Major plans to redevelop Lewisham Shopping Centre and replace it with more than 1,700 homes have been given the green light.
Developer Landsec Lewisham Limited has been given planning permission for its development at the Lewisham Shopping Centre site, which will see the mall and the multi-storey car park demolished and replaced with tower blocks up to 35 storeys high.
Lewisham Council’s Strategic Development Committee approved the plans at a meeting on Thursday.
Mike Hood, COO of Landsec, said: “This is an exciting moment for the future of Lewisham’s town centre.
“These plans provide much-needed homes, community spaces and facilities that will enhance urban life for generations, while delivering sustainable returns that support our ambition for long-term growth.”
Landsec has submitted a full planning application, as well as a hybrid and outline planning application respectively. The project has been split into six different phases and has a timeline spanning 10 years.
Under its plans, Landsec intends to build a total of 1,744 new homes across the whole development, which would include 329 ‘affordable’ homes. The affordable housing would be split into 98 social rent homes and 231 homes which would be rented out at discounted market rates or would be for key workers. The remaining homes are all set to be private.
In addition to the 1,744 proposed homes, Landsec intends to build accommodation for 661 students and a 23-storey co-living block containing 445 homes, where residents share communal spaces such as kitchens and lounges. As well as the demolition of the 1970s shopping centre, a small number of other buildings will be bulldozed to make way for the development. These include Riverdale Hall Leisure Box, 72-82 Lewisham High Street, land currently occupied by Boots, and the north eastern entrance to the shopping centre.
Landsec intends to build a new shopping centre entrance, as well as a new music venue and workspaces for creative industries. There are also plans to bring back Model Market, a food court which closed in 2019. According to a planning report, some buildings along Lewisham High Street are set to be retained, while Lewisham House, which was previously used as office space for Citibank, would be converted into housing.
FTSE 100 developer Landsec said its 500-capacity culture, music and arts venue will “reignite” the area’s night-time economy, alongside a new public green space, including three new squares and more than 300 trees.
The proposals received 784 responses from the general public and comprises 105 objections, 637 representations in support and 42 neutral comments. Objectors have called for there to be at least 50% genuinely affordable housing, including social rent to meet local needs, while many have accused Landsec’s plans for student and co-living accommodation as “profit-driven”. There are also fears the development will “accelerate gentrification”.
Some people are strongly opposed to the demolition of the existing shopping centre, and are concerned the redevelopment of the area will erase Lewisham’s cultural character. A petition launched by the Lewisham People’s Assembly urged the council to reject the plans and, as of October 13, had amassed almost 1,000 signatures in support.
The petition states: “The proposed demolition of Lewisham Shopping Centre for luxury flats is a blueprint for gentrification. It will displace our community, destroy a vital hub, and serve only the interests of corporate profit.”
The plans have received objections from Sainsbury’s, which has requested for “robust conditions” to secure its future, as Landsec has reportedly not provided any legal guarantee or plans for a replacement store or continuous trading if the project is approved.
Primark has also objected to the plans over a lack of assurance for continued delivery access and emergency escape routes, as the scheme involves demolition of the service desk and changes to servicing arrangements. Greenwich Council has objected to the plans, citing concerns over the impact the tall buildings could have on local views including from Eltham Park, Blackheath and the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site.
Greenwich Council said: “While the scheme would appear as part of a tall building cluster, it risks harming the open character of Blackheath and the setting of heritage assets. The report requests additional winter views to fully assess visibility and potential harm. Greenwich concludes that some harm would occur and asks Lewisham to weigh this against public benefits before making a decision.”
The NHS is concerned that the new development will significantly increase demand for services, stating Lewisham’s health services are already under pressure. The NHS has requested a Section 106 contribution of £2.8million to mitigate impacts on primary, acute and mental health services.
Lewisham House No. 1, which owns the leasehold for Lewisham House, has objected too, arguing they aren’t viable. Lewisham House No. 1 has submitted its own plans for the former Citibank building, which involves transforming the tower into a co-living space. Lewisham House No. 1 believes its own co-living scheme is “viable and deliverable without Landsec’s intervention”.
Those who have responded with messages of support believe the scheme will bring “much-needed investment, modernisation, and a sense of pride back to Lewisham”, while others were supportive of a new music venue being built.
As part of Landsec’s Section 106 contribution, Lewisham Council would receive £5million which would go towards pedestrian and cycle improvements within the vicinity of the scheme. Network Rail has asked for £828,000 in Section 106 contributions for improvements at Lewisham Station however, planning officers have reduced this to £500,000.
Lewisham Council is expected to receive £16.9million in Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) money, a planning charge local authorities obtain from developers which can go towards funding new infrastructure in the borough.
The council is currently consulting on a new Draft Charging Schedule (DCS), which sets out the proposed new charges for different types of development in the borough. If this is adopted in its current format, the overall CIL amount payable to Lewisham Council would be an estimated £28.4million.
An additional £11.1million would go towards City Hall’s own Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy (MCIL).
A Landsec spokesperson said earlier: “We’ve spent years working with the community to design our plans, many elements of which such as the meadow on top of the shopping centre, community-owned music venue, model market re-opening and both covered and uncovered shopping areas were ideas thought-up by local people.
“Our plans will mean the shopping centre stays open. We’ll take it down in stages and replace it with a brand-new centre. All the shops people told us they like will stay, but we’ll be able to create more choice – particularly for eating, drinking and entertainment at night.
“The comprehensive redevelopment also includes over 1,700 homes – 20% of which will be a mix of different affordable housing options to rent, including social housing and London Living Rent homes for key workers.”
Planning officers have said subject to necessary conditions and legal obligations, the scheme is considered acceptable and recommended it be approved by councillors.
