A planned 15-storey tower block at Lee Green could grow to 18 storeys with the new developer hoping to squeeze in more homes.

A Lewisham Council planning committee approved a plan to build 562 homes on the site of the crumbling Leegate Shopping Centre in July 2023, despite objections from local councillors and residents’ groups. 

Greenwich Council had also filed an objection to the development, which lies on the border of the two boroughs. 

But the scheme was sold to a new developer, London Square, in March, just four months after Lewisham’s planning officers rubber-stamped the scheme. 

Leegate redevelopment render
Scrapped: The original proposals approved by Lewisham councillors two years ago, Image: Galliard Homes/Rolfe Judd

Now in a consultation with local residents unveiled on Tuesday, London Square said it plans to increase the number of homes to about 640. It said that following discussion with Lewisham Council and its design review panel, “the team has been encouraged to test additional height”, expanding the tower to 18 storeys.

It has already filed an application to Lewisham to delete the words “up to 15 storeys” from its existing planning permission, so it can then apply to amend the existing plans, rather than start again with the planning permission process.

A new architecture firm, CZWG, has produced a more rounded design for the new block, replacing the original Rolfe Judd design. CZWG is also behind plans for a 31-storey tower on the old Lewisham College site at Deptford Bridge. Three other blocks would also have one or two storeys added.  Commercial units have been reshuffled in the plan, with a medical centre moving to a ground floor location.

View from Burnt Ash Road with Sainsbury’s on the left. Image: London Square/CZGW

About 150 homes would be for social rent – up from 114 in the original scheme. While the project approved two years ago had 59 homes for shared ownership, this element would grow to about 100. 

In total, London Square says this would mean 45 per cent of the homes would be “affordable”. As Lewisham calculates this by room rather than by individual home, this would mean more larger homes would be “affordable” housing with more smaller flats being sold privately.

Leegate boarded up including closed Edmund Halley pub
The old shopping centre, which opened in 1967, is now boarded up. Image: The Greenwich Wire

However, the extra height will prove controversial. The approved tower could be seen intruding on views from Blackheath, and would be visible from the edge of the Greenwich world heritage site, where views are protected. No images of what the new tower would look like from the heath or the gates of Greenwich Park were shown, but London Square will have to provide them to the council.

Objectors included the Blackheath Society, Lee Forum and all six local Lewisham Labour councillors as well as Greenwich Council, which said the approved tower was “out of scale with the surrounding historic environment” on its side of the border, such as the Grade II-listed Lee Green fire station opposite.

London Square hopes to start demolishing the old centre later this summer so it can start work on the new development next year. More details can be found at leegateregeneration.co.uk.

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