Marks & Spencer Announces New Food Hall in Elephant and Castle's Major Regeneration Project
Marks & Spencer has officially confirmed it will open a brand-new food hall at Elephant and Castle's £500 million town centre, a key component of the broader £1.5 billion regeneration scheme that has just received final approval from Southwark Council. The retailer is among the first brands announced for The Elephant, a new town centre currently under construction and scheduled to launch in late 2026.
Details of the New M&S Store and Town Centre
The 8,600-square-foot, market-style food store will offer fresh produce, everyday essentials, and on-the-go breakfast, lunch, and dinner options. It will also include a click-and-collect point for fashion, home, and beauty orders. This store is part of a larger retail and leisure hub featuring around 40 shopping, dining, wellness, and leisure experiences, with discounted units reserved for local traders.
Will Smith, M&S property director, stated: "Our new store will bring the best of M&S Food to residents and commuters in Elephant & Castle. We have an exciting pipeline of new stores across the capital, and we're looking for sites where we can deliver the best products and the best possible shopping experience for our customers—we have the opportunity to do just that at The Elephant."
The town centre, known as The Elephant, replaces the now-demolished Elephant and Castle Shopping Centre, which was Europe's first covered shopping centre. It is expected to attract approximately 16 million visitors annually once complete. In addition to M&S, other confirmed tenants include Blank Street Coffee and Jungle Berry café, which sells açaí berry bowls, smoothies, and juices.
Approval of the Final Phase of Regeneration
Southwark councillors green-lit revised plans for the final phase of the regeneration on March 23, which will deliver hundreds of new homes and student accommodation on the Elephant West site. This phase, part of the overall £1.5 billion scheme, includes 485 rental homes, 135,000 square feet of shops, restaurants, and leisure space, as well as a new London Underground ticket hall.
Get Living, the rental operator behind the scheme, secured planning permission to build 507 new rental homes and accommodation for 452 students. The revised proposals involve three tower blocks ranging from 22 to 34 storeys high, with 165 affordable homes consisting of 116 social rent, 12 London Living Rent, and 37 Discount Market Rent homes.
Community Concerns and Conditions
The plans faced 172 objections, with concerns raised about the height of the tallest tower impacting the Grade II listed Metropolitan Tabernacle Baptist Church, and traffic management issues during construction. Councillors Maria Linforth-Hall and Graham Neale expressed deep concern over the drop in affordable housing proportion from 35% to 27.6% in the revised scheme.
Cllr Neale urged the committee to "address the reduction in proportion of affordable housing to ensure long-term community benefit" and impose conditions on construction traffic. The plans were approved with additional conditions, including a requirement for a construction management plan to be reviewed after further community consultation.
Impact and Future Outlook
Rick de Blaby, Chief Executive of Get Living, commented after the approval: "This planning consent represents the final piece of the jigsaw, enabling a regeneration of real and lasting importance—one that everyone can be proud of for generations to come. With housing delivery in London at a critically low level, developments like this bringing forward essential affordable housing alongside open-market rental homes and student accommodation are even more important."
He added that Elephant and Castle's rich cultural heritage is being preserved while new energy and innovation are brought to the area. The regeneration is set to transform the locality, providing significant economic and social benefits through enhanced retail, leisure, and housing options.
