A new urban meadow on the roof of a revamped shopping mall will transform the heart of one of London’s grittier town centres, according to plans submitted today.
New images of the family park that will sit on top of a modernised Lewisham shopping centre will be around the size of a football pitch with 300 trees and a children’s playground. It will bring a burst of greenery to the borough’s unremittingly urban town centre, developers claim.
The current shopping centre was built in 1977 with Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, and H&M the biggest occupiers.
An application for the £1.3 billion south east London scheme shows how a new pedestrianised street will run through the district.
The plans also forsee 1,700 new homes, of which at least 20% will be designated affordable, 660 student beds and 445 co-living residences. There will also be a new music venue with a capacity of 500.
The vision has been drawn up by developers Landsec, which has owned Lewisham shopping centre for two decades, over three years of consultation.
Jon Watson, Development Director for LandsecU+I, the company’s regeneration division, said:“This is a once in a generation opportunity to improve the lives of millions of people who live in and around Lewisham town centre and across the wider borough.
Right from the start of our journey to rethink the centre we heard loud and clear from thousands of locals what mattered most to them
“Right from the start of our journey to rethink the centre we heard loud and clear from thousands of locals what mattered most to them: Better housing, for everyone; More green spaces; Music and culture; More places to eat and hang out; A better mix of shops with more choice; A place where everyone can feel welcome and safe. The final designs reflect all of this and more.”
“A massive thank you if you came and helped us to get to this point. I hope those who like the sound of what we’re proposing will support us today.”
Landsec’s regeneration arm, LandsecU+I, submitted the planning application for the 17-acre masterplan, designed by SEW. The first two residential buildings were designed by 2023 Sterling Prize Winners Mæ Architects, Studio MULTI and Archio.
It follows a demolition works application last month to bring forward an early phase of transformation next year with a new street food market and civic square on the site of the old market.
It is expected that LandsecU+I’s planning application come before Lewisham council’s strategic planning committee next year.
The demolition of the current shopping centre and the construction of the new one will start in 2026 and be carried out in phases over around 10 years.
