Lee Manor Society is reminding residents that they have less than three weeks to lodge comments on London Square’s latest proposals for Leegate.
You can give your views via the Council planning portal here. London Square is asking the Council to approve amendments to the existing planning consent originally granted to Galliard.
As set out in our story last month London Square is asking the Council to approve a number of changes under Section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.
These are:
- 59 extra residential units, taking the total to 620
- An increase in the amount of “affordable” housing from 36.2% to 46.3%.
- The main tower to go to 17 storeys above ground, with no basement. This is just one storey fewer than in London Square’s previous proposal which it unveiled in May at the public exhibition.
- No general parking at all, and only 21 residential Blue Badge parking spaces, and one commercial Blue Badge space.
- Relocation of the medical centre to the ground floor of Block B and a reduction in the overall commercial space.
- A revised energy strategy from individual Exhaust Air Source Heat Pumps to a Communal system.
London Square’s spokesman told the Lee Manor Society it’s expected the application will go before Lewisham’s Strategic Planning Committee before the end of this year.
The Society is planning to lodge an objection against the proposed increased height of the Leegate tower (from 14 to 17 storeys above ground). The Society argues this would be at odds with the adopted Local Plan for Lewisham which says that normally buildings in the Lee Green area should not be higher than 12 storeys. The Society says if the Council decides to ignore that it must show a material benefit to the community.
I’m originally from Bristol and have been regularly following various topics that concern Bristolians.
In regards to new high rise developments that are primarily focused on new housing, there are similarities in the approach of developers there and in this borough.
The Bristol journal B24/7 has several regular readers leaving comments.
One person who worked in the building industry claimed that every new third flat or house is pure profit for the developer.
Lee’s imminent Tower of Babel will produce more profit for London Square the higher it will become.
One developer in Bristol that happens to be at odds with Bristol Council’s planning department is threatening court action if their revised plans to build higher whilst reducing the number of affordable homes is not approved.
It may result in long delays in completing the mostly unwanted complex as well as costing a great deal of money to Bristol’s ratepayers in legal costs.
For some reason it looks like the Borough of Lewisham looks more favourably on London Square’s proposals than it’s Bristol counterpart.
It might be at least courteous that if this is the case, Lewisham Council ought to give a detailed transparent explanation as to why it supports this project in it’s current form.
We need to strongly oppose to the storeys number and height increase. The (un)affordable homes is just an excuse to get granted what they ask for. It should not be based on a trade off, 12th floors is the max allowed in the area, full stop. Lewisham council will have to respond if they unlawfully approve that.
620 flats and only parking for blue badge holders, those without are expected to use local neigbourhood streets. More revenue to lewisham council in the form of residential parking permits. Also more profit for the developers not having construct parking basments.
We live in the next road to Lee gate my son can’t afford to live or buy a property in the area
Are there any more school places hospital or doctors taken into consideration as it’s a nightmare to get appointments with a GP or even worse if you need a operation into not agree with the development
I agree! Go on the Lewisham planning site and say this. There have only been 25 objections. Make it 26!
A 10.1% increase in affordable housing has only been put forward by London Square recently presumably to clinch the planning approval that the developer expects to get granted.
I’m not sure how many flats/houses that this ‘concession’ will create in lieu of the unaffordable ones.
Does anyone know how much an affordable home costs to buy or rent compared to the unattainable ones?
I know it used to have to be sold at 80% of the market rate to be considered “affordable”, which is of course not affordable at all for many people. I expect the “affordable” flats will be built to a lower specification than the others.