SOUTHWARK — Southwark Council’s new Green–Liberal Democrat coalition has formally recommitted the borough to the Bakerloo Line Extension, telling developers and investors at this year’s London Real Estate Forum that there is now “significant momentum” behind the multi-billion-pound Tube scheme.
Southwark Council Leader James McAsh and Liam Shrivastava, the Green Party Mayor of Lewisham, presented a united front at the forum, alongside senior directors from Transport for London (TfL) and Central London Forward, the sub-regional partnership representing 12 inner London local authorities.
The joint appearance underlined the cross-borough nature of the project, which would run through both Southwark and Lewisham. Central London Forward’s involvement reflects the scheme’s significance beyond the two boroughs, with its members spanning inner London.
The extended line would run south from the current terminus at Elephant & Castle, with new stations at Old Kent Road, New Cross Gate, Lewisham, Ladywell, Catford Bridge and Lower Sydenham.
100,000 homes and 150,000 jobs
Speakers at the forum argued the extension remains the key to unlocking major high-density housing and commercial growth across south London, capable of supporting more than 100,000 new homes and 150,000 jobs.
For Southwark, the scheme is directly tied to phase two of the Old Kent Road Area Action Plan. The borough’s planning framework shows that more than 10,000 new homes along the historic thoroughfare depend on high-capacity Underground infrastructure to take the strain off overstretched bus routes — with bus speeds in the capital having fallen to their lowest level since 2013-14.
The Bakerloo extension has been a fixture of London’s long-term transport planning for decades, driven by the stark contrast in Tube coverage between north and south London. Large parts of south-east London remain heavily reliant on National Rail and bus corridors running near full capacity.
TfL formally safeguards the proposed route, and the transport authority’s earlier public consultations drew overwhelmingly positive responses from residents, businesses and borough authorities. The body is separately consulting on the proposed West London Orbital Overground line linking Hendon and Hounslow.
Funding still the hurdle
Despite wide cross-party support and the backing of the Mayor of London, Sir Sadiq Khan, the project stalled after TfL’s finances were devastated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Capital constraints forced the transport body to pause major new rail construction, and the scheme is still waiting on an agreed central government funding framework alongside private developer contributions.
The recommitment by the Southwark administration alongside Lewisham signals a renewed push to put the scheme back at the forefront of national infrastructure priorities — reaffirming a policy previously championed by Southwark’s former Labour administration.
What it would mean locally
If full funding is secured and construction goes ahead, residents in areas with poor Tube access such as Old Kent Road, Ladywell and Lower Sydenham could see significantly shorter journeys into central London, easing congestion on local buses and overcrowding on mainline rail.
Tube connectivity typically lifts demand for homes along new corridors — welcome news for homeowners, but a source of anxiety for renters facing upward pressure on living costs. For developers and local businesses, formal backing from the boroughs provides the planning certainty needed to unlock private investment, with phase two of the Old Kent Road plan set to trigger major construction activity.
Reporting based on: South London News, 22 September 2026.
