Improvements to Upper Ground and Belvedere Road

Opened by Prime Minister Tony Blair in 1998, this scheme successfully created a new visitor-friendly atmosphere by delivering:

• narrowed roads parallel to the river in order to slow and discourage traffic
• new pavements and road surfaces with the deliberate intention of creating a distinctive look and feel
• new lighting and the tree planting to encourage walking around the area
• bespoke high quality stainless steel street furniture to create a coherent identity

Funded by: Government Office for London, London Borough of Lambeth, London Borough of Southwark, South Bank Employers' Group members, Arts Council of England

Riverside Walk

This flagship project involved opening up the popular route between the London Eye and Tate Modern to make it more attractive and welcoming to visitors and Londoners.

The first phase of the work was opened in May 2002 by the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. Distinct new surfacing, lighting and landscaping were applied along the route. The infrastructure was also upgraded to facilitate future development without the need for excavation of the walk (for example the installation of service ducts for utilities). Finally, Bernie Spain Gardens was improved to provide a relaxing green space along the walkway. The next phase of work to be completed is the route from IBM to the London Eye.

The Riverside Walk now attracts over 10million visitors annually.

Funded by: Transport for London, London Borough of Lambeth, Cross River Partnership, London Development Agency (through SRB and Land & Property)

Cyclists' Rest Area

Designed by Gerry Judah, the Cyclists' Rest Area in Bernie Spain Gardens was created to give cyclists and walkers somewhere to relax and refresh during their journey. The stainless steel rest area features seats, a drinking fountain and cycle racks and is part of the National Cycle Network.

Funded by: South Bank Employers' Group, Sustrans, The Arts Council of England's Lottery fund

Other partners: Coin Street Community Builders, London Borough of Lambeth, English Heritage

Supporting Local Schools

The Supporting Local Schools project aimed to increase educational attainment by improving school facilities in Southwark and Lambeth.

Three local primary schools were identified as being in need of help and were transformed with new facilities.

At Johanna Primary School in Waterloo, South Bank Employers Group responded to the need for additional space by building a stunning light-filled, copper-clad library and ICT room on the school grounds, designed by Marks Barfield Architects.

Funded by: Waterloo Project Board, the boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, Corporation of London

Street Cleansing Enhancement

This project delivers an enhanced street cleaning regime in the area by providing high specification cleaning machines to both the London Borough of Lambeth and Coin Street Community Builders.

Both organisations are responsible for areas of public realm and the machines help them tackle more effectively the highly trafficked areas around Waterloo Station and the Riverside Walkway as well as other parts of North Lambeth.

Funded by: Waterloo Project Board, South Bank Employers' Group, London Borough of Lambeth

Other partners: Coin Street Community Builders

Sutton Walk

£1 million was awarded to South Bank Employers' Group by the Arts Council Lottery Fund to support the commissioning of both temporary and permanent installations of public art. This transformed the most commonly used route from Waterloo Station to the South Bank, Sutton Walk, from an ugly fifty-metre viaduct into an inspiring gateway to the area.

An international competition was won by artist Alberto Duman and architects MacCormac Jamieson Pritchard, who were chosen from four selected teams. This resulted in the installation of a back-lit glass image wall along one side of the walk and a large free-standing mirror monolith.

South Bank Employers' Group liaised closely with the London Borough of Lambeth and local landowners to ensure their support for the project. It was completed in 2001.

Funded by: South Bank Employers' Group, Arts Council Lottery Fund

Current Projects