Developer Galliard Homes has tweaked its plans to redevelop the Leegate Centre at Lee Green, making its proposed 15-storey tower more slender and promising to keep a pub in the development.
The crumbling 1970s shopping centre, on the Greenwich-Lewisham borough boundary and opposite a branch of Sainsbury’s, has been slated for redevelopment for many years. A 2015 proposal which included an Asda supermarket was approved by Lewisham Council, but never proceeded.
Galliard bought the site in 2020, and in May it revealed plans for two 15-storey blocks as part of a 630-home scheme, which met opposition from local residents’ groups.
Now it has released some details of its revised plans, which include making the 15-storey block at the front of the site, facing the A20, more slender. Two blocks of 13 and 11 storeys will be placed at the rear of the development, next to a new public square.
Galliard says the development will also include a “basket supermarket” and a pub to replace The Edmund Halley, the Wetherspoon outlet which will face demolition along with the rest of Leegate.
Of about 590 new homes, almost a quarter will be for London Affordable Rent – about half market rents and available to those on housing waiting lists – with a further 10.5 per cent for “intermediate” tenure, usually shared ownership or a higher form of rent.
This hits the 35 per cent “affordable” housing target demanded by City Hall – also the target in Greenwich – but fails the 50 per cent target set by Lewisham, which will decide whether or not to approve the scheme when Galliard submits a planning application. Lewisham’s draft local plan for the site calls for a less dense development of 450 homes.
Nearly a year ago Lewisham councillors approved another Galliard scheme on the borough boundary – this time for 393 homes in 26 and 30-storey towers at Deptford Creek.
A public consultation is open now at leegate-regeneration.co.uk, with drop-in sessions at Leegate House on Thursday (2pm to 8pm) and Saturday (10am to 2pm).
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