Two listed 19th-century townhouses on Southwark Bridge Road could be restored and turned into a cafe or co-working space.
Student accommodation provider Scape, which is redeveloping the building next door into a 45-storey tower block, also plans to refurbish the two listed townhouses at 231 and 233 Southwark Bridge Road.
The developer described the buildings as being “in a poor state of repair”.
The houses – which are three and four-storeys high respectively – are believed to date back to the early or mid-nineteenth century.
They are sandwiched between a building belonging to Waterloo Cars minicabs and an office block, both of which will be demolished if the developer’s plans to build 800 student flats are approved by Southwark Council.
A little garden could be planted where Waterloo Cars is, while the office block will be bulldozed to make way for a 45-storey skyscraper.
The developer has asked local residents to come forward with ideas of how they would like to see the listed buildings used.
They have suggested it could become a café, co-working space or community-focused workspace, which could stay open throughout the day and evening.
The first and second floors are linked together and can be accessed from a central lobby. The different floors could have separate purposes. The third floor is smaller and leads to a roof terrace offering sweeping views across central London.
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A planning application is expected to be submitted some time in the spring, and if it’s approved the development could be finished by 2030.
