tooley Street. It is intended that these appraisals will guide the development of the Borough, Bankside and London Bridge Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). 2. Purpose The purpose of this character area appraisal is to: Identify listed buildings, conservation areas, archaeological priority zones, areas of special character and buildings of local architectural or historic interest; Appraise building heights and identify areas that allow for the suitable location of tall buildings; Appraise the urban grain and pattern of development, with a particular emphasis on the scale and mass of buildings, plot sizes, street widths and building lines; Appraise building frontages to determine how active they are, with a particular focus on shop fronts; Identify local views and vistas, landmark buildings, pathways, nodes and edges within the urban form; Appraise the accessibility, permeability and safety of pedestrians throughout the urban environment, including pedestrian links between public transport nodes, retail hubs and residential areas; Appraise the streetscape and public realm of the London Bridge and Guy s Campus area; and Appraise the quantity and quality of open space areas within the London Bridge and Guy s Campus area. 3. Context Borough, Bankside, and London Bridge is a district town centre, located within the London Borough of Southwark. It is bordered to the north by the River 2

Thames, to the east by Shad Thames, to the south by Elephant and Castle and to the west by the London Borough of Lambeth. The boundary of Borough, Bankside and London Bridge district are shown in figure 1. 4. Heritage Overview The London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area has a diverse historic environment, which includes three conservation areas, an archaeological priority zone, a number of grade II* and grade II listed buildings and groups of buildings of local architectural or historic interest. Brief History The development of the London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area commenced with the construction of a permanent bridge across the River Thames, shortly after the Roman invasion of Britain in 43AD. The area then became an important suburb of Londinium establishing itself on the higher sand and gravel islands, which were then surrounded by water channels. In the Middle Ages the Priory of St. Mary Overie founded St. Thomas s Hospital on the site of the present London Bridge Station. By the 15 th century the area around the former Church of St. Thomas and the hospital had become tightly packed with buildings. Figure 2: Southwark Map dated 1896 The establishment of the hospital influenced the pattern of development on the western side of the character area. Here new development was restricted 3

to the yards and inns typical of the main street frontage of Borough High Street and to the hospital precinct behind. With the development of the neighbouring Guy s Hospital on adjacent land in the 18 th century, St. Thomas Street became connected with to Bermondsey Street. The 18 th century character of the western end of St. Thomas Street is still evident today. Until the mid 19 th century there were two hospitals located in St. Thomas Street, namely: Guy s and St. Thomas Hospital s. In 1862 the land to the north of St. Thomas Street was requisitioned to enlarge the London Bridge Station terminus and St. Thomas s Hospital moved to its present site in Lambeth. Only one ward building of the former St. Thomas s Hospital remains, as part of the Post Office on Borough High Street. New commercial buildings on London Bridge Street were constructed at this time. Guy s Hospital was unaffected by the arrival of the railway and continued to grow during this period (see figure 2). Guy s Hospital was founded in 1726 by Thomas Guy. It was originally established as a hospital to treat "incurables" discharged from St Thomas' Hospital. The original hospital buildings comprised of a courtyard facing onto St. Thomas Street, a hall on the east side and the chapel to the west. Thomas Dance designed the core of the hospital buildings in the 1720 s (see figure 3). The east and west wings that extend to St. Thomas Street, were added between 1738 and 1777. These original parts of the hospital are now administrative and social accommodation. In the early 19 th century, William Hunt donated money for the construction of the original Hunt's House. This building was replaced in 1999; when the current New Hunt's House was constructed to house the Guy's, King's & St Thomas' Schools of Biomedical Sciences, Medicine and Dentistry. The Henriette Raphael building was constructed in 1903, as the first purpose built nurses' home in the United Kingdom. Figure 3: Guy s Hospital main building Figure 4: London Bridge House In 1392 a proclamation had given the butchers from The City of London a place in Southwark to dump their waste. These by-products of the butcher s trade, established the leather working trade in the Bermondsey area. Also 4

locally available were the other raw materials required for the tanning process, namely: water from the areas many streams and oak bark from the woods of south London. This industry continued in the eastern side of the character area during the 19 th century. The tanner s yards are marked on Rocque s Map (date 1746), and it indicates their presence along Long Lane. Together with the leather industry, other industries began to flourish in the area, bringing with it migrant workers. These included Flemings from Flanders. A Flemish Burial Ground is located on the present site of London Bridge Station. During the World War II the area was heavily bombed, in particular the area to the north of Long Lane. This character area was transformed after the war. When large areas of the terraced housing, with narrow frontages were cleared away and residential blocks with large frontages were constructed in their place. During the period of the Blitz (1940-41) Guy s Hospital suffered badly, being hit by high explosive and incendiary bombs. After the Second World War the east wing of the main building on St. Thomas Street rebuilt. In 1961 the 11 storey New Guy s House was opened and this was followed in 1975 by the 30 storey Guy s Tower. Further extensions to the campus include the construction of Thomas Guy House in 1995 and New Hunt s House in 2000. Other post war developments in the area included the office buildings around the London Bridge. These buildings represent commercial developments of the 1960 s and 70 s e.g. London Bridge House; designed by R. Seifert and Partners, was constructed in 1962 (see figure 4). Conservation Areas Two conservation areas are in existence within the character area (see Appendix 2). The Borough High Street Conservation Area was originally designated in July 1968; by the Greater London Council, under the Civic Amenities Act 1967. Which was introduced to preserve the special architectural and historic interest of the locality. The conservation area was subsequently extended in 1973 and 1980. The Bermondsey Street Conservation Area was designated in 1972; and extended in 1991 and again in 1993. The Council are currently out to public consultation regarding the proposed extension of the Bermondsey Street Conservation Area. However, this extension does not fall within the London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area. Both the Borough High Street and Bermondsey Street Conservation Area Appraisals have been adopted by Council, and can be downloaded from the Southwark Council website. Listed Buildings A large number of listed buildings are located within the character area (see Appendix 3) and are identified below. Grade I Listed 5

There is no Grade I listed building in the character area. Grade II* Listed No. 9 St. Thomas Street; No. 9A St. Thomas Street; No s 11 and 13 St. Thomas Street; and Guy s Hospital main building (including wings and chapel) St. Thomas Street. Grade II Listed No s 25 and 27 Crosby Row (see figure 5); Old King s Head Inn, King s Head Yard; No. 65 Newcomen Street (King s Arms Public House); London Bridge Station, Platforms 9-16 Railway Approach; No. 2 St. Thomas Street (Bunch of Grapes Public House); North wall to St. George s Gardens; No s 4-8 (even) St. Thomas Street; No s 12-16 (even) St. Thomas Street; No. 15 St. Thomas Street; K2 Telephone kiosk outside No s 17 and 19 St. Thomas Street; Gates, gate piers and street railings to Guy s Hospital, St. Thomas Street; Statue of Thomas Guy in front courtyard of Guy s Hospital, St. Thomas Street; and Alcove from old London Bridge, St. Thomas Street (see figure 6). Figure 5: No s 23 & 25 Crosby Row Figure 6: Alcove, St. Thomas Street Archaeology Priority Zones The Borough, Bermondsey and Rivers Archaeological Priority Zone (APZ) encapsulates all of the London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area (see Appendix 4). Guy s Hospital was located back from the built-up street frontages of the Roman and medieval town. During the Roman period a major channel divided this area running north to south along the line of Crosby Row and continuing along Great Maze Pond. It is apparent that this 6

channel was navigable during the Roman period, as a boat has been excavated at Guy s Hospital, which is now preserved as a Scheduled Monument. Excavations have also indicated that the Roman settlement continued up to the margins of this channel. To the east of the channel, on the north eyote of Roman Southwark, underneath the Chapter House of St Thomas, characteristic ard marks have been identified. This indicates the potential for Bronze Age agricultural evidence to survive in this area. The street Great Maze Pond reflects the name of one of the major medieval houses; the Maze, which was originally located in this area to the south of the medieval hospital. The hospital was dedicated to Thomas Becket and archaeological remains are likely to survive within the present forecourt of London Bridge Station and north of St Thomas Street. In the post-medieval period the foundation of Guy s Hospital represented an expansion of charitable interest in this part of the borough. Buildings of local architectural or historic interest The London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area contains a number of local buildings of historic and/ or architectural importance (see Appendix 5). These buildings are of significance to the Borough, Bankside, and London Bridge area and should be protected or enhanced. Given the range of buildings of historic or architectural significance in this area, it is suggested that some buildings are listed individually, while others should be listed as a group. In many cases, buildings that are located as a group, form some of the best surviving sections of the Borough, Bankside, and London Bridge area and may include listed buildings. Buildings that should be listed individually include: St. Hilda s Church, Crosby Row; London Bridge Station, Platforms 9-16 Railway Approach; No. 44 Kipling Street (Britannia Public House); No. 50 Kipling Street; Our Lady of La Salette R.C. Church, Melior Street; The Horseshoe Inn, No. 26 Melior Street (see figure 7) ; Lodge, St. George s Garden (see figure 55); No. 1 London Bridge Street; War Memorial, Memorial Park; K2 Telephone Kiosk, St. Thomas Street; No s 24-26 (even) St. Thomas Street (see figure 8); and No s 9 17 (odd) Vinegar Yard. 7

Figure 7: No. 26 Melior Street Figure 8: No s 24-26 St. Thomas Street Buildings that should be listed as a group within the individual sub-areas include: London Bridge Station No s 4-6, 8 and No s 10-18 (London Bridge Hotel) London Bridge Street, are a group of buildings on the northern most edge of the Borough High Street Conservation Area (see figure 9). No s 4-6 and 8 London Bridge Street are a group of late 19 th century 4 storey buildings. No s 4-6 London Bridge Street is a former hop factors premises, with 2 main storeys and a modern 2 storey extensions. Both No s 10-18 and No. 8 are late 19 th / early 20 th century buildings. No. 8 is 4 storeys and No s 10-18 5 storeys, with an attic. Together these buildings all provide a strong street elevation to London Bridge Street. Figure 9: No s 10-18 London Bridge Street Figure 10: King s Head Yard St. Thomas Street West North side of King s Head Yard (south side of New City Court) and Old Kings Head Inn: are a group of late 19 th century 2 storey buildings. The buildings are the only remains of the earlier street pattern (see 8

figure 10); The former Church of St. Thomas, No s 9-17 (odd) St. Thomas Street: a complete group of early 18 th century buildings. The former Church of St. Thomas and No s 9-13 St. Thomas Street are all listed grade II*. No. 15 is a grade II listed building. No s 9-17 are all 3 storeys in height, with attics. Both the former Church of St. Thomas and No s 9 and 9A are in the plain Queen Anne style; No s 2, 4-8, 12-16 (even) St. Thomas Street: together form a strong group of early to late 19 th century grade II listed buildings (see figure 11). The buildings are all 3 storeys in height with an attic, and form a strong urban group, with the buildings on the northern side of St. Thomas Street; and Guy s Hospital main building, gates, piers and railings and Statue of Thomas Guy, are an important complex of early 18 th century buildings and historic street furniture. The Centre Block, West Wing and Chapel are grade II* listed buildings, and the statue gates and railings are also grade II listed. Figure 11: No s 4-16 St. Thomas Street Figure 12: No s 56-60 Weston Street St. Thomas Street East No s 56-58 (even) and No. 60 Weston Street is a pair of warehouse buildings. No s 56-58 Weston Street is a 3 storey early 20 th century building in the Arts and Craft style. No. 60 Weston Street is a late 19 th century warehouse of 4 storeys in height. Together these buildings provide enclosure to the street on the eastern side (see figure 12). Guy s Campus Shepherd s House, Henriette Raphael House and Hodgkin Building, Guy s Campus: are a group of late 19 th / early 20 th century buildings on the western side of Memorial Park (see figure 13). Together with 9

grade II* Guy s Hospital buildings this group has a strong urban character. North of Long Lane No s 17-37 (odd) Crosby Row are a group of 18 th, 19 th and 20 th century buildings, on the western side of Crosby Row. No s 25 and 27 Crosby Row is a pair of grade II listed buildings. These townhouses date from the late 18 th century and form a terrace of four 3 storey properties along with No s 21 and 23 Crosby Row. No s 17-19 (Plantain Place) Crosby Row a late 19 th century 3 storey tenement development, set around a courtyard (see figure 14). Baden Place (No s 29-35 (odd) Crosby Row) dates from the early 20 th century and is a commercial 3 storey development set around a courtyard. There is a distinctive Art Deco style clock tower at the western end of the courtyard. Completing the group is No. 37 Crosby Row (Whitesmiths Arms), which is a 3 storey 19 th century public house; Figure 13: Henriette Raphael House Figure 14: Plantain Place Crosby Row No s 4 9 (consec.) Newcomen Street and King s Arms Public House: No s 3-8 (consec.) Newcomen Street is a terrace of five 3 storey, mid 19 th century buildings properties. Completing the group is No. 9 Newcomen Street, which is a 4 storey building with basement. This 19 th century building has fine iron railings around the basement lightwells and is constructed with red brick and Yorkstone decorative detailing. Opposite is the grade II listed King s Arms Public House. The Kings Arms was constructed in 1890. It is 3 storeys in height, with decorative stucco dressings. This group of buildings are a reminder of the earlier Victorian street pattern and together provide tight street scale and historic character in a street otherwise spoilt by 20 th century developments; and Axe & Bottle Court, Newcomen Street: is a pair of mid to later 19 th century warehouses, on the east side of Axe and Bottle Court. The northern warehouse is 3 storeys and the building to the south, 4 10

storeys in height. Sites suitable for redevelopment There are a number of sites located throughout the character area that contribute poorly to the appearance of the area and the historic environment. As such, it is recommended that they be nominated for future redevelopment. These sites are shown in Appendix 6 and are also identified below: Redevelopment of the gap sites between Fenning Street and Snowsfields, No s 40-48 Weston Street and No s 60-68 St. Thomas Street (see figure 15 and 16). There is an opportunity here for the construction of tall buildings and public realm improvements. Consideration should be given to a foothill building; approximately 100 metres in height, at the Weston Street end of the site, which steps down significantly towards the Bermondsey Street Conservation Area. Any new development should be subservient to the London Bridge Tower and have regard to the historic buildings in the conservation area; Figure 15: Gap site between Fenning Street and Snowsfields Figure 16: No s 60-68 St. Thomas Street There is an opportunity for the construction of a new building approximately 60 metres in height over London Bridge Station. Any new development should be subservient to the London Bridge Tower, integrate with the London and Greenwich Railway Viaduct and provide a quality frontage onto St. Thomas Street; Redevelopment of the car park sites off Tennis Street, Tabard Gardens Estate (see figure 17). New buildings should reflect prevailing building heights of 3 to 5 storeys; 11

Figure 17: Gap site Tennis Street Figure 18: No. 171 Long Lane Redevelopment of No.171 Long Lane, there is a potential here for a landmark building to mark the gateway into Weston Street and the character area. Any new development should also reflect prevailing building heights of 6 to 7 storeys (see figure 18); Redevelopment of the multi-storey car park in Snowsfields. New development should reflect prevailing building heights of 4 to 6 storeys (see figure 19); Redevelopment of No s 96-101 Snowsfields (The Miller Public House) and No s 92-98 Snowsfields. Any new development should reflect prevailing building heights and step up from 4 to 6 storeys; Redevelopment of No s 66-69 Snowsfields (Munro Clinic) and the gap sites either side. Opportunity here for a development, which along with redevelopment of the multi-storey car park site and No s 92-98 Snowfields should provide containment to the street; Figure 19: Multi-storey car park, Snowsfields Figure 20: No s 66-68 Newcomen Street 12

Redevelopment of No s 66-68 Newcomen Street. Any new development should reflect adjacent building heights of 4 storeys (see figure 20); Redevelopment of the Porlock Hall, Porlock Street Any new development should reflect prevailing building heights of 3 to 4 storeys; There is an opportunity to redevelop the 1950 s building (No s 85-87 Long Lane) and the gap site at the corner of Crosby Row and Long Lane (see figure 21). Consideration should be given to a pivotal corner building, which responds sympathetically to the 3 storey building height of No. 89 Long Lane; Redevelopment of No. 15 Tennis Street. Any new development to reflect building heights of 3 to 4 storeys; and Redevelopment of No s 14-17, 18-19, 20 Newcomen Street and Nuffield House. There is an opportunity here to introduce an active frontage onto Newcomen Street. Any new development should respond to the prevailing building heights of 4 storeys on Newcomen Street. Figure 21: Gap site on Crosby Row Figure 22: No s 20-30 London Bridge Street 5. Built Form Overview The following section provides an analysis of the character area s urban form, looking at: building heights, building lines, plot sizes, the scale and mass of buildings and street widths. Varying development pressures have shaped the current built form of the London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area. For the purposes of this appraisal, the character area has been broken up into six sub areas to satisfactorily analyse the built form. These are shown in Appendix 7 and include: London Bridge Station; St. Thomas Street West; 13

St. Thomas Street East; Guy s Campus; Tabard Garden Estate and Newcomen Street; and North of Long Lane (Beormund School to Weston Street). London Bridge Station No. 1 (Three Castles House) London Bridge Street is a late 19 th century building of 3 storeys in height. It is a pivotal building on the corner of Railway Approach and London Bridge Street and marks one of the gateways into the character area. The red brick and Portland stone detailing reflects that found on the buildings directly opposite, No s 4-18 (even) London Bridge Street. No. 1 London Bridge Street is primarily a disguised vent shaft and escape stairs for the London Underground. On the south side of London Bridge Street are: No s 4-6, 8 and No s 10-18 (London Bridge Hotel). No s 4-6 and 8 London Bridge Street are a group of late 19 th century buildings, of 4 storeys in height. No s 4-6 London Bridge Street is a former hop factors premises, with 2 main storeys and a modern 2 storey extension. Both No s 10-18 and No. 8 are late 19 th / early 20 th century buildings. No. 8 is 4 storeys and No s 10-18 is 5 storeys in height, with an attic. Together these buildings provide a strong elevation to London Bridge Street. Figure 23: London Bridge House Figure 24: Fielden House While the office buildings around the London Bridge area represent commercial developments of the 1950 s, 1960 s and 70 s, it is considered that their built form makes little contribution to the character of the area (see figures 22 and 23). On the triangular site formed by London Bridge Street and Railway Approach is a pair of 1960 s buildings: New London Bridge House and London Bridge House. New London Bridge House is a concrete framed building, with part 22-storey office tower (built 1964-67) facing the station and part 3-storey offices fronting London Bridge Street (see figure 25). London Bridge House is a separate 3-storey building, which was constructed in 1962. 14

Planning permission was granted in 2007 for the demolition of New London Bridge House, London Bridge House and Three Castles House. The consent also covered the construction of mixed use building of around 58,800m² on basement, lower ground and 18 upper floors. The proposed building would be a total height of 88 metres from the Joiner Street level, dropping to 45 metres above pavement level at the south and west of the site. The new building will provide: offices, retail and food & drink uses. Part of the proposed scheme includes: a new bus station, taxi rank and pedestrian concourse and entrance to London Bridge Underground Station on Joiner Street. At concourse level, the north elevation of the building is defined by the proposed Thameslink 2000 route. New retail spaces will be introduced and space provided for 26 taxis and 21 bus stands. To the west; on Railway Approach, a loading dock will service the new building. Part of the proposal includes the moving of the bus station onto London Bridge Approach. The roof over the existing bus station will be demolished and in its place a new public open space will be created connecting the new development to London Bridge Station. This will be planted with mature trees and paved in high quality stone. Opposite New London Bridge House are two buildings, 4 storeys in height. No s 20-26 and No. 28-30 (Fielden House) London Bridge Street, which dates from the 1970 s and 1950 s respectively (see figure 24). Both buildings have wide frontages of between 27 and 32 metres. While these buildings respect the verticality of the adjacent 19 th century buildings, they are plainer, utilitarian in character and lack the colour and individuality of their 19 th century neighbours. London Bridge Street gently rises from the entrance on Borough High Street, to Fielden House. The increase in building height is such that the street leads into a high level pedestrian walkway connecting London Bridge Station with the first floor entrance to Guy s Hospital. Access to St. Thomas Street; directly beneath, is via a metal external staircase adjacent to Boland House. Figure 25: New London Bridge House Figure 26: Railway Approach At the junction between Joiner Street, St. Thomas Street and Great Maze Pond, construction work is underway on the London Bridge Tower (The Shard), which was granted consent in 2003. The development replaces a 24 15

storey 1970 s office tower on the site adjacent to London Bridge Station. When completed the slim spiked form glazed tower will be 306 metres and 68 storeys in height. The accommodation at the base of the new building will include: shops, restaurants and conference facilities. Along the northern side of Railway Approach runs the railway viaduct linking London Bridge Station to central London. The brick arches underneath the viaduct had been previously filled in and converted to retail use. However, they are now boarded up and the road closed at the Borough High Street junction, due to the Thameslink 2000 construction work (see figure 26). St. Thomas Street West The western end of St. Thomas Street is characterised by 18 th century and early 19 th century properties, forming a relatively complete townscape setting. Within this part of the character area there is a high concentration of listed buildings. The entrance to St. Thomas Street from Borough High Street is narrow, between two strong corner buildings at No s 21 and 27 Borough High Street. The street width between buildings here is only 12.5 metres. There is a marked change in character here between Borough High Street and St. Thomas Street. The immediate landmark on entry into St. Thomas Street is the tower of the former Church of St. Thomas (see figure 27). The church dates from 1702-03 and is a grade II* listed building, in the Queen Anne style. The tower stands at one end of a slightly tapering street space in front of the grade II* listed terrace No s 9-13 (odd) St. Thomas Street (see figure 28). The unlisted No. 17 St. Thomas Street closes the street vista. The street width; building to building, between No. 15 and the main Guy s Hospital building is 30 metres. These buildings are 3 storeys with attics and basements. The building frontages range between 8 and 9 metres. Their forecourt setting is also of importance due to the survival of iron railings and historic road and pavement surface treatments. Figure 27: Western end of St. Thomas Street Figure 28: No s 9-13 St. Thomas Street 16

