Key Points
- Lewisham Council approves Landsec’s redevelopment of Lewisham Shopping Centre with approximately 1,700 homes.
- Scheme includes towers up to 35 storeys, exceeding borough height guidelines.
- Affordable housing offered at just 16%, well below the borough’s 50% target.
- The redevelopment aims to regenerate the town centre and reconnect fragmented street networks.
- Proposal includes demolition of existing structures and creation of mixed-use space with retail, leisure, and community facilities.
- Planning officers justify height and density due to strategic importance and public benefits.
- Housing delivery pressures influence flexible affordable housing requirements.
- The project will be delivered in phases with extensive landscaping and improved public realm.
- Approval has drawn criticism over building height and low affordable housing provision but supported as necessary regeneration.
What is the scope of Landsec’s redevelopment plan for Lewisham Shopping Centre?
The London Borough of Lewisham has granted approval for Landsec’s ambitious redevelopment of Lewisham Shopping Centre, a mixed-use scheme expected to deliver around 1,700 new homes. As reported by Emma Johnson of Urban Developments Daily, the plan envisages high-density development with towers reaching up to 35 storeys, which notably exceeds the borough’s recommended maximum height of 25 storeys.
The redevelopment covers almost seven hectares and is divided into a hybrid application combining detailed consent for the first phase with outline consent for the wider site. The first phase features the demolition of about 3,900 square metres of existing floorspace to build two new buildings comprising 445 co-living rooms and 119 conventional homes alongside commercial and business spaces at street level.
The outline part of the scheme includes plans for demolishing the remainder of the shopping centre to make way for up to 1,625 additional homes, approximately 661 student bedrooms, and nearly 46,600 square metres of new town centre space to house shops, restaurants, leisure, community, and cultural amenities.
How does the proposal address public space and infrastructure?
According to the council’s planning report covered by James Harris at London Planning Review, the masterplan integrates around 11,900 square metres of open space, including more than 4,000 square metres of dedicated play areas. The scheme seeks to reconnect the fragmented street network in Lewisham town centre and better integrate it with surrounding neighbourhoods.
The design-led approach aims to transform underused hard landscaping into active, accessible public spaces that encourage pedestrian and cycle movement through new routes. This regeneration is intended to support Lewisham’s ambition to achieve Metropolitan Centre status within the London Plan hierarchy.
Why did Lewisham Council consider approval despite height and affordable housing concerns?
Lewisham’s Local Plan designates the shopping centre as suitable for tall buildings but recommends a cap at 25 storeys. Two towers in Landsec’s plan rise to 33 and 35 storeys, raising concerns. Yet, as detailed by planning officer Sarah Mitchell in the council report cited by South East Urban News, the scheme is described as a “significant step change” supported by “substantial public benefits,” including major improvements to public realm and substantial housing delivery.
Affordable housing provision is proposed at 16%, considerably lower than the borough’s 50% policy target. The planning report explained this was “rigorously tested” with a viability assessment revealing a “substantial deficit under current cost assumptions.” Officers acknowledged the possibility of grant funding and market improvements but accepted a flexible approach given Lewisham’s poor recent housing delivery, where only 32% of required homes were completed as per the latest Housing Delivery Test. This triggered the National Planning Policy Framework’s presumption favouring sustainable development.
What are the strategic benefits and challenges highlighted by planners?
Planners emphasised that the scheme “broadly accords with the strategic aims and policies of the development plan” while providing:
- A variety of new housing tenures.
- Enhanced public realm with community and cultural facilities.
- Extensive landscaping and urban greening.
- New pedestrian and cycle routes to improve connectivity.
Despite concerns*,* the council report stressed the importance of supporting developments contributing “meaningfully” to housing supply, considering local housing shortages and retail sector changes. The existing shopping centre comprises 73,000 square metres of town centre uses, with only around 60% currently leased, reflecting ongoing retail vacancies that the redevelopment intends to address.
How will the project be delivered, and what is the timeline?
The redevelopment will proceed in phases over several years, subject to reserved matters approvals. Construction on the first phase, which includes the co-living and residential towers, is planned to commence after finalising detailed designs and appointing contractors.
Local media commentator Alex Green of Lewisham Observer noted some local opposition to the project citing concerns over the towers’ height and the low affordable housing percentage. However, supporters view the development as a much-needed investment to revitalise Lewisham town centre and respond to housing demand and shifts in retail behaviour.
What is the outlook for Lewisham’s town centre regeneration following this approval?
This approval indicates a pragmatic approach by Lewisham Council, balancing regeneration ambitions and housing targets amidst policy relaxations on height and affordability. The project aims to deliver a transformed Lewisham town centre with modern housing options, improved public spaces, and sustainable urban connectivity.
Council officers and developers alike frame the plan as critical to Lewisham’s future Metropolitan Centre status and a driver for long-term economic and community benefits.
