More than 600 homes and a 17-storey tower will now replace the derelict Leegate shopping centre – but the developer got a ticking-off from Lewisham councillors for branding the scheme “Blackheath Gate”. 

The 1970s mall, which has been empty since last year, has long been earmarked for development, with the most recent plan for 562 homes and towers of up to 15 storeys approved in July 2023 despite objections from local councillors and residents’ groups.

Since then, the site, on the Lewisham-Greenwich borough boundary at Lee Green, has been bought by a different developer.

London Square has increased the number of homes to 620, and also increased the number of “affordable” homes, with 149 homes for social rent and 112 for shared ownership. That has also meant taller buildings, with the main tower now at 17 storeys, to the anger of local residents’ groups.

Greenwich Council also objected, citing the effect on historic buildings on its side of the border.

Sign on hoarding saying Blackheath Gate
London Square branded the scheme Blackheath Gate. Image: The Greenwich Wire

But the developers’ decision to brand the site “Blackheath Gate” caused even more upset – with the developer admitting it got that decision wrong at a meeting of Lewisham’s strategic development committee on Tuesday. 

While the plot is close to streets with the SE3 postcode associated with Blackheath, both Lewisham and Greenwich councils recognise Lee as a district centre with its own identity.

Locals had mocked the name online as well as marketing materials erroneously referring to “Blackheath Common” – a name the heath has never had. 

Paul Bell, the cabinet member for health and a member of the committee, said: “Are you going to change the name from Blackheath Gate to something more appropriate for the area? I know it’s basically to try to get more value out of the properties, but it doesn’t actually help with the heritage of the area.”

Old Leegate centre from a distance
Hoardings have gone up around the old centre. Image: The Greenwich Wire
Leegate centre covered in leaves
Work has begun to prepare the old centre for demolition Image: The Greenwich Wire

Vanessa Joyce, London Square’s senior development manager, blamed the company’s marketing department and said the company would work with the community to find a new name.

“We appreciate that that was an error on our site and we’ll be speaking to community groups about the future name and that that has now been removed from the hoarding,” she said. 

“There’s obviously a lot of interest in the site and we’ve been  blown away by the level of interest, everyone obviously wants something to happen on this site and that’s that passion coming through. We’d really welcome comments on the name moving forward.”

Simon Bucks of the Lee Manor Society accused the developer of having “contempt” for the area, while James Rathbone, a Lee Green Labour councillor, said the naming row had highlighted wider issues with London Square’s attitude to its neighbours.

“It is the latest example of a pattern of behaviour where they have made commitments to the local community about how they will listen, engage, talk to us, and take our concerns into account and then they’ve gone away and done something completely differently, based upon whatever they wanted,” he said.

Render of new tower block
Greenwich Council – which controls the area on the left – was among the objectors. Image: CZWG/London Square

The development will include a pub to replace the Sir Edmund Halley, a convenience store, community centre and space for a GP surgery, although the local NHS said it would rather take a cash contribution to improve existing services.

But residents pointed out that Lewisham’s guidelines suggested a maximum of 12 storeys for building at Lee – and that London Square was going even further beyond that.

Bucks said the tower would “dominate and dwarf” local low-rise housing, while one resident, Emma Warren, said: “We are voters. Listen to us. Why are you letting this developer roll you over with an election on the horizon? We know your policy is for a maximum height of 12 storeys. It is not nimbyism to ask councillors to apply their own policies.”

Joyce said that London Square had cut the main block by one storey in response to concerns from residents and Lewisham Council. She added that because the market for new homes was poor, the original scheme – approval of which was only finalised last year – “isn’t deliverable”.

“I know it sounds mad as it was only consented last year, but the fire regulations have changed to such an extent that we’ve had to change the lifts, because you need escape corridors and new ventilation,” she said. “There’s a lot of new regulations hitting the industry at the moment.”

Boarded-up Leegate centre
There have been plans to redevelop Leegate for many years. Image: The Greenwich Wire
Render of new blocks
How the scheme will look from Taunton Road. Image: CZWG/London Square

With the borough having failed to hit housing targets in recent years, councillors were warned by  David Robinson, Lewisham’s major and strategic planning manager, that there was a “high bar for refusal”. 

Committee member Jack Lavery, a councillor for Sydenham, said  that the amended scheme added “89 extra affordable homes” and added: “I recognise there are some trade offs and recognise the increase in height of that tower hasn’t been well received by everybody.”

The all-Labour committee – Lavery, Bell, Rosie Parry (Deptford), deputy mayor Louise Krupski (Rushey Green) and Peter Bernards (Forest Hill) – unanimously approved the scheme. 

Amended on Monday to delete the name of a councillor who was unable to vote on the scheme because of a technical failure.

📺 For transparency: The Greenwich Wire usually tries to attend meetings like this in person. Unfortunately, we could only cover this meeting via the webcast.

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