Continuing the building line from No. 17 St. Thomas Street to Joiner Street is No. 21 St. Thomas Street, a 1990 s property. This building is 4 storeys in height with a long street frontage of 45 metres. On the southern side of St. Thomas Street the plots are narrower, typically 5 to 6 metres wide. The buildings are 3 storeys with attics and basements and provide a good enclosure to the street. No s 2-16 (even) St. Thomas Street is a group of grade II listed buildings. No. 2, The Bunch of Grapes Public House marks the end of a terrace of 6 buildings. The basement railings along the terrace provide an example of a classic early 19 th century street frontage. In between No s 2-16 (even) St. Thomas Street and the main Guy s Hospital building are: No. 20 (New City Court) and No s 24 and 26 St. Thomas Street. New City Court is a 4 storey building constructed in 1995 (see figure 29). The building fails to respect prevailing heights, building lines and existing vertical rhythm of the street. No s 24 and 26 St. Thomas Street dates from 1863 and was constructed for Guy s Hospital medical staff. It is a semidetached pair of 4 storey buildings in red brick with carved stone decoration. Figure 29: New London Bridge House Figure 30: Guy s Hospital main building Immediately behind New City Court is King s Head Yard, which runs parallel to St. Thomas Street. The narrow street is part of the medieval street pattern which characterises Borough High Street, whereby narrow frontages and long plots were adopted for coaching inns. North side of King s Head Yard (south side of New City Court) and Old Kings Head Inn: are late 19 th century 2 storey buildings. King s Head Yard provides a pedestrian link between Borough High Street and Guy s Hospital. The buildings here are the only remains of the earlier street pattern. The Guy s Hospital and chapel is the focal point of St. Thomas Street and is a 3 storey grade II* listed building. The complex dates from 1721-5 but was remodelled several times during the 18 th century. In the 20 th century; following damage sustained during the Second World War, the east wing was rebuilt. The buildings are arranged around a forecourt with gateposts and railings maintaining the street line (see figure 30). The forecourt is currently 17

used for car parking and seriously detracts from the setting of this important complex of listed buildings. At the junction with the Joiner Street and Great Maze Pond, the western wing of the original Guy s Hospital closes the southerly vista to St. Thomas Street. The width of St. Thomas Street here is 15 metres. At this intersection, a high level footbridge from London Bridge Station crosses the street to Thomas Guy s House. The 30 storey Guy s Tower dominates southeast views from St. Thomas Street. Immediately past the junction with Joiner Street and Great Maze Pond the street width increases to 16.5 metres. St. Thomas Street East The southern side of St. Thomas Street between the Snowsfields and Weston Street intersection is characterised by gap sites and uninspiring buildings. No s 60-68 (even) St. Thomas Street and the adjoining No s 40-48 (even) Weston Street are both late 20 th century commercial buildings. No s 60-68 (even) St. Thomas Street is 7 storey building, with a built frontage of 54 metres (see figure 31). Although the frontage of the adjoining No s 40-48 (even) Weston Street is narrower at 33 metres. The building is taller at10 storeys in height. Consideration should be given to redeveloping these sites in order to activate the street frontage. While the principle of tall buildings in this location was reinforced by the granting of planning permission for the London Bridge Tower ( Shard of Glass ) in 2003. Any new development should respect the character of its immediate environs e.g. No s 9-17 (odd) Vinegar Yard and the 2 to 3 storey buildings in Melior Place. An important consideration will be the impact of any new development on the historic buildings within the Bermondsey Street Conservation Area. There is the opportunity here for a foothill building approximately 100 metres in height, at the Weston Street end of the site. Any new development should be subservient to the London Bridge Tower and step down significantly towards the Bermondsey Street Conservation Area. The site is also directly opposite the proposed new entrance to London Bridge Station (see figure 32). Therefore consideration should be given to the introduction of high quality landscaping scheme in this location. The new development should be positioned at least 10 metres from the street edge, in order to increase pavement widths along St. Thomas Street. Particular consideration should be given to the introduction of street furniture, trees and public street art. 18

Figure 31: No s 60-68 (even) St. Thomas Street Figure 32: London Bridge Station Between the junction of Weston Street and Great Maze Pond are the Southwark and Bermondsey Wings (Thomas Guy House) of Guy s Hospital. This brick 1990 s building has a frontage on St. Thomas Street of over 150 metres in width and rises to 7 storeys (see figure 33). At 27 metres, the highway width of St. Thomas Street is at its greatest. Figure 33: Thomas Guy House Figure 34 No s 9-17 Vinegar Yard Originally the area between St. Thomas Street and Snowsfields was occupied by hop warehouses and terraced housing with narrow frontages. The former warehouse in Vinegar Yard (No s 9 17) is a reminder of the 19 th century street pattern. The building is a late 19 th century former hop warehouse of 5 storeys, which still retains its loading bay, timber taking-in doors, flaps and jib crane (see figure 34). The scale of the buildings between St. Thomas Street and Snowsfields is more intimate and predominantly 2 to 3 storeys. A key building in this part of the character area is No. 26 Melior Street (The Horseshoe Inn) which is a late 19 th century public house. The pub is in a pivotal location closing the east end of the street and is a visual focus when viewed from Snowsfields via Melior 19

Place and Weston Street. The building is contemporary with the Guinness Trust Buildings on Snowsfields, which are located in the Bermondsey Character Area. It is an elaborately decorated and detailed building, drawing the eye from its more mediocre immediate surroundings. Surrounding the Horseshoe Inn there is also a variety of the other small buildings, namely: Our Lady of La Salette R.C. Church (see figure 35), Glasshouse Theatre Studio and a warehouse on Fenning Street, which all contribute further interest to the local streetscape. These 19 th century buildings are predominantly 2 to 3 storeys in height, with built frontages of 10 to 16 metres. Street widths in this area vary from 8 metres in Fenning Street to 13.5 metres in Melior Place. Figure 35: Our Lady of La Salette R.C. Church Figure 36: Greenwood Theatre Weston Street At the northern end of Weston Street there are other examples of the warehouses which once occupied this part of the character area e.g. No s 56 58 (even) and No. 60. No s 56-58 Weston Street is a 3 storey early 20 th century building in the Arts and Craft style. No. 60 Weston Street is a late 19 th century warehouse of 4 storeys. Both buildings are 3 bays wide, with loading doors. The 8 metre frontages are typical of the narrow plots which once characterised the area. Weston Street runs north to south linking St. Thomas Street to Long Lane. The typical highway width along this part of St. Thomas Street is 13 metres. In comparison at the junction with Snowsfields, the street width of Weston Street reduces down from 12 to 9 metres. Weston Street widens again at the intersection with Long Lane to a width of 15 metres. On the western side of the street is the Greenwood Theatre and Wolfson House, which form part of the Guy s Campus (see figure 36). The buildings have frontages of 44 metres (Greenwood Theatre) and 15 metres (Wolfson House) and building heights of 2 and 18 storeys respectively. 20

Figure 37: No s 115-122 Snowsfields Figure 38: No s 73-77) Weston Street At the junction with Melior Place are two new office and residential developments (No s 50 and 52-54 Weston Street). No. 50 Weston Street is an 8 storey development which has failed to articulate the corner of the street in a comparable way to the buildings on the eastern side of Weston Street. Both buildings have street frontages of 10 metres. There is a drop in building height from No. 50 to No s 52-54, of 8 to 6 storeys. Prior to the Second World War, a tight urban grain existed at the junction of Snowsfields and Weston Street. This street form has since been transformed. No s 115-122 Snowsfields is a late 20 th century 3 storey building, which has long frontages on both Weston Street and Snowsfields (see figure 37). Unlike the Rose Public House directly opposite, this building fails to punctuate the southerly vista along Weston Street. No s 73-77(odd) Weston Street; the adjacent 3 storey building, which was once part of a leather warehouse complex and has since been converted to office use (see figure 38). This building forms part of a gated development with No s 81-83 (odd) Weston Street, a single storey 1930 s building. Guy Street Park is located at the junction with Guy Street. The western side of the park is on the site of a former burial ground and in the 19 th century the eastern side was occupied by terrace housing. These narrow residential plots continued all the way to the intersection with Long Lane. Today this area is occupied by the 1960 s Lockyer Estate. Views south along Weston Street are dominated by a pair of 20 storey residential towers: Burwash House and Simla House. Elsewhere the residential blocks are predominantly 4 storeys in height with buildings frontages typically of 25 to 42 metres (see figure 39). The layout of the Lockyer Estate does not reflect the 19 th century street pattern and instead is a series of blocks surrounded by open space and car parking areas. This arrangement of the residential blocks and car parking fragments the continuity of the street form at the southern end of Weston Street. At the junction with Long Lane is the former Valentine and Orson Public House (No. 171 Long Lane). Redevelopment of this vacant building provides an opportunity for a landmark building to mark the gateway into Weston Street and the character area. 21

