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In London, the battle between beloved local destinations – be them shopping centres, nightclubs or cinemas – and developers never stops. The latest popular spot to face demolition in the face of developments is ‘hidden gem’ Gabriel's Wharf on the South Bank.
Home to a dozen independent businesses, Gabriel’s Wharf opened to shoppers in 1988. Business owners on the site have now been told that they must move out in a year's time as the site is going to be demolished. Current indie businesses in the wharf include jewellery makers, clothing designers, pottery makers, art galleries and a variety of food artisans.
However, Gabriel Wharf is expected to close before Christmas 2026, as Coin Street, the social enterprise responsible for redeveloping the area in the early 1980s, wants to regenerate the site into a new ‘meanwhile use’ space while they decide more permanent plans for the future. There are also plans to build a nursing home on the site within the next 10-15 years.
Current traders have been told they must cease trading by September 27, 2026.
Gabriel's Wharf Tenants Association is due to meet Coin Street and Florence Eshalomi, the MP for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, on Thursday (November 13) to discuss the issue.
Liz Mathews, who co-owns Potters’ Yard, a pottery studio, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) that the traders asked for an extension to trade until the end of 2026 so they could have ‘two more Christmases’ but Coin Street ‘refused’.
‘We’re feeling devastated,’ she added.
A spokesperson for Coin Street said many of the units at Gabriel's Wharf were reaching the end of their life and the site had to close to allow for their temporary replacement. They added that the purpose of the meanwhile use had not been decided yet.
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