Employment (B class) development 2011/2012 - 2018/2019
Completions
B1
As Table 1 and 2 show, from 2011/2012 to 2018/2019 there has been a net loss of around 29,000sqm of B1 floorspace. The majority of the loss of B1 space has been a significant reduction in B1c light industrial floorspace. However the gross increase of over 235,000sqm of B1 space overall has shown growth in B1a offices over this time period. This includes schemes such as The Shard and the News Building at London Bridge and schemes on Blackfriars Road including 20 Blackfriars Road, an 18 storey modern office building.
There have been some B1c uses proposed in gross terms however this does not equalise the overall loss.
B2 and B8
Additionally there has been a loss of approximately 9,500sqm of B2 floorspace and over 60,000sqm of B8 floorspace over this time period. Again the borough has seem some gross provision of B8 and B2 floorspace over this time however this does not equalise the overall loss. For example an extension to the Tate storage facility on Mandela Way approved in 2010 and complete in 2011 proposed a net increase of 6,648sqm of B8 floorspace.
Many older warehouses outside the main industrial locations in the borough have been converted over the years to a variety of uses, including performing arts in Camberwell and residential/mixed use in the Bermondsey Spa regeneration and growth in offices, housing and cultural uses in the Central Activity Zone.
In the 2018/2019 completions, the overall loss of 40,473sqm of B1 space is predominantly made up of the recorded loss of 30,408sqm of office floorspace on One Blackfriars. The planning application was approved in 2012 and completed in 2018 however the original office was demolished in 2003 when the riverside/CAZ location of south London was changing. For example another scheme complete in 2018/2019 (approved in 2014/15) at 128-150 Blackfriars Road included an overall net loss of industrial and office floorspace as at the time the buildings were vacant, in poor condition and marketing did not attract any interest for the space.
Page last updated: 19 December 2019