Figure 39: Lockyer Estate Figure 40: Guy s Campus Snowsfields Guy s Campus Along Snowsfields during the 19 th century, a tight urban grain of narrow residential terraces existed. The character of Snowsfields west of Weston Street has suffered from the intrusion of modern development. These post war developments provide a poor sense of enclosure and undefined frontages (see figure 40). As such, consideration should be given to introducing a consistent building line and frontage along Snowsfields. Street widths; from building to building, also vary considerably. At the junction with Weston Street the width of the highway between buildings is 10.5 metres. This increases to 17 metres by the multi-storey car park and then decreases down to 13 metres by Great Maze Pond. On the junction is No s 115-122 Snowsfields is a late 20 th century 3 storey building. The architectural quality of the building is mediocre, with its bland long frontages on both Weston Street and Snowsfields. The building fails to respond positively to the corner. Adjacent to No s 115-122 Snowsfields is a small private car parking area enclosed by brick piers and metal railings. The multi-storey car park at the junction with Kipling Street is 6 storeys in height and has a built frontage of 52 metres. Buildings west of Kipling Street have a drop in height from 6 to 2 storeys. No s 96-100 Snowsfields is a group of 1950 s which provide an unattractive focal point on approach from Great Maze Pond in the north (see figure 41) 22

Figure 41: The Miller Public House, Snowsfields Figure 42: Borough Wing The northern side of Snowsfields forms the rear to the Guy s Hospital Campus. The building heights along this section vary from 2 to 4 storeys. This contrasts with the Borough Wing building (11 storeys) and Guy s Tower (30 storeys), which are located directly behind in the Guy s Hospital campus (see figure 42). The gap sites in between these buildings provide poor containment to the street. Consideration should be given to redeveloping this section of Snowsfields, in order to provide containment to the public realm and maintain a strong street frontage. New development will need to be of an appropriate scale and proportions to maintain a consistent building line and have regards to local context. Great Maze Pond forms the eastern boundary of the Borough High Street Conservation Area. The street is the primary route into the Guy s Campus from London Bridge and Borough Station. The eastern side of the street has a strong building line, provided by the 3 and 4 storey high frontage of the original Guy s Hospital buildings. This has been continued at the southern end of the street, by New Hunt House. Completed in 2000; the 7 storey building, is home to Guy's, King's & St Thomas' Schools of Biomedical Sciences, Medicine and Dentistry. The building replaced the original Hunt s House, which was built in the early 19 th century from money donated by a William Hunt. New Hunt House has a long frontage of 137 metres on Great Maze Pond (see figure 43). The high level access, air handling units and fencing to lightwells, all detract from the quality of the listed buildings, at the northern end of Great Maze Pond. 23

Figure 43: New Hunt House Figure 44: Memorial Park On the eastern side of Great Maze Pond the staggered building lines and heights disrupt the continuity of the street. Overall the buildings do not relate to one another either in: architectural treatment, material or height. The ventilation building is 2 storeys in height and surrounded by large waste bins. The design of the building and the waste bins; immediately outside, is having an adverse impact on the character of the area. The main entrance to the hospital is set well back from Great Maze Pond and the front elevation lacks definition. Consideration should be given to improving the entrance and forecourt area to the hospital and also the public realm to Great Maze Pond. Memorial Park is a landscape area (4,000 m²) off of Collingwood Street (see figure 44). It is bordered on all 4 sides by buildings forming part of the Guy s Campus. On the eastern side of Memorial Park, is New Hunt House. The western side is formed by: Shepherd s House, Henriette Raphael House and the Hodgkin Building. The buildings on the western edge date from the late 19 th / early 20 th century buildings. Together with grade II* Guy s Hospital to the north, these buildings have a strong urban character. On the southern edge is Nuffield House, a 5 storey mid 20 th century building (see figure 45). This building is positioned perpendicular to both the park and Newcomen Street. There is an opportunity here to redevelop the site, in order to reinforce the Newcomen Street frontage and improve the setting of Memorial Park. Similarly, Orchard Lisle House at the western end of Collingwood Street is another mediocre 20 th century building, which fails to punctuate the westerly vista from Great Maze Pond (see figure 46). 24

Figure 45: Nuffield House Figure 46: Orchard Lisle House In 1974, Guy s Tower was constructed in the area between St. Thomas Street and Snowsfields. At 143 metres high, this is one of the tallest hospital buildings in the world. The hospital occupies a site on the eastern side of Great Maze Pond of 30,000 m². Also at this location are Borough Wing and Tabard Annexe, which are both buildings of 7 storeys in height. In 1995, Thomas Guy House, was completed. This 7 storey high building now occupies the site immediately south of St. Thomas Street. Thomas Guy House has a frontage of over 150 metres along St. Thomas Street. On the western side of the site are Greenwood Theatre and Wolfson House. Which have building heights of 2 and 18 storeys respectively and combined frontage of 59 metres. Tabard Garden Estate and Newcomen Street Prior to the Second World War, a tight urban grain of residential terraces existed in the area north of Long Lane. The street form has since been transformed and the only pre-war development which remains in this sub-area is to be found on: Crosby Row and Newcomen Street. Larger residential buildings; with associated car parking and open space area, have replaced the Georgian and Victorian houses, shops and warehouses e.g. the Tabard Garden Estates. These residential blocks present negatively to the street and provide little or no interest to the street edge. Also in this area there are number of gap sites and buildings of low architectural quality (e.g. No, 15 Tennis Street). Consideration should be given to redeveloping these sites. New development should be of an appropriate scale and proportion and provide containment to the street. On the whole recent development in this part of the character area has been of a poor architectural quality e.g. Chaloner Court. An exception to this being the extension to the Southwark Coroner s Court (Tennis Street) completed in 2000 (see figure 47). While the materials are incongruous (metal and timber cladding) the extension acts a pivotal building, on the southerly vista to Tennis Street. 25

Figure 47: Southwark Coroner s Court Figure 48: Bowling Green Place The Tabard Gardens Estate occupies an area between Long Lane in the south and Newcomen Street in the north. The residential blocks range in height from 4 to 5 storeys and having long building frontages. While the landscaping is mature, the buildings contribute little to the public realm. This is particularly notable between the Tennis Street and Crosby Row intersections on Long Lane. Here the residential blocks fail to provide a continuity of street frontage, definition and enclosure to the public realm. Street widths in this part of the character area (e.g. Tennis Street, Mermaid Court and Bowling Green Place) range between 6.5 and 7 metres (see figure 48). The character of Crosby Row is extremely varied. No s 21-27 (odd) Crosby Row is a terrace of 4 properties dating from the late 18 th century. No s 25 and 27 are also grade II listed buildings. These properties are 3 storeys (with attic conversions at No s 23 and 27). An inheritance from the early phase of development in the area, are the individual plot sizes making up the terrace, which is typically 5 to 6 metres wide, and 26 metre deep. Figure 49: Crosby Row Figure 50: Elizabeth Newcomen House To the south of No. 21 Crosby Row is Plantain Place (No s 17-19 Crosby Row). A late 19 th century 3 storey tenement development, set around a courtyard. This development respects prevailing plot sizes on Crosby Row, with the blocks set perpendicular to the street. A comparable scheme is 26

Baden Place (No s 29-35 (odd) Crosby Row) which dates from the early 20 th century. This is a commercial 3 storey development set around a courtyard and has a distinctive Art Deco style clock tower, at the western end. While the blocks are also set perpendicular to Crosby Row, the street frontages are wider at 10 metres. Completing the group is No. 37 Crosby Row (Whitesmiths Arms), a 3 storey 19 th century public house (see figure 49). At the junction with Newcomen Street is Elizabeth Newcomen House, which is 4 storey building. This 1990 s residential block replaced a school, terraced housing and a public house on the corner of Newcomen Street and Crosby Row. Elizabeth Newcomen House has long building frontages of 32 metres. This mediocre development presents negatively with the street edge, and fails to act as a pivotal building on this key southerly vista (see figure 50). On the eastern side of Crosby Row, is a row of 2 storey houses (No s 84-92 (even) Crosby Row) adjacent to a 4 storey mid 20 th residential development (No s 12-82 (even) Crosby Row). This development has not respected the earlier street form of narrower terraced properties and has a building frontage of 48 metres. While the combined street and pavement width along Crosby Row is consistently 12.5 metres, the building to building width vary considerably. No s 21-27 (odd) Crosby Row represent a fragment of the historic urban form and have a strong frontage on the street edge. In contrast the 20 th century developments; No s 12-82 (even) Crosby Row are set further back and provide poor containment to the street (see figure 51). Figure 51: No s 12-82 Crosby Row Figure 52: St. Hugh s Church Crosby Row Opposite No. 17 Crosby Row is St. Hugh s Church (Charterhouse Mission), which dates from the late 19 th century (see figure 52). It is a substantial building of 3 storeys in height and has a building frontage of 24 metres. St. Hugh s Church commands southern views along Crosby Row. Towards the intersection with Long Lane, are the entrance gates to Beormund Primary School, followed by a gap site occupied by a large advertising hoarding. Consideration should be given to the removal of the advertising hoarding and redevelopment of the site with the adjacent buildings (No s 85-87 (odd) Long 27

Lane). There is an opportunity here to introduce a pivotal corner building appropriate in scale and proportion. No s 3-8 Newcomen Street is a terrace of five 3 storey, mid 19 th century buildings properties. Completing the group is No. 9 Newcomen Street, which is a 4 storey 19 th century building with iron railings around the basement (see figure 53). It is also constructed with red brick and Yorkstone decorative detailing. Opposite is the grade II listed King s Arms Public House. The Kings Arms was constructed in 1890. It is 3 storeys in height and with decorative stucco dressings. This group of buildings are a reminder of the earlier Victorian street pattern and together provide tight street scale and historic character, in a street otherwise spoilt by 20 th century developments. Figure 53: No s 3-9 Newcomen Street Figure 54: Eastern end of Newcomen Street No s 66-68 (even) Newcomen Street is a flat roofed 3 storey building with a 19 metre frontage (see figure 20). The building dates from the 1950 s and its dominant garages and horizontal fenestration, detracts from the quality of the streetscape. An opportunity exists here to redevelop the site, with a building that respects adjacent building heights and is sympathetic to the character and appearance of the Borough High Street Conservation Area. The western end of Newcomen Street provides a good sense of enclosure to the street, which is created by the 3 storey buildings. East of the King s Arms Public House the 19 th century form fragments. The 20 th century developments which prevail along the south side are uninspiring and lack the interest and vitality of their historic neighbours. The residential blocks (e.g. Betsham House, Northfleet House and Elizabeth Newcomen House) and car park areas; which replaced the terrace housing and warehouses, fragment the continuity of the street form. The north side is characterised by the rear and side elevations of the Guy s Campus buildings (e.g. Hodgkin Building, Nuffield House and New Hunt s House). The principal elevations of these buildings front internally onto Memorial Park and therefore they fail to make a positive contribution to Newcomen Street. Consideration should be given to redeveloping No s 14-17, 18-19, 20 Newcomen Street and Nuffield House (see figure 54). There is an opportunity here to introduce an active frontage at the southern end of Guy s Campus and to provide a good sense of enclosure onto Newcomen Street. 28

In the far south west corner of the character area is St. George s Gardens, which once formed part of the churchyard to the grade I listed St. George the Martyr Church. The northern side of the gardens is marked by a long high wall, with a single access onto Angel Place. This is a 18 th century remnant of the Marshalsea Prison and a grade II listed structure. To the east is a 19 th century lodge, which forms part of Southwark Coroner s complex off of Tennis Street (see figure 55). Providing a neutral backdrop to the gardens to the north and the south are 20 th century residential developments. Figure 55: Lodge, St George s Gardens Figure 56: No s 1 Long Lane No. 1 Long Lane is an early 20 th century building of 5 storeys with attic, forming the corner with Tabard Street (see figure 56). The building is directly opposite St. George the Martyr Church, which is situated within the Borough High Street Character Area. Immediately adjacent are: No s 5-27 (odd) and Godfrey Court Long Lane (see figure 57). This is a modern development rising to 7 storeys in height, with a combined building frontage of 65 metres. Figure 57: No s 5-27 Long Lane Figure: 58: Long Lane North of Long Lane (Bermound School to Weston Street) Prior to the War, a tight arrangement of Georgian and Victorian residential terraces once formed along grid-like street existed north of Long Lane 29

between Crosby Row and Weston Street. Fewer warehouse buildings were originally located here, compared to other parts of the character area. Between the intersection with Crosby Row and Weston Street the 19 th century street pattern of terraced houses and warehouses have been replaced with modern developments. These earlier developments were built to front boundary alignment and provided definition and enclosure to the public realm. However, in contrast the post Second World War residential developments only intermittently provide containment to the street edge e.g. No s 111, 115, 169 and 171 Long Lane and Rudyard Court Kipling Street (see figure 58). Following the Second World War, the urban form west of Crosby Row has been significantly transformed. Single land uses; such as residential properties, have since replaced this urban form. The 4 storey residential buildings and 2 storey houses off of Porlock Street, Kipling Street and on the Lockyer Estate are mediocre and present negatively to the street edge. However, fragments of the historic form are still in existence and include No s 44-56 (even) Kipling Street a group of 2 to 3 storey 19 th century buildings. The post war residential developments are predominantly 4 storeys in height. The exception to this is Burwash House and Simla House, a pair of 20 storey residential towers. In many cases these residential blocks tend to be intermittently located, surrounded by open space and car parking and provide poor visual containment to the street. These buildings are plain and utilitarian and lack interest and vitality. Figure 59: Hamilton Square Figure 60: Guy Street Park In the 19 th century, Hamilton Square existed as a formal square with narrow terraced properties on three sides (see figure 59). The south side of the square was occupied by St. Paul s Church and School. Hamilton Square exists today only in name, as the post Second World War development has failed to recreate the traditional form of a residential square. Set within open spaces the post war maisonette blocks are 4 storeys in height, with building frontages of 31 to 41 metres. Guy Street Park is located on the corner of Kipling Street, Guy Street and Weston Street (see figure 60). During the 19 th century the land now occupied by Guy Street Park was a timber yard and burial ground. In 1899 the site was 30

opened as the Nelson Recreation Ground. During Second World War the park was damaged and subsequently refurbished. In recent years the park has again been refurbished and continues to be an important focal point for the community. 6. Building Frontages Overview For the purposes of this appraisal, three terms have been identified to describe the varying levels of active frontage found within the character area. They include: Active frontage. Active frontages add interest, life and vitality to the public realm. They may have frequent doors and windows, articulation of facades and lively internal uses that spill out into the street; Temporarily inactive frontage. These frontages may be active for certain periods of the day when businesses are in operation. They then become temporarily inactive, as metal roller shutters and security screens secure frontages. Frontages may also represent vacant commercial spaces or use bulky internal security screens or tinted and frosted glazing, which offer privacy to office workers at the expense of animating the street edge; and Inactive frontage. These frontages add little or no interest or vitality to the street edge. They generally constitute long, unbroken expanses of blank wall. The following section will describe where the varying levels of active frontage are located, within the character area. London Bridge Station A combination of active and inactive frontages prevails within the London Bridge Station sub-area. Along the northern side of Railway Approach the hoarding and boarded up railway viaduct arches; due to the Thameslink 200 construction works, provide inactive frontages (see figure 61). Although the articulation of the facades to Three Castles House brings vitality to the public realm, overall the high sills and ventilation louvres create an inactive frontage at street level. Further inactive frontages include the 1960 s developments on the north side of London Bridge Street. The uninspiring facades of these buildings fail to add interest and vitality to the street edge. 31

Figure 61: Railway Approach Figure 62: North side of St. Thomas Street In contrast on the south side of London Bridge Street, active frontages prevail. These buildings are characterised by articulation of facades, frequent doors and windows and lively internal uses e.g. No s 4-6, 8 and No s 10-18 (London Bridge Hotel) London Bridge Street. St. Thomas Street West Due to the predominance of important listed buildings and 18 th / 19 th century buildings in the St. Thomas Street East sub-area, active frontages prevail. Frequent openings and articulated facades provide visual interest to passersby and contribute to the strong urban character. No. 21 St. Thomas Street has an active frontage, due to lively internal uses at ground floor level. St. Thomas Street East This part of the character area is dominated by inactive frontages. The gap sites along the southern side of St. Thomas Street in this part of the character area contribute to the creation of inactive frontages. These sites are currently used as car parks and are bounded by fencing and hoardings, which are unsuccessful at adding interest, life and vitality to the street edge. Further along the southern side, inactive frontages also prevail. No s 60-68 St. Thomas Street and the adjoining No s 40-48 Weston Street are both commercial buildings, which are characterised by uninspiring facades. Consideration should be given to redeveloping these sites, in order to reactivate the street frontage. The northern side of St. Thomas Street is dominated by temporarily inactive frontages. The railway arches on this side of the street are inhabited by commercial and retail businesses. Here metal shutters and boarded openings prevail in the arches and fail to animate the street edge (see figure 62). In contrast the Horseshoe Inn in Melior Street has active frontages. In this pivotal location the pub is a visual focus from both Weston Street and Snowsfields. The building is an elaborately decorated and detailed building, drawing the eye from its more mediocre immediate surroundings. Other buildings which contribute further interest to the streetscape in this part of the character area include: Our Lady of La Salette R.C. Church and the warehouse at Vinegar Yard (No s 9-17). 32

The northern end of Weston Street is dominated by inactive frontages. The modern developments e.g. Thomas Guy House, No s 40-46, 50, 52-54, Wolfson House and Greenwood Theatre Weston Street, all have: featureless facades, limited openings and high sill heights, which fail to provide visual interest and to engage the public realm (see figure 63). The 19 th and early 20 th century buildings at the junction with Snowsfields have active frontages e.g. No s 56-66 Weston Street. The articulation of the facades and lively internal uses add interest, life and vitality to the street edge. Figure 63: Northern end of Weston Street Figure 64: Lockyer Estate South of the junction with Snowsfields, inactive frontages predominate along the western side of Weston Street. This is due to long expanses of brick wall, high sill heights, commercial and residential uses. The residential blocks of the Lockyer Estate also have inactive frontages (see figure 64). This is due to the uninspiring facades of the buildings, long expanses of unbroken walls and layout of the estate with internal pedestrian thoroughfares. Guy s Campus The 18 th and 19 th century buildings within the Guy s Campus: Guy s Hospital main building, Hodgkin Building, Henriette Raphael House and Shepherd s House all have active frontages. Frequent openings and articulated facades provide visual interest to passers-by and contribute to the overall strong urban character. Elsewhere the presence of louvres, blank walling, and obscured glazing, create inactive frontages (see figure 65). Further inactive frontages predominate throughout the section of Snowsfields, mainly between Weston Street and Kipling Street (see figure 66). This is due to uninspiring facades, blank walling, and gap sites bounded by fencing. Which are unsuccessful at adding interest, life and vitality to the local street edge. 33

Figure 65: Guy s Campus, Great Maze Pond Figure 66: Guy s Campus, Snowsfields North of Long Lane (Bermound School to Weston Street) The residential buildings on the Lockyer Estate, Hamilton Square and off Porlock Street and Porlock Streets have inactive frontages. These housing developments typically date from the mid to late 20th century, although the housing developments are varied in style. They share the same characteristics and their frontages provide no interest to character area. Set back building lines, high sill heights to ground floor windows, walls, railings and fencing, offer privacy to the residents, but at the expense of animating the facade. North of Long Lane The residential buildings on the Tabard Gardens Estate have inactive frontages. These housing developments typically date from the mid to late 20 th century. Although the housing developments are varied in style, they share the same characteristics and their frontages provide no interest to character area. Set back building lines, high sill heights to ground floor windows, walls, railings and fencing, offer privacy to the residents, but at the expense of animating the facade (see figure 67). At the western end of Newcomen Street and the central section of Crosby Row, active frontages prevail (see figure 68). Many of the buildings are characterised by frequent doors and windows and the articulation facades add interest to streetscape. 34

Figure 67: Tabard Gardens Estate Figure 68: Crosby Row 7. Legibility Overview A legible place is one whose environment can be easily discerned or distinguished. In clear and legible environments people are able to develop precise images of them through the use of townscape elements and views and vistas. Using these images people are able to find their way. The clearer the image, the more likely people are able to move throughout the space. A number of townscape elements and views and vistas are located throughout the character area. For the purposes of this appraisal the townscape elements include: Routes Routes; Nodes; Landmarks; Edges; and Gateways. The London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area is made up of a number of different routes (see Appendix 8). The most significant routes through the character area are St. Thomas Street to the north, and Long Lane to the south. This route is heavily trafficked by pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles alike and is a significant route for commuters travelling west from Borough High Street to Tower Bridge Road, in the east. Secondary routes that pass through the character area also have significant pedestrian, vehicle and cycle flows. These routes link St. Thomas Street, Long Lane or Borough High Street, which is on the edge of the character area at strategic locations, namely: Crosby Row; Great Maze Pond; 35

London Bridge Street; Railway Approach; Snowsfields; and Weston Street. Tertiary routes have low pedestrian, vehicle and cycle flows and join St. Thomas Street, Long Lane, or Borough High Street at intermittent locations. These include: Guy Street; Fenning Street; Kipling Street; Melior Street Mermaid Court; Newcomen Street; Porlock Street; and Tabard Street. Nodes There are a number of nodes within the character area (refer to Appendix 9). These are generally identified as strategic points, which can be entered and are typically major junctions or arrival points. These include: Borough High Street/ London Bridge Street/ Railway Approach intersection. This intersection is heavily orientated towards the vehicle and manages buses and taxis travelling to and from the London Bridge Bus Interchange and Taxi Terminal and commuter flows travelling over London Bridge. Pedestrians travelling to and from London Bridge Railway Station and Bus Interchange to the bus stops on Borough High Street, also use this intersection (see figure 69); Figure 69: Borough High Street/ London Bridge Street intersection Figure 70: Long Lane/ Weston Street intersection 36

Borough High Street/ Newcomen Street intersection. This intersection is orientated towards the pedestrian and is a one-way street and has relatively wide footpaths carrying pedestrians into Borough High Street, from the surrounding residential street and Guy s Campus; Long Lane and the Crosby Row and Weston Street intersections (see figure 70). These intersections carry significant levels of pedestrians, cyclists and vehicular traffic in and out of the character area. The streets are all secondary routes providing access to the residential developments, to Guy s Hospital and neighbouring commercial premises; St, Thomas Street and the Great Maze Pond intersection. Both streets carry significant levels of pedestrian traffic. Great Maze Pond is mainly a busy pedestrian link with a barrier across the highway at the northern end. The barrier constrains the movement of both pedestrian and vehicular traffic onto St. Thomas Street; and St. Thomas Street and the Weston Street and Stainer Street intersections. These intersections carry relatively low levels of pedestrians, cyclists, but high levels of vehicular traffic, to the north and south (see figures 71 and 72). Figure 71: Weston Street tunnel Figure 72: Stainer Street tunnel Landmarks A number of distinguishable landmarks are located within the London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area and these are shown in Appendix 10. These are generally recognised as distinctive buildings or structures, which provide reference points and emphasise the hierarchy of a place. These include: Guy s Tower, Great Maze Pond (see figure 73); New London Bridge House, London Bridge Street; London Bridge Station, Platforms 9-16 Railway Approach; Multi-storey Carpark, Snowsfields; Southwark Coroner s Court, Tennis Street; 37

No. 9A St. Thomas Street (former Church of St. Thomas); Guy s Hospital main building (including wings and chapel) St. Thomas Street; Burwash House Tower, Weston Street; and Simla House Tower, Weston Street (see figure 74). Figure 73: Guy s Tower Figure 74: Simla and Burwash Towers Edges Edges are another element, which predominates within the urban form. They are recognised as linear elements that may form boundaries between two different areas or may function as permeable or impermeable barriers. The most significant edges are St. Thomas Street (see figure 75) and Long Lane, which acts as barriers to the cross movement of pedestrians. Continuous and heavy vehicular flows do not encourage the safe movement of pedestrians across the street. As a result, pedestrians are forced to use designated pedestrian crossings provided at various points along these streets. 38

Figure 75: St. Thomas Street Figure 76: Weston Street London Bridge Station and the London and Greenwich Railway Viaduct form a northern boundary of the character area. The viaduct acts as a visual barrier that is capable of being penetrated by pedestrians, cyclists and vehicular traffic alike. Weston Street is a secondary route and also acts as the eastern edge of the character area (see figure 76). During peak times this route is heavily trafficked by vehicles and cycles passing through to the north of the borough. The western edge is formed by Borough High Street which is located in the Borough High Street Character Area. Heavy vehicle flows; particularly along Borough High Street, during peak times do not encourage the safe movement of pedestrians across these streets. As a result, pedestrians are forced to use designated pedestrian crossings provided at various points along the road. Views and Vistas A number of notable views and vistas have been identified within the character area and are shown in Appendix 11. In the main, they are generally associated with key buildings, structures or significant geographical elements, such as the River Thames. Within the London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area, views are either well contained vistas or broad prospects. There are some key visual links to tall buildings and landmarks within and outside the character area and beyond Southwark. Long Lane, St. Thomas Street and Weston Street represent important vistas within the character area. The relatively tight enclosure of medium storey buildings along both of these street provide for a series of long and short views. 39

Figure 77: Snowsfields/ St. Thomas Street intersection Figure 78: Guy s Tower from with Guy s Campus Views to the north from Weston Street and St. Thomas Street are generally obstructed by London Bridge Station and the London and Greenwich Railway Viaduct (see figure 77). However, glimpses of the More London development in the Tooley Street Character Area can be seen projecting above the viaduct. These views are a reminder of the wider context of these streets, within the inner city area. Figure 79: Former Church of St. Thomas Figure 80: Tabard Square At the intersection with Bermondsey Street, views west along St. Thomas Street are terminated by Guy s Tower and the surrounding hospital campus (see figure 78). Further along St. Thomas Street; past the junction with Weston Street, views are dominated by New London Bridge House. The tower of the former Church of St. Thomas is an important landmark building within the character area, and closes the vista past the intersection with Great Maze Pond (see figure 79). 40

Entering the character area along St. Thomas Street, eastern views are immediately drawn to the former Church of St. Thomas and New London Bridge House, which lies directly behind. Further along St. Thomas Street southerly views are dominated by Guy s Tower and the platforms of London Bridge Station. The London and Greenwich Railway Viaduct constrains northern views along this section of St. Thomas Street. With only the top floors of No. 171 Tower Bridge Road projecting above the viaduct. Views south along Weston Street are dominated by a pair of 20 storey residential towers (Burwash and Simla House) on the Lockyer Estate. To the southwest, there are glimpsed views of the 21 storey Tabard Square development on Long Lane (see figure 80). North along Weston Street views are dominated by Guy s Tower, Wolfson House and also New London Bridge House. Glimpsed views of the Swiss Re building in the City of London are again a reminder of the wider context of these streets. In the residential street between Snowsfields and Long Lane, there are glimpsed views across to Guy s Tower and further north to New London Bridge House. Views to the south are again dominated by the Tabard Square development and to the east by Simla House and Burwash House. Within the Guy s Campus the relatively tight enclosure of the medium storey buildings contains views, with occasional glimpses through to: Guy s Tower, New London House, Tabard Square and the towers on the Lockyer Estate (see figure 74). Key local views within the Guy s Campus include: the view north from the war memorial in Memorial Park and the related view south from St. Thomas Street. Policy 3.22 of the Southwark Plan (2007) states that Southwark Council should seek to protect and enhance identified views, panoramas, prospects and their settings that contribute to the image and built environment of the borough and wider London. As such, it is recommended that local views towards buildings of local or landmark significant should be protected and enhanced. Consideration should also be given to the appropriate designation of tall buildings (to ensure that local views are not affected by damaging development proposals) and to the development and implementation of management plans for local views and vistas. The London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area is also encompassed by strategically important viewing corridors, as designated by the London Plan and the Greater London Area s Draft London View Management Framework SPG. Of particular importance is the strategic viewing corridor of St Paul s Cathedral from Greenwich Park and Blackheath Point whose designation has been subject to extensive community consultation. Gateways Identifiable gateways (see Appendix 12) leading into the character area include the following: 41

The London and Greenwich Railway Viaduct, Weston Street, Stainer Street tunnels (see figures 71 and 72); Weston Street/ Long Lane intersection; St. Thomas Street/ Crucifix Lane/ Snowsfields intersection; London Bridge Street and Railway Approach; Long Lane/ Tabard Street intersection (see figure 56); and St. Thomas Street/ Borough High Street intersection. Opportunities exist to improve lighting, landscaping, signage and the general appearance at these gateways, thereby creating a place, which is legible and easily understood. Figure 81: Hamilton Square Figure 82: Guy s Campus 8. Permeability Overview Places that are permeable are well connected, accessible and easy to traverse. The character area has varying levels of permeability owing to the existence of significant townscape elements, which have the potential to function as barriers. For the purposes of this appraisal, pedestrian permeability will only be analysed. Analysis of pedestrian permeability through the character area Pedestrian permeability is comparatively constrained throughout the character area. While good east/ west routes are in existence at the northern and southern ends of the character area (St. Thomas Street and Long Lane). Elsewhere the streets are more difficult to transverse. Of particular note, are the pedestrian links running through the Tabard Garden and Lockyer Estates and Hamilton Square (see figure 81). Within these Council Estates the road networks are not easy to traverse due to narrow roadways, unbroken balustrades and residential development have restricted accessibility. 42

Consideration should be given to improving the pedestrian connections on these residential estates. Generally pedestrian access is largely constrained within the Guy s Campus (see figure 82). The large blocks restrict pedestrian permeability in and out of the campus. Great Maze Pond provides a good north/ south link through the character area, connecting St. Thomas Street and Long Lane via Crosby Row. Pedestrian movement along to and from the hospital campus, and London Bridge bus and railway interchange is constrained by narrow footpaths and by the barriers at the junction with St. Thomas Street. Consideration should be given to redeveloping the Great Maze Pond footpaths and also improving the public realm. Pedestrian permeability along those parts of Weston Street within the character area is good. This is mainly due to the strong linear character of the roads and absence of street furniture. The street restrictions imposed on the roads; in this part of the character area, allow pedestrians to easily transverse the street. Pedestrian permeability into and out of the character area varies. It is particularly constrained at the north east end of the character area by the London Bridge Station and the London and Greenwich Railway Viaduct. Which acts as a physical barrier to pedestrians, accessing Tooley Street and the river edge. Pedestrians are forced to use the Stainer Street and Weston Street tunnels located on St. Thomas Street (see figures 71 and 72). Opportunities exist to enhance these thoroughfares, to make them more user friendly, safe and secure. From Long Lane in the south, direct routes to the northern end of the character area are limited to Crosby Row and Weston Street. Accessibility of character area for the mobility impaired and disabled persons The character area is generally accessible to disabled and elderly persons as relatively wide footpaths facilitate movement. Designated pedestrian crossings along St. Thomas Street, Long Lane and Railway Approach make these routes accessible. The external staircase at the junction of Great Maze Pond and St. Thomas Street provides access to the first floor entrance to Guy s Hospital and the high level pedestrian link to the London Bridge Bus and Railway interchange. To make this high level link accessible to disabled and elderly persons, a creative solution needs to be investigated (see figure 83). 43

Figure 83: Great Maze Pond Figure 84: Ramp in front of Boland House Access into older buildings within the character area for those with mobility difficulties is poor, in particular those properties around St. Thomas Street. Stepped entrances and cobbled surfaces constrain access into these buildings. Elsewhere access could be improved for unlisted buildings (with only one step-up) by simply dropping the affected entrances to grade. For entrances with two or more steps, a more creative solution needs to be investigated and one that respects the character and appearance of the character area. Levelled access for disabled and elderly persons has been successfully integrated into both the new and historic buildings within the Guy s Hospital Campus, such as: New Hunt s House and Boland House (see figures 43 and 84). 9. Streetscape and Public Realm Overview The London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area has a relatively diverse streetscape. The following section provides an analysis of the character area s streetscape and public realm. The analysis also identifies sites within the public realm that are suitable for undertaking public realm improvements. Paving Treatments Within the character area major traffic routes such as: Long Lane and St. Thomas Street have been deprived of their original road surface treatments in favour of asphalt and concrete pavers to pavements. Traditionally the streets leading off of Long Lane and St. Thomas Street would have been paved in stone setts, often with substantial granite kerbs and narrow flagstone footways. The only location where an historic surface treatment still exists is in St. Thomas Street. Here at the entrance to the forecourt of Guy s Hospital (on St. Thomas Street) stone setts are found between the stone piers of the entrance gates (see figure 85). The remainder of the forecourt has been covered in bitumen surfacing material and the area is currently used as a car park. Consideration should be given to reinstating the stone setts in front of 44

this important group of grade II* listed buildings. Elsewhere in the Guy s Hospital Campus, natural flagstones have also been incorporated into the landscaping in Memorial Park. Figure 85: Guy s Hospital entrance on St. Thomas Street Figure 86: No s 11-15 St. Thomas Street Stone setts and Yorkstone flagstones also remain in the private area in front No s 9-19 St. Thomas Street and former Church of St. Thomas (see figure 86). However, the public pavements immediately in front of these important buildings have a variety of highway surface treatments, which are incongruous; and poorly maintained. Overall this poor public realm is adversely affecting the setting of these important listed buildings. Generally along St. Thomas Street concrete and concrete pavers prevail. Given the prominence of the location, as an important gateway leading into the London Borough of Southwark, consideration should be given to unifying and improving the existing paving treatment along St. Thomas Street (see figure 87). Along Long Lane concrete pavers with yellow tactile paving at junctions prevail. This paving forms a constant strip along the northern side of Long Lane. However where pavement widths widen; between Crosby Row and Weston Street, a bitumen strip to the rear has been retained. Consideration should be given to removal of the bitumen and continuation of the paved surface. It is noted that repairs to removed paving along Long Lane have been undertaken in bitumen rather than reinstatement of matching pavers. This poor work is having a detrimental visual impact on the character area and a co-ordinated approach to repairs with Council departments and the utility companies should be encouraged. 45

Figure 87: Paving on St. Thomas Street Figure 88: Paving on Snowsfields Similarly concrete pavers form the pavements along the western side of Weston Street. Here the pavement edges are demarked with red paving blocks and red tactile paving at junctions. This paving treatment has not been adopted elsewhere in the character area. In Melior Street, Kipling Street, Porlock Street and Snowsfields a mixture of paving treatments can be found, such as: concrete, bitumen and concrete pavers (see figure 88). Here more recent repairs to pavements have widely been undertaken in bitumen surfacing. Along the streets north of Long Lane, namely: Bowling Green Place, Tennis Street and Newcomen Street the pavements are bitumen and in part concrete. Part of Newcomen Street lies within the Borough High Street Conservation Area and No. 65 the Kings Arms Public House is a grade II listed building. It is recommended that a more sensitive paving scheme is adopted along the length of Newcomen Street. In summary, the style and type of paving is one streetscape element that varies quite considerably throughout the London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area. Generally, paving treatments are inconsistent and badly maintained. There is a need for improving and unifying the paving treatments and the adoption of a more sensitive approach to paving around the character area s important listed buildings. Street Tree Planting Large areas of tree growth are concentrated to the two Borough Open Land (BOL) sites contained within the character area, namely: St George s Gardens and Guy Street Park. Trees are of importance in bulking out some of these key spaces. The predominant tree species at these locations is the London plane. 46

Few trees exist north of Snowsfields, in the areas around Guy s Campus and London Bridge Station. With the exception of Memorial Park; where there is some mature planting, there is scope for the introduction of new street trees and public realm improvement. The Memorial Park trees are an important group, in an area mainly devoid of street planting. Semi-mature specimens planted with tree guards are to be preferred to saplings, as these offer greater resistance to damage and also give a stronger visual impact. South of Snowsfields, the wide footpaths to some of the streets provides the necessary space for trees to establish and grow e.g. Kipling Street and Long Lane (see figures 89 and 90). Along these roads trees define lines of sight and movement. West of the Crosby Row intersection, Long Lane has a boulevard character, with an avenue of trees either side. The mature trees on the southern side of the street are outside the character area and consideration should be given to increase tree planting on the northern side. Figure 89: Kipling Street Figure 90: Long Lane Around the periphery of the residential blocks on the Lockyer and Tabard Garden Estates, the mature trees soften the impact of the 20 th century housing. However, the overall environment at the southern end of the character area would also be improved by the introduction of more semimature trees. To provide uniformity with regard to street tree provision, consideration should be given to the preparation of a street tree strategy for the London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area. Street Furniture and Bollards The London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area, consists of a mismatch of street furniture, lighting styles and signage. This disparity is largely attributed to the various schemes, mainly associated with Guy s Hospital or the 20 th century housing developments. Each scheme has introduced a different: bollard, seating and streetlight styles. These have been selected to blend in with the character and appearance of that particular development. As such, opportunities exist for creating uniformity between streetscape elements, located within the character area. 47

Public seating is only found at a few locations within the character area e.g. Guy Street Park, the St. George s Gardens and Guy s Campus Memorial Park. These spaces contain a combination of traditional styled timber and metal benches. Figure 91: Bollards in Kipling Street Figure 92: Bollards in Melior Place At the junction of Snowsfields and Weston Street modern metal bollards have been placed at the rear of Greenwood Theatre to prevent street parking. Here the proliferation of bollards reduces the perceived pedestrian permeability of the roadway and clutters the already narrow footpath, to the detriment of the quality of the public realm Bollards appear to be haphazardly located or proliferate along certain of the roads between Long Lane and Snowsfields. In many cases, the proliferation of bollards reduces the perceived pedestrian permeability of the roadway and also clutters the already narrow footpaths. For example in Kipling Street, metal and concrete bollards have been used widely to prevent parking on pavements, to the detriment of the quality of the public realm (see figure 91). A combination of heritage and modern bollards are to be found in a number of locations around the Guy s Campus site. In Melior Place heritage bollards add to the setting of the Horseshoe Inn (see figure 92) There are a variety of street lights found in the character area. A modern heritage style street light has already been adopted around Melior Street. The simple designs are effective and not too Victoriana or utilitarian in style. A heritage lantern design can be found in Memorial Park (see figure 93). However, this traditional approach has not been adopted elsewhere in the character area. Around the Guy s Campus, Newcomen Street and the area between Long Lane and Snowsfields, the street lighting is modern and in a variety of styles (see figure 94). The appearance of the public realm would be improved by, adopting a consistent approach to street lighting in the character area. 48

Figure 93: Lighting in Memorial Park Figure 94: Lighting in Newcomen Street Signage Directional signage is particularly prominent around the Guy s Campus. This largely consists of finger post signs and site maps in a corporate style (see figures 95 and 96). Figure 95: Site map on Guy s Campus Figure 96: Finger post on Great Maze Pond Elsewhere within the character area, signage largely consists of banners, hoardings, fascia signs, hanging signs, and freestanding A-frame signs promoting the active ground floor uses. This signage is particularly prevalent along dynamic street edges, which benefit from the steady flow of pedestrian traffic, such as at: No s 92-95 Snowsfields and No s 66-68 Newcomen Street (see figures 97 and 20). A-frame signs clutter the public realm and hamper pedestrian movement especially during peak times. As such, consideration should be given to the co-ordinated placement of A-frame signs around this part of the character 49

area. This is particular problematic around the junction of Joiner Street and St. Thomas Street. At a number of locations, signage detracts from the quality of the public realm in the London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area. The size, type and design of the signage clutter the façade of these buildings and are to the visual detriment of character of the area e.g. No. 21 St. Thomas Street (see figure 98). Figure 97: No s 92-95 Snowsfields Figure 98: No. 21 St. Thomas Street Hoardings Within the London Bridge and Guy s Campus Character Area, there are a number of locations where hoardings have been erected. These include: at the junction of Crosby Row/ Long Lane and the two carpark sites on St. Thomas Street (see figures 15 and 21). These hoardings have been placed in prominent locations and are having a detrimental impact on the appearance of the character area. As such, opportunities exist for the removal of these hoardings, to improve the overall appearance of these locations. Waste Noticeable levels of waste are particularly prevalent owing to the high levels of pedestrian activity. Of particular note are the areas around Guy s Hospital and London Bridge Station, where rubbish bins have a tendency to overflow. Litter tends to accumulate around the entrances to the main line and underground stations at London Bridge, and Guy s Hospital. Waste from ground floor uses which exist along the St. Thomas Street and Joiner Street, contribute to the problem. A co-ordinated approach needs to be investigated with regard to waste collection, to the north of the character area. In Great Maze Pond the waste bins immediately outside the ventilation building is having an adverse impact on the character of the area. Similarly the bins outside the front elevation of Boland House, are detrimental to the setting of the grade II* listed buildings. Consideration should be given to relocating the bins away from prominent views and important buildings within the hospital campus (see figure 99). 50

