Goldsmiths University is to open a campus in the centre of Catford – with more than 600 fine art and design students expected to move in.
The university, which can date its history in New Cross back to Victorian times, is expected to take a ten-year lease in the Old Town Hall, across the road from the council’s headquarters at Laurence House.
The new location looks set to provide a home for fine art courses which had been based at the old Lewisham College building at Deptford Bridge, which is earmarked for a major development of 900 new homes.
Lewisham Council has long had plans to redevelop the centre of Catford with more than 2,700 new homes on the shopping centre behind the town hall campus, and rerouting the South Circular Road in front of it.
The council has been banking on the creative and hospitality industries to kickstart Catford’s regeneration, but progress has been slow and has suffered setbacks. A cinema, Catford Mews, opened in 2019 in the old shopping centre, but closed in October 2024 in a row with its operator over rent arrears, and has not reopened.
But last year, a new pub, Catford House, opened in the former Catford Constitutional Club after the building was refurbished by the council, while a community-owned music venue, Sister Midnight, is hoping to open this year in a council-owned former social club behind the town hall. The Broadway Theatre has also been refurbished.
Professor David Oswell, the interim vice-chancellor of Goldsmiths, said: “We are deeply proud to call Lewisham home and it is fitting that in our 120th year we are extending our civic commitment.
“With the theatre and existing makers Catford already has a creative heart and our students will both contribute to and benefit from being part of this community. We look forward to seeing what this new space unlocks for our students and for Catford.”
Brenda Dacres, Lewisham’s elected mayor, said: “This is a powerful example of what long-term partnership can achieve. Bringing Goldsmiths into the heart of Catford is not just about a new campus - it’s about anchoring creativity, learning and opportunity in our town centre.
“By working together, we’re creating the conditions for Catford to thrive: supporting local businesses, attracting new visitors, and opening up opportunities for residents to connect with one of the UK’s leading creative universities. This is a major step forward in our vision for Catford as a vibrant place to live, work, study and spend time.”
Lewisham Council’s cabinet will discuss the plans at a meeting next Wednesday.
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