This week has seen the finalisation of plans for a massive social regeneration project which will completely change the landscape of South East London's Elephant and Castle. Developers have long considered the area a prime target for regeneration, given its central location and current poor reputation. But as we hear from one local resident, it's not all bad. There area has a lot of natural strengths, which are set to be superbly complimented by an ambitious and extensive project from Southwark Land Regeneration.

Godfrey Bradman, Chief Executive of Southwark Land Regeneration Plc calls the project "a master plan, embracing social, economic, environmental and sustainability needs," that will achieve the, "total regeneration of Elephant & Castle." We examine the complexity of putting such a 'simple' plan into practice and examine how the key areas of life in Elephant & Castle will be impacted by the massive reworking of the area.

"I think the group handling the regeneration have gone about things the right way. They had a good period of consultancy with the locals above the Tesco's in the shopping centre. They showed everyone the plans and gave people the chance to have their say, offer feedback and generally buy in to the whole process. I hope this spirit is continued as it would be a shame for all this money to be spent and for it not to get done right."

There is no doubt that the people of Elephant and Castle are at the very heart of the project, which cannot realistically succeed without their contribution and involvement. The regeneration company is keen to stress the importance of supporting and reinforcing the existing communities, so as to prevent their dispersal into alternative areas.

Southwark Land Regeneration are keen to build on the success of the consultations with the local residents, and are keen to work with them to get through the tricky transition period that will occur whilst the overhaul takes place. They plan a number of important measures to maintain communication and openness, all aimed at encouraging the participation and inclusion of the community in the project. Amongst other things, this will include:

• Transition management to ensure no loss of key local facilities, such as food and pharmacy until replacement ones in the new shopping centre have been provided
• Provision of a regular hopper bus service to other local retail facilities to be agreed with the community, until the new shopping centre is fully operational.
• Erection of vision panels at appropriate points so that the public can view work in progress without any danger. Developers will also visit local schools and ensure that children are informed about the works and the dangers of building sites.
• Arranging of open days for schools to bring pupils to visit the site under controlled conditions, as well as support for related projects in the schools.
• Organisation open days for Community Groups and local residents to visit the sites under construction.

As well as catering for the existing communities, the project will also bring in lots of new residents to the area as well as thousands of visitors. There will be more than 3000 new jobs in the retail and business sectors, 5000 construction jobs over 7 years, and plenty of visitors coming for tourism, culture and other social activity.

"Elephant is actually a zone 1 area and is really central, yet prices are still pretty subdued. I pay £450 per month for a double room in a nice two bedroom flat in Metro Central Heights, which couldn't really be closer to the tube lines. Plus I get free use of the mini-gym and swimming pool. I know plenty of people living in worse accommodation further out, well away from tube lines, who pay more than I do in rent."

While Neil, our interviewee, is probably slightly towards the higher end of the rental market in Elephant & castle, there are plenty of people less well off than he is. It would be easy to see how they could quickly get priced out of the market considering all that is planned for the area, but ensuring that this does not happen is one of the core features of the plan.

The regeneration programme makes important provision for social housing. One of the most dramatic changes will be the demolition of the existing Heygate estate, the only council homes that will be lost to the development. Aside from that, over £250 million will be invested in new council homes and refurbishing the every single one of the existing ones, resulting in a stock of over 4,100 social homes.

Furthermore, there will be important structures in place that will help residents to find the appropriate place for themselves on the home ownership ladder. There will be a choice of social rented, shared ownership and even flexible tenure, that allows people to buy and rent portions of their home at the same time. There will be homebuyers grants to provide financial assistance to social tenants who wish to buy their own home and assistance for key workers looking to buy property.

Alongside the social housing will be more than 3,500 new private homes for sale or for rent. And in response to the increasing trend for home-based work, many dwellings will be capable of adaptation to provide for offices, studios or craft workspace.

In fact, adaptability is one of the features of the housing that will be inherent in all the new homes, as the architect put it, "Our urban vision for Elephant and Castle would be to create the genius of a new place that offers the appeal of a new life style and a new way of 'Living in the City'. Diversity and the ability to cater for change is the lifeblood of a living community.

Much use will be made of technology in achieving this adaptability. The facades, roof and partition panels will be replaceable and interchangeable, and it will be possible to add extensions such as balconies or lofts to individual flats. Even the internal layout can be changed as the occupier's space requirements change, or the need for refurbishment arises.

There will be a wide variety of other technological innovations integrated in the new homes, with particular focus on environmental quality, renewable energy, effective control systems, recycling systems, low energy equipment, and low maintenance management. All the buildings will optimise the use of daylight, natural ventilation and solar gain for the comfort of occupants and as a means of reducing energy demands, as co-ordination of the entire project will allow complete eco-friendliness to be built in to the architecture.

"The transport links are one of the big pluses for the area. The Bakerloo & Northern lines are both less than a minute away. The Northern line in particular is fantastic, though the Bakerloo line needs some improvement. The buses are also really good, both in and out of the city, to the East and to the West."

