New Developments
Shard at London Bridge
Currently due for completion in time for the 2012 Olympics, the Shard or London Bridge Tower will redefine London's skyline, being the tallest building in London at over 300 metres tall. Including public viewing galleries, the plush Shangri-La Hotel, offices and residential areas, the Shard will also generate improvements for the public realm, including a much-needed revamped bus station. www.shardlondonbridge.com
Beetham Tower (1 Blackfriars Road)
Beetham Tower, on the corner of Blackfriars Road and Stamford Street, will be a 51-storey tower, which will stand 180 metres high and has been described by its promoters as "a slender curved glass landmark for London". The Dubai-based Jumeirah Group will create The Jumeirah Hotel at Beetham Tower on the lower half of Beetham Tower. The hotel will have 261 rooms and suites, a ballroom that will accommodate large-scale conference and banqueting events catering for up to 800 people plus a number of smaller meeting venues. Beetham Tower will also have public facilities including a new plaza wrapping round the base of the tower with cafes and restaurants and access via an express elevator to a five-storey high public viewing gallery at the top of the tower. There will be onsite provision for 32 affordable homes in an adjacent building. Due for completion by 2012.
Network Rail
Several initiatives will make life easier for passengers. The Thameslink Programme aims to relieve overcrowding, remove
bottlenecks and provide new direct trains into and across London by delivering more trains, new direct journey opportunities and longer trains across the Thameslink route. At London Bridge, Network Rail will improve the old Victorian track layout 
around the station and a new two track viaduct will be constructed over Borough Market, easing congestion and enabling trains to travel north-south through London during the busy morning period. The
plans for Blackfriars include the redevelopment of Blackfriars
underground and train stations, development of a southern station
entrance in Bankside and the extension of the platforms along the
length of the bridge, making it the first station to span the Thames. Work is due to start in 2009. www.networkrail.co.uk
Elephant and Castle
The council has approved a plan for a £1bn scheme which will overhaul the 170 acre area. Over the next eight years, the Heygate Estate and current shopping centre will be demolished and replaced by a new town centre and six character areas, including a stunning market square and new town park. There will be 5,300 new homes, 75,000 sqm of new shops, five new open spaces, landmark buildings, a tram route and a civic heart for Southwark. www.elephantandcastle.org.uk
Bankside Urban Forest
Bankside Urban Forest is a programme of works to improve the quality of the public 
realm and landscaping in the Bankside area, stretching from the riverside to the Elephant and Castle, and between Blackfriars Road and Borough High Street. Southwark Council has worked closely with Better Bankside and the Tate to drive forward the concept of the urban park, which will create a network of green connections between the emerging developments in Bankside and the existing open spaces across Southwark.
The Urban Forest plan, and programme of projects has been prepared by a design team led by Witherford Watson Mann architects, and overseen by a coalition of local stakeholders, including Southwark Council, Better Bankside, Tate Modern, Transport for London, Cross River Partnership, Land Securities, GC Bankside LLP, and the Architecture Foundation.
The first phase of projects has recently been approved.
100—140 Union Street
The scheme comprises the demolition of 100 Union Street and the erection of two 6 storey buildings and a 9 storey building to comprise 73 flats and 20 affordable units, 8 live/work units, shop/café uses and offices and 57 basement car parking spaces.
