Tag: london square

By Charles Batchelor and Michael Haste

An online meeting with representatives of the company proposing to redevelop Leegate served only to increase local frustration with the planning process. The meeting with London Square on October 2nd, arranged by Lewisham’s planners, failed to satisfactorily answer concerns raised by the Lee Manor Society, Lee Forum, the Blackheath Society and other local residents.

Proposals to increase the number of dwellings, raise the height of most of the blocks and provide only minimal parking – described by the developers as ‘minor’ – are in the view of the Society, anything but minor. Yet the council appears willing to consider allowing London Square, using what is known as the ‘Section 73’ process, to classify these as ‘minor material amendments’ to planning approval given in 2024 to Galliard Homes, the previous owner of the site.

Forty individual residents and local conservation groups including the Lee Manor Society that had lodged objections or comments to Section 73 were invited to submit questions in advance. On the night the questions were put to the developer’s representatives by one of the Lee Green councillors, Eva Kestner. Her method to group questions – the Society had five – together in single blocks, allowed London Square to avoid responding to individual issues.

Lee Manor Society’s representatives at the meeting felt London Square glossed over a number of significant issues in trying to get to grips with everything that was put to them, Those listening into the responses were unable to challenge the developer.

Aspects of the proposed development which were aired during the meeting included:

• The lack of parking for deliveries or anyone working in the flats (for example plumbers, electricians, decorators.)  It’s now well known that there will be no parking for residents, except Blue Badge holders.
• London Square insisted there would be two “commercial” spaces for deliveries and tradespeople but it seems these will be in the existing lay-by on Eltham Road.
• London Square pointed out that for most of the day (except between 10 AM and noon) there is free parking in the neighbouring streets. This approach may not be popular with residents.
• London Square confirmed that in order to squeeze in more homes they had reduced the planned size of the one-bedroom flats.  Some of those attending said the proposal indicated the flats would be little more than “rabbit hutches”. Several residents at the meeting repeated their belief that London Square was simply trying to maximise its profits – which the developer denied.
• The plan for an 17-storey tower block facing the Lee Green Crossroads was challenged as being at odds with Lewisham’s adopted Local Plan which recommends (normally) a maximum of 12 storeys in the area.  Lewisham was represented at the meeting by Geoff Whitington, principal planning officer in the council’s development management team but his role was solely to listen to the questions and comments, and he did not respond to this or any other points.  The Lee Manor Society had met Mr Whitington in August to express our concerns about the proposed ‘minor’ changes.

Lewisham planners have promised to issue minutes of the meeting within the next week.

This article has been updated.

The Lee Manor Society has submitted five crucial questions about London Square’s planning application for Leegate to the online public meeting scheduled for Wednesday October 2nd. Here they are:

1. On what basis does the developer London Square consider that Lewisham Council should
   override the legally adopted Lewisham Local Plan (July 2025) which sets out in relation to the Leegate site (at Policy QD4) that ‘the maximum height of buildings shall not normally be more than 32.8 metres (10 storeys) to 39.2 metres (12 storeys)’.
2. The immediate built surroundings of the Leegate site are 2, 3 and 4 storey residential and
   commercial buildings. The three Leybridge Estate residential buildings, to the south-east of the Leegate site, are each 11-storeys high and are set back away from the Eltham Road by a
   minimum of 15 metres within a landscaped environment. The existing Leegate House is an 8-storey high building and is located immediately to the rear of the existing pavement on both Eltham Road and Burnt Ash Road. What effect does the developer London Square believe will be the consequences to the Ward of Lee Green, its residents and to the Lee Green Conservation Area to the construction of 17, 10 and 9-storey buildings tight to the back of the existing pavements of Eltham Road and Burnt Ash Road?
3. Why does the developer London Square consider that the Leegate site on the Lee Green
   crossroads require a 17-storey ‘statement’ building fronting the proposed development? Such a building could very easily blend far better into its site by being situated further back to the south-eastern side of the site leaving buildings fronting onto Eltham and Burnt Ash Roads being better able to address the lower height of the existing built surroundings immediately surrounding the Lee Green crossroads?
4. What does the developer London Square believe will be the consequences of providing around 620 new apartments without a single parking space for able-bodied residents of the development or a single parking space (again for able-bodied persons) seeking to deliver post and other daily services to the new residents’ apartments. Where for instance would a delivery vehicle legally park to deliver a fridge or a sofa?
5. The Galliards 563-apartment Leegate scheme approved by Lewisham Council in November 2024 was obviously considered by that developer to be a ‘viable’ proposal. The new developer London Square stated in its covering letter to DC/25/140113 that changes were required to the approved scheme in order for the development to remain ‘deliverable’. Consequently London Square proposed around 640 apartments (within the Public Consultation proposals in May/June 2025) and increased heights to most of the proposed buildings that make up the Leegate development, but subsequently cut this to 620 apartments within the current proposed Section 73 application. What exactly does London Square consider to be a ‘viable’ proposed scheme?