Figure 99: Bins outside Bolland House Figure 100: Fielden House London Bridge Street Sites suitable for undertaking possible public realm improvements No. 21 St. Thomas Street and Fielden House London Bridge Street. The quality of the public realm in this part of the character area is poor. There are a number of important listed buildings within this location, whose settings are currently being adversely affected by the public realm. The area benefits from a large flow of pedestrians passing to London Bridge Station, Borough High Street, London Bridge Station, or further west to Tooley Street. The introduction of a cohesive high quality landscaping and paving scheme would no doubt strengthen the character and appearance of the area and provide interest to the public realm (see figure 100). Guy s Hospital main building (including wings and chapel) St. Thomas Street The buildings surrounding the forecourt are grade II* listed. However, the setting of these listed buildings is being adversely affected by the public realm and the forecourt being used as a car park (see figure 101). Consideration should be given to reinstating the historic paving scheme and minimising the use of the space as a car park. 51

Figure 101: Guy s Hospital main building and forecourt Figure 102: Junction of St. Thomas Street Weston Street Junction of Weston Street (south) and St. Thomas Street This is an important intersection within the character area, however the quality of public realm here is poor (see figure 102). With the new developments proposed in the area, this intersection could form an important node. As such, consideration should be given to redeveloping the intersection to create a quality urban space. There is also an opportunity to introduce a cohesive high quality landscaping and paving scheme, which would strengthen the character and appearance of these important streets within the area and provide interest to the public realm. Great Maze Pond This is busy a north/ south route carrying visitors and workers to and from London Bridge Station to Guy s Campus (see figure 103). However, the quality of the existing public realm is poor and consideration should be given to developing a master plan for public realm improvements in this part of the character area. Figure 103: Great Maze Pond Figure 104: Weston Street tunnel Weston Street and Stainer Street Tunnels The Weston and Stainer Street tunnels are pedestrian thoroughfares, linking St. Thomas Street with Tooley Street. Both tunnels are located through the London and Greenwich Railway Viaduct. The Weston and Stainer Street tunnels feel dark and intimidating as poor lighting levels and long unbroken elevations of blank walls prevail (see figure 104). As such, opportunities exist to enhance these thoroughfares to make them more user friendly, safe and secure. Particular consideration should be given to the incorporation of better lighting and articulation of blank walls. Open Space Improvements to Council Housing Estates Both the Tabard Garden and Lockyer Estates are characterised by residential blocks with long frontages, surrounded by car park areas and open spaces. The spaces between these blocks are used as thoroughfares rather than a place to linger. As such, consideration should be given to developing a master plan for improving the quality of these open spaces. 52

10.Landscape & Open Space Overview Two open space parcels are contained within the character area, namely: Guy Street Park and St. George s Gardens, and are shown in Appendix 13. Both sites have been identified as Borough Open Land (BOL), and are of strategic importance to Southwark and therefore need to be protected. The Southwark Plan identifies the character area as having a high local park deficiency and a high district park deficiency. The character area benefits from two local parks. St. George s Gardens is located on the western boundary, and Guy Street Park at the eastern end of the character area. Description of Parks and Open Spaces within the Character Area The following section provides an overview of parks and open spaces within the character area: Guy Street Park Local Park Guy Street Park has an area of 0.39 hectares and is recognised as an important green space within the Borough, Bankside and London Bridge area. It provides amenity for people living and working in the Guy s Hospital area. It is located on the corner of Kipling Street, Guy Street and Weston Street (see figure 60). During the 18 th century the land now occupied by Guy Street Park was open fields and tenter grounds. It was then purchased by Guy s Hospital who then used the land as a burial ground until closed in the 19 th century and was leased to a builder. In 1899 the park was purchased and opened as the Nelson Recreation Ground. During the Second World War the park was damaged and subsequently refurbished. In recent years the park has again been refurbished and continues to be an important focal point for the community. St George s Gardens Churchyard The St George s Gardens, with St. George s Churchyard (Borough High Street Character Area) have a combined area of 0.42 hectares. Both sites are associated with the grade I listed Church of St George The Martyr, which is located just outside the character area. Tabard Street separates the churchyard from the gardens and both spaces offer opportunities for rest and contemplation. The wall on the northern side of the gardens is an 18 th century remnant of the Marshalsea Prison. Consideration should be given to the ongoing maintenance of these green spaces (see figure 76). 11. Contacts 53

The following section provides a list of contacts that will be able to answer questions related to this character area appraisal. These include: Planning Policy Team For planning policy enquiries or enquiries related to this character area appraisal please contact the Planning Policy Team on: Planning Policy Team Southwark Council Regeneration and Neighbourhoods Planning and Transport Development Management PO Box 64529 London SE1P 5LX Telephone: 020 7525 5471 Email: planningpolicy@southwark.gov.uk Design, Conservation and Archaeology Team For enquires related to listed buildings, conservation areas and archaeological priority zones please contact the Design, Conservation and Archaeology Team on: Design, Conservation and Archaeology Team Southwark Council Regeneration and Neighbourhoods Planning and Transport Development Management PO Box 64529 London SE1P 5LX Telephone: 0207 525 5448 Email: conservation.enquiry@southwark.gov.uk Transport Team For enquires related to transport and traffic management please contact the Transport Team on: Transport Team Southwark Council Regeneration and Neighbourhoods Planning and Transport Development Management PO Box 64529 London SE1P 5LX Tel: 020 7525 5317 Email: transport@southwark.gov.uk Parks Department 54

For enquires related to parks and open spaces please contact the Parks Department on: Parks Department Environment and Leisure Southwark Council Chatelaine House 186 Walworth Road London SE17 1JJ Tel: 020 7525 2000 Email: environment@southwark.gov.uk 55

12. Glossary Active frontages Active frontages add interest, life and vitality to the public realm. They may have frequent doors and windows, articulation of facades and lively internal uses that can be observed from the outside or spill out onto the street. Archaeological Priority Zones Archaeological Priority Zones are areas where there is potential for significant archaeological remains and planning applications within these areas must be accompanied by an archaeological assessment and evaluation of the site, including the impact of the proposed development. Borough Open Land (BOL) Open space of local importance. BOL must meet all of the following criteria: An area of local importance to Southwark; A clearly distinguishable public open space; Land that contains features or landscapes of historic, recreational or nature conservation value at a borough level; and It must not be MOL. The following types of open space must be Borough Open Land: Borough sites of nature conservation; Local parks and open spaces over 2 hectares that have public access; Open spaces over 0.4ha that occur in areas of local open space deficiency; Open spaces over 0.4ha that occur in areas of district open space deficiency; Open spaces protected under the London squares preservation act; and Local historic sites of interest. Conservation Areas An area of special architectural or historic interest designated by the local planning authority under the provisions of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. Constrained Movement that is inhibited, forced or unnatural. Historic Environment The historic environment includes conservation areas, listed buildings, scheduled monuments, protected London Squares, historic parks and gardens, trees that are protected by tree preservation orders, trees that contribute to the character or appearance of a conservation area and ancient hedgerows. Inactive frontages These frontages add little or no interest or vitality to the street edge. They generally constitute long, unbroken expanses of blank wall. 56

Legibility A legible place is one whose environment can be easily discerned or distinguished. In clear and legible environments people are able to develop precise images of them. Using these images people are able to find their way. The clearer the image, the more likely people are able to move throughout the space. Listed Buildings Building or other structures of special architectural or historic interest, which have been designated under the provisions of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. English Heritage administers the statutory list and Listed Building Consent is required for alterations to a listed building. Metropolitan Open Land (MOL) Strategic open land within the urban area that contributes to the structure of London. It carries the same general presumption against development as Green Belt. Land designated as Metropolitan Open Land should satisfy one or more of the following criteria: Land that contributes to the physical structure of London by being clearly distinguishable from the built up area; Land that includes open air facilities, especially for leisure, recreation, sport, arts, cultural activities and tourism which serve the whole or significant parts of London; Land that contains features or landscapes of historic, recreational, nature conservation or habitat interest at a metropolitan or national level; and Land that forms part of a green chain and meets one of the above criteria. The following types of open space must be Metropolitan Open Land: Metropolitan sites of nature conservation; Sites that are on the register of parks and gardens of special historic interest in England; Metropolitan parks; District parks; and Land that was designated Metropolitan Open Land in the 1995 UDP. Other Open Space (OOS) Open Spaces that are not MOL or BOL, but meet one or more of the following criteria: Allotments; Public Open space including public parks and gardens; Playing fields and sports grounds whether publicly or privately owned; Private Open space which is of benefit to the local community; Open space that has been created and secured through planning obligations; Sites of ecological importance; and 57

Other open space does not include open spaces that are ancillary to, and/or within the curtilage of a building. Permeability Places that are permeable are well connected accessible and easy to traverse. Public realm The space between and within buildings that is publicly accessible or visible, including streets, squares and forecourts. Tall Buildings Are buildings that exceed 30 metres in height, or 25 metres in the Thames Special Policy Area, or that are significantly taller than their surroundings. Temporarily inactive frontages These frontages may be active for certain periods of the day when businesses are in operation. They then become temporarily inactive and metal roller shutters and security screens maybe used to secure frontages. Frontages may also represent vacant commercial spaces or incorporate bulky internal security screens or tinted and frosted glazing, which offer privacy to office workers at the expense of animating the street edge. Townscape Elements Townscape elements include the following: Routes Routes represent major, secondary and infrequently used pathways that define the urban form. They may include roads or pedestrian thoroughfares. Nodes Nodes are generally identified as strategic points, which can be entered and are typically major junctions, arrival point or concentrations of activity or some characteristic. Landmarks Landmarks are generally identified as distinctive buildings or structures, which provide reference points and emphasise the hierarchy of a place. Edges Edges are recognised as linear elements that may form boundaries between two different areas or may function as permeable or impermeable barriers. Gateways Gateways are identified as important points of entry which lead into and out of the Action Area. Urban Design Urban Design is the relationship between different buildings and streets, squares, parks and waterways and other spaces that make up the public realm; the nature and quality of the domain itself; the relationship of one part of an urban area to another; and the pattern of movement and activity. 58

13. References Godley, R., J, 1996. Southwark: A History of Bankside, Bermondsey and The Borough. London: Godley, R., J. London Borough of Southwark, Bermondsey Street Conservation Area Appraisal. London: London Borough of Southwark. London Borough of Southwark, Borough High Street Conservation Area Appraisal. London: London Borough of Southwark. London Borough of Southwark, 2007. Southwark Plan. London Borough of Southwark: London. Lynch, K, 1960. The Image of a City. Massachusetts: The MIT Press. 59

14. Appendices 60