Councillors on Southwark Councils planning committee narrowly agreed to back the so-called Borough Triangle scheme, drawn-up for Berkeley, last night (26 March) after an almost four hour-long discussion, admitting no that 'theres not such thing as the perfect plan'.Opponents of the high-rise redevelopment of the site protested outside while the application was decided, voicing concerns over density, massing and the number of social homes on offer. More than 400 objections were lodged against the application.Maccreanor Lavingtons scheme proposes four brick-clad towers between 10 and 44 storeys high, together delivering 892 homes, of which 157, or 17 per cent, are earmarked as affordable and social. By habitable room, the proposal is 35 per cent affordable and social.AdvertisementTenures for the affordable and social homes will include mostly family sized units, planning documents say. A majority of the units for the private market include one and two-bed studios.Smaller traders at Mercato Metropolitan, the pop-up food and drink venue that currently operates on the site, will be offered units in a dedicated market space once complete, according to Southwark Councils planning report. However, other operators will be relocated elsewhere by Berkeley.The consented scheme also includes proposals for a Latin community centre and at least 1,780 m of public open space.Borough Triangle is a triangular site that faces Southwark Crown Court and is bounded by Borough Road and Newington Causeway. One building that features on the draft list for locally listed buildings would be maintained, while another would be partially retained.However, local architect Benedict OLooney was among those raising concerns over the loss of the Institute of Optometry building and the size of the largest tower as part of Southwark Conservation Area Advisory Group.AdvertisementHe argued in a letter to Southwark Council: The proposed demolition oftheInstituteofOptometry is unfortunate and unacceptable [...] It is one ofthe last remnantsof the late Georgian terrace that characterised Newington Causeway when it was improved 200 years ago [...] Why throw these historic buildings away?Maccreanor Lavington originally submitted plans for the site in late 2022 for 838 homes across five buildings, including towers standing 46 and 42 storeys tall. That scheme also included 35 per cent affordable and social homes.However, that application was withdrawn and the architects redesigned the scheme to accommodate second staircases. Berkeley also acquired the Institute of Optometry building next door, enlarging the application site, since the 2022 planning application.The approved plans are the latest in a string of proposals for the triangular plot.In 2014, Stephen Marshall Architects submitted plans for a pair of towers standing at 40 and 32 storeys on the site. The plans, which included other blocks between four and 12 storeys, would have created 576 homes as well as new headquarters for developer Peabody.The scheme was withdrawn in 2016 and Squire & Partners subsequently drew up a masterplan for 600-700 homes on the site. Peabody consulted on the early Squires plans in 2017 but the site was subsequently sold to Berkeley in 2020.Site view: