Policy information sourced from Lambeth Local Plan 2020-2035

PN7: West Norwood/Tulse Hill

  • The council will promote the role of West Norwood/Tulse Hill as a vibrant district centre through the development of key sites, to improve the quality and variety of retail floorspace and to increase workspace, education uses, community facilities, cultural uses and housing. Development in the area will need to be of a scale and form related and appropriate to its context with particular regard to local views and heritage assets. Housing densities should be optimised, particularly on highly accessible sites and where there is a broader need to realise a range of public benefits through major regeneration opportunities, such as Site 18. The role and contribution of West Norwood cemetery as a major historic asset and visitor attraction will be promoted.
  • The council will promote the district centre as a hub of community life and retail, commercial and cultural activity and will ensure that development enhances the viability and vitality of the centre. Shopping uses will be safeguarded and encouraged; within the primary shopping area, all ground floor units should be in active frontage uses and no fewer than 50 per cent of ground floor units are to be in shop use. Throughout the centre as a whole, there should be no more than 15 per cent and no more than 2 in 5 consecutive hot food takeaway uses. No more betting shops will be permitted in the town centre.
  • The council will work with stakeholders to promote improvements to public transport services to the area, including accessibility improvements to the rail stations and the wider objective to improve the reliability and frequency of rail services across the area. The council will work with TfL to reduce traffic dominance caused by Tulse Hill gyratory, including through the potential re-introduction of two-way working, creating better, safer connections for walking and cycling and an improved environment.
  • The council will bring forward improvements to conditions for walking and cycling through the Healthy Route Network.
  • The council will support measures to increase green infrastructure, improve access to open space and improve air quality.
  • Development and investment will be directed towards five focal areas: West Norwood Central Retail Area, West Norwood Commercial Area, Norwood High Street, West Norwood Cultural and Heritage Area and Tulse Hill. This will be delivered by:
    • West Norwood Central Retail Area (Site 18) – promoting mixed-use development including housing; a new street frontage pulled back to widen the shopping parade for the town centre, an improved east-west permeability route through the site, preferably aligned with Chatsworth Way. In order to incentivise land assembly and comprehensive redevelopment opportunities the density of new development should be optimised, provided that the architectural quality and detailing is of a high standard to enhance the appearance of the town centre and does not harm locally important views. New commercial floorspace must provide flexible workspace to provide opportunities for creative and digital industries. Any redevelopment must improve the vitality and viability of the town centre as a whole, as well as creating a new sense of place and attracting back shoppers who currently go elsewhere.
    • West Norwood Commercial Area – protecting Lambeth’s largest industrial area whilst supporting opportunities for the evolution of West Norwood Commercial Area as a hub of creative enterprise, innovation and industry. Development should provide an increase in the amount, range, quality and flexibility of business premises and a variety of industrial uses in accordance with London Plan policy. The council will proactively seek opportunities to acquire land and work in partnership with existing landowners to increase the amount of industrial floorspace capacity and to diversify the employment offer.
    • Norwood High Street – designating the section of Norwood High Street to the south of the railway line a Creative Business Cluster to redefine and revitalise its role for creative and digital industries, building on the proximity to the Commercial Area, West Norwood station and the heritage and cultural area in the town centre. The council will support the development and renewal of spaces appropriate for creative and digital enterprises to encourage a range of businesses such as makers, artists and designers to locate in the Business Cluster. The council will promote the function of the Business Cluster by supporting:
      • mixed-use or enabling development, which may include residential on upper floors so long as it would not negatively affect the function of the Business Cluster or adjacent KIBA and would deliver ground floor workspace for makers and creative and digital industries;
      • proposals that maximise the delivery of workspace appropriate for creative and digital industries and include a range of unit sizes and workspace typologies; and
      • proposals which support and complement the creative and digital industries, such as the inclusion of ancillary sales/display space or meeting spaces.The council will produce a Supplementary Planning Document for this section of Norwood High Street.
    • West Norwood Cultural and Heritage Area - protecting and strengthening the role of existing cultural, community and heritage assets; supporting new community and cultural uses; preserving and enhancing the historic and heritage significance of West Norwood cemetery including measures to remove assets from the ‘at risk’ register and supporting public realm enhancements. A priority is to enhance the arrival of pedestrians through significant improvements to West Norwood station and safe and accessible walking and cycling connections to the wider area and local attractions, particularly to the leisure centre and Norwood Park. Development in this area will need to be particularly sensitive in terms of appropriate scale and form in view of the heritage importance of the adjoining cemetery and its many listed buildings.
    • Tulse Hill – improving its role as a gateway to the wider West Norwood area. Given the area’s high accessibility, the density of new development should be optimised, provided the architectural quality and detailing is of a high standard to enhance the appearance of the town centre and ensure it does not harm locally important views or the setting of heritage assets. