The purpose of these briefing notes is to better understand the Kennington Oval Vauxhall
area and what is happening to it. Where relevant ,the briefing notes contain an
assessment on how particular topics /developments might affect the area. Armed with
that knowledge we will be better placed to
Suggest improvements to the public realm that deliver sustainable benefits.
Encourage further investment that will improve the area for both residents and businesses
Find alternative sustainable uses for all those empty shops and commercial spaces
Local experience shows that while some changes improve matters, others make a situation
worse. For example, congestion charging and local parking control damaged local
businesses- some more than others. As a result, the area no longer supports certain
types of businesses. However, as old opportunities disappeared new ones arose.
Faced with declining shopping parades, local residents , when asked, typically wanted
to see the return of butchers, bakers, green grocers etc. The economic reality though
is that residents didn’t support such shops sufficiently when they were there. Add
to that the adverse effects of parking control which discouraged passing trade and
the result was almost inevitable. Existing businesses close or moved out while potential
investors stayed away. The Oval Partnership recognised the changes that were underway
and from this, the Oval Farmers’ Market evolved. Apart form the obvious social/community
benefits of the market it is more efficient for food producers to sell their goods
once a week rather than having to make a capital investment in shop premises and,
probably, selling the same amount of goods only more slowly over the course a week
.
As good as the market is, it cannot solve all of the problems of the area. Pubs
are closing, shops and other commercial spaces remain empty, developments are delayed,
roads remain dangerous for cyclists etc. Where it can, the Oval Partnership will
support and seek to influence developments that will hopefully improve matters. Hopefully
these briefing notes will help us make the right choices about what to support .
In addition to covering future developments , this website includes a range of
articles on local history. We do believe that history has something to teach us
though it is not always obvious what the lesson is. For example, Market Towers was
built in the 197Os. Some forty years later, it will probably be knocked down. Conversely
, nearby Brunswick House, built 1758, is home to a thriving business and one might
reasonably expect it to be still there for another 100 years and beyond. It would
be nice to think that new developments will prove sustainable and have a long shelf
life. For the sake of those that come after let’s hope we make the right decisions
more often than not.