Five empty railway arches in Camberwell to go into use for business

By Isabel Ramirez isabel@southwarknews.co.uk

Five ABANdONed railway arches in Camberwell, which have been empty for over five years, will be given a £1.1 million investment so they can be rented out again amid the demand for industrial space.

Arches 344-348 on Camberwell Station Road will be given a new lease of life thanks to a £1.1m investment from The Arch Company.

The arches have been vacant for over five years and are currently unable to be rented.

The Arch Company says it hopes this investment will ensure the spaces are developed to their potential and become quality places for businesses to thrive within.

The works The Arch Company is undertaking include fully stripping out and relining each of the arches, replacing the concrete slabs, installing toilet facilities, restoring utilities such as water and electricity and replacing the exterior with smarter shutters, to create a far superior frontage.

The development of the arches is hoped to be completed later this spring and anyone can register their interest on The Arch Company’s website.

Their development works have been supported by Southwark Council’s plans, which will similarly be investing £1.5m into improving the public realm from later this year. This includes £1m from the GLA’s Good Growth Fund.

Southwark Council’s scheme has been developed in close collaboration with local partners, including the Camberwell Identity Group and SE5 Forum. The public space will undergo major improvements, including better lighting, more trees and street furniture, and widening the street.

Further spaces on Camberwell Station Road - including the former station building - are also being considered for future retrofit plans. This is all under The Arch Company’s £200m development plan – Project 1000 – to bring a thousand empty or derelict spaces into use across England and Wales by 2030.

Craig McWilliam, CEO at The Arch Company, said: “We look forward to creating five additional productive spaces in the heart of Camberwell, which will in to help ensure the festival “maintains its central location.”The festival is recognised for being vitally important to the health and vibrance of the live performance landscape of the UK, has helped launch the careers of thousands of underrepresented artists, who otherwise may not have had access to creative opportunities, and has had a significant positive impact on local businesses. This decision is a significant threat to VAULT Festival’s survival and the wider creative industry.

In order to continue, VAULT Festival has launched a #SaveVAULT fundraising campaign with the goal to raise £150,000 by the end of 2023’s festival on 19th March. To donate scan the QR code. The funds raised will support the organisation’s survival during this period of significant transition, be allocated to the cost of finding and securing a new home for the festival, and once found, help make that new home accessible to all.

Director and Co-Founder Andy George says, “The response to the return of the VAULT Festival in 2023 has been incredible. Over the past three years, as we’ve battled to survive through cancellations, postponements and a pandemic, it’s become extremely clear that the creative industry and the artists we champion need VAULT Festival.

“This devastating blow comes after three of the harshest and hardest years of the festival’s life, but we’re determined to make sure this isn’t the end. We can only survive if we receive support, and I’m asking for your help. Help us make this the end of a chapter, not the end of the VAULT Festival. Help us save VAULT.” turn support up to 25 new jobs for the area. Our Project 1000 investment plans are the biggest retrofit project in commercial property, with a thousand empty or derelict spaces such as this nationwide being brought into use by 2030. We will invest in further spaces in Camberwell under this development plan.”

In order to save the festival’s future, VAULT Festival is also beginning the search for a new home for its 2024 festival and beyond. To find and secure a new home, VAULT Festival is making an urgent call to any individuals or organisations that may have access to large (20,000+ sq ft) spaces or multi-space venues in the wider London area to come forward. The festival team is open to any and all potential avenues even if spaces do not fit this brief exactly.

The 2023 Festival currently taking place in venues across Waterloo and South Bank until 19th March won’t be affected by today’s announcement and all shows in 2023’s festival will be completed as planned. Whilst the future of VAULT Festival has been dealt this significant blow, VAULT Festival are asking audiences and artists to simply come down and enjoy this year’s festival whilst they can.

Running every Tuesday-Sunday until 19th March, people can support VAULT Festival and its amazing artists by coming to see shows, buying drinks, buying merchandise, becoming a member, bringing friends, and coming back time and time again.

Watch our video on Tik Tok @ southwarknews to see what’s on offer at Vault Festival.

Cllr James McAsh, Cabinet Member for Climate Emergency & Sustainable Development, said: “We very much welcome The Arch Company bringing these five empty arches back into use for small businesses to call home. Together with the £1.5m we secured to improve the public space, their investment and the local community’s input is helping us to completely transform the street. We look forward to seeing new businesses thrive and our residents enjoying the new, greener environment designed with walking and cycling in mind.”

Sandy Yau, Senior Leasing Manager at The Arch Company said: “We look forward to marketing these properties later this year, as we anticipate that interest will be strong. There is a vibrant local community that will contribute towards businesses thriving here. I would encourage any interested businesses to visit our website, where details to get in touch will be listed once the spaces are available.”

The Arch Company took on ownership of Camberwell Station Road in 2019, after purchasing 5,200 spaces from Network Rail. At the point of sale, 1,400 spaces were left vacant, and require significant investment and development before they will be suitable for occupation.

For more information about spaces to let in Camberwell, or to learn more about Project 1000 developments, visit The Arch Company website - thearchco.com. Or for more information on Southwark Council’s plans, please visit their website.