Lee Manor Society has lodged a comprehensive objection to London Square’s proposals to amend the planning consent for Leegate.

In a 20 page document, Michael Haste, the Lee Manor Society Planning specialist and a retired architect, sets out a catalogue of reasons why the proposals should be rejected by Lewisham Planners.

You can read the full Lee Manor Society objection document here.

The key points are:

• The proposal for the 17 storey Leegate Tower is in breach of the tall buildings height restrictions (12 storeys) as set out in the Lewisham Local Plan – and there is no over-riding material reason why it should be approved.
• The numerous changes proposed by London Square cannot be characterised as “minor material amendments” as the developer claims. Lewisham Planners should treat them as material.
• London Square’s proposal to increase the number the residential units on the site (an additional 59 taking the total to 620) is NOT a result of recent changes to fire and building regulations “but a direct result of the developer simply believing that Lewisham Council will not hold it to account and will agree with anything the developer wishes to construct irrespective of whether it constitutes over-development of the Leegate site or not.”
• The proposed 2 and 3 bed flats above the fourth floor will not be suitable for families.
• Some of the other proposed buildings are also in breach of the height limits in the Lewisham Local Plan and should also be rejected because of their unacceptable massing.
• The absence of any parking for able-bodied residents will prevent normal deliveries and maintenance of the homes on the development. It will also put significant pressure on street parking in the immediate area.
• The reduction in commercial floorspace will impact employment opportunities in the area.
• The current proposals were not consulted on by London Square at its exhibition earlier in the summer.

The objection concludes that Lee Manor Society along with many of the residents of Lee Green and with amenity societies that represent the area, fully accepts the need for redevelopment of the Leegate site, but believes that such significant works must be carried out with full sensitivity to the local environment and the needs of Lee Green, not the needs of the developer to make profit over and above what a reasonable developer would seek to make.

Leegate will not become a place that people ‘want to visit and live in’ but will become an area where they may have little option but to live in if they simply want somewhere to live

Lee Manor Society Objection

If Lewisham Council approves the proposals it will not be helping ‘to provide a welcoming place where people will be able to live their best lives’ or ‘where generations will not only live but will thrive.’ Leegate will not become a place that people ‘want to visit and live in’ but will become an area where they may have little option but to live in if they simply want somewhere to live. It will not become a place where residents will ‘choose to stay’ and they will neither ‘enjoy a good quality of life or will love living in Lewisham.’

Michael Haste will be setting out details of the objection at the next meeting of the Society, on the evening of September 2nd. Full details of where and when can be found here: all are welcome.

The deadline for commenting on London Square’s application to vary the planning consent for Leegate is August 29th.

Full details of the proposals and how you can comment can be found in our recent story which you can read here.

The Lee Manor Society will be objecting on the basis that the proposals for a higher tower block exceed the provisions set out in the newly adopted Lewisham Local Plan as well as the clear guidance given with the Lewisham Tall Buildings Study Addendum. If approved, the proposals will also mean the removal of all able-bodied resident and commercial parking, which may put extra demand on parking around the site and in turn may then lead to new and unwanted CPZ’s.