The crumbling Leegate shopping centre has been bought by its third developer, which is promising that work will finally start this year on turning it into more than 500 new homes.

The site, on the boundary of Lewisham and Greenwich boroughs, has been at the centre of a long-running saga over its future. A decade ago, the developer St Modwen won approval for a development with an Asda supermarket, which did not proceed.

Galliard then bought the site, and in July 2023 Lewisham councillors approved a development with 562 homes, including a 15-storey tower-block facing the junction with Lee High Road.

Now London Square has picked up the site, and is promising a speedy start to work. Formal approval for the project was only given by Lewisham’s planning officers in November last year, with shops in the centre closing their doors at around the same time.

The company, which was bought by the United Arab Emirates-based Aldar group in 2023, said it would “work with Lewisham to increase the level of residential options in an area where there is a shortage of new-build homes being delivered”.

Leegate redevelopment render
The proposed Leegate development will include a 15-storey tower. Image: Galliard Homes

Under current plans, of the new 562 homes at Leegate, 114 will be for London Affordable Rent – about half market rent and available to people on housing waiting lists – and 59 for shared ownership. 

Last year London Square bought the remaining phases of the Woolwich Central development, which surrounds the town centre’s Tesco, including a planned 15-storey block in front of the store. Like Leegate, that project had been held for some years. More than 700 homes are planned there, and London Square won a grant from City Hall to build more shared-ownership homes. 

Leegate, December 2020
The crumbling shopping centre has faced an uncertain future for years. Image: The Greenwich Wire

The developer also recently built 59 flats on the site of the old Greenwich police station, but pulled out of a project to build hundreds of homes on top of the Greenwich Ikea, with the landowner now taking that scheme forward.

London Square’s chief executive, Adam Lawrence, said of Leegate: “This acquisition will herald  a new chapter for Lee town centre, with much-needed homes and a new retail and leisure destination to attract the existing community and new residents. 

“We look forward to working with the London Borough of Lewisham to get the redevelopment under way later this year.”

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