The project will see the creation of a massive modern public transport interchange, complete with a hi-tech glass dome roof that will become a local landmark. The interchange will build on the existing transport infrastructure, hosting both the Bakerloo and Northern lines, buses, trains and even a new tram system. The community will be able to access full up-to-the-minute information on fares and timetables for the entire transport network via a local community intranet.

"However, It's pretty noisy and pretty grimy and I would say that traffic is a problem. The cars on the roundabout never stop, and I'm surprised more pedestrians aren't hurt at night, as people opt for a quick dash across the road rather than using the subway"

The development will also see the removal of some of the worst transport features of the local area. The subways won't last and neither will, the central dual carriageway and roundabouts that currently dominate the area. This central area will become a pollution-free pedestrianised zone, with the replacement road running beneath the development. Cyclists will also benefit, with the implementation of new cycle routes around the Elephant & Castle and to neighbouring areas and facilities.

"Despite what some people may say, I think the area has a really strong community feel. If London is a melting pot of culture, race and class, then Elephant is a prime example. However, social life in the area is a bit lacking. Apart from a couple of nice pubs and a couple of not so nice ones, there are a few restaurants and of course, the Ministry of Sound. Most of the time nights out are spent elsewhere, either in the centre or in other parts of London. One plus point is that when you do drink locally, everything is quite reasonably priced, especially when you compare prices with the South Bank just up the road. I would worry that some of the local residents will struggle to afford local price rises here if the regeneration attracts a more upmarket crowd."

Elephant and Castle could not become the South City Centre without plenty of places to relax and socialise. The focal point of social life in the area will be the vibrant central spaces with the piazza and parks.

Continental cafÉ culture will come to London in the grand Piazza, with an abundance of new places to eat and drink, as well as a library, a museum, cinemas, theatres, galleries and nightclubs. There will be visual arts, sculpture, local and national events, exhibitions, shows, fireworks, music, all set against a backdrop of water fountains and trees.

Backed by the London Arts Board, the Future Southwark Initiative and other organisations, there will be a year round programme of events on an unprecedented scale. The central plaza will become a vibrant cultural centre day and night - free from traffic and from office blocks that lie empty and lifeless at night.

"The shopping centre is a bit dated, but I suppose it covers all your basic needs. The market area could do with cleaning up as the street traders look a bit messy. There's also the leisure centre, which gets well used and is quite cheap, but could do with some modernisation."

Modernisation of the local facilities is a good idea, but pales into insignificance when compared to what lies in store for the local residents, if the plans come to fruition. Elephant will play host to a new shopping arcade, offering lifestyle, specialist, electronic and department store shopping.

There will be a new public swimming pool and leisure centre, a bowling alley, a 15-acre roof park for the community open 24 hours a day with tennis courts and informal play areas for five-a-side football and other games.

There will be plenty of things for the non-sporty as well, including an accessible IT centre of excellence with technology transfer facilities and customised training, new child care facilities and play spaces, a bingo hall, and an arts theatre workshop.

"Another problem is that there is nowhere to sit out during the summer. With all the traffic, it's not that nice. There's not much greenery and no open spaces to relax in."

No more will the Elephant be a centre of pollution and grime. Tree lined avenues will create natural promenades to the Thames, set against low rise terraces and garden squares, parklands and some unique high rise concept homes.

Wildlife corridors will be created to encourage bio-diversity, while a mixture of deciduous and evergreen, pollution resistant, native and exotic trees will be planted to line courtyards and public squares. These will provide shelter, screening and noise reduction. Water features will provide habitat for further wildlife as well as adding visual interest and serenity.

"The crime rate is definitely the main bad point as far as the areas is concerned. I think the Old London Hotel was adapted by the government to house refugees. This has brought a bad feeling amongst some of the residents who feel that it has caused more trouble than it was worth. They point their fingers at the refugees for the bulk of the crime, but while it does appear to be something of a dumping ground, I think that there are plenty of other people also responsible for their share of the blame. Walking through the subways at night is a bit intimidating though."

In such idyllic surrounds, it is preposterous to think of crimes being committed. The safe, secure and pleasurable ambience is hardly conducive to thoughts of street robbery. But when you pinch yourself and wake from the dream, you remember that this is England in the 21st century and try as we might, we won't prevent all crime.

The new area will be doing its best though, with well lit avenues and crossovers bringing an end to the subways which impose themselves on the current residents. Security will be backed up by a 24 hour call centre helpline and a CCTV network. The security systems will link into the community security provider who will be able to quickly respond to alarms.

Well, it sounds pretty much like the perfect urban centre, how could you want to live anywhere else? It will have everything you could ask for and hopefully none of the problems you normally get in city centres. And if they could just install a nice long stretch of golden sandy beach, and raise the temperature during the winter months by ten degrees or so, it really would be perfect.

The truth is, it probably won't quite live up to the idyllic picture that is painted by the developers. But, there has been so much thought, time, consultation and energy put into the planning of this project, that it is hard to see it being anything other than a roaring success.

For those of you that own property in the area already, hold on to your hats, as you may well be about to embark on a fast climb up the property price ladder. One of London's best kept secrets is about to hit the news in a big way. Watch this space.

For full details of the plans for Elephant and Castle, visit the Southwark Land Regeneration website: http://www.southwarklandregeneration.co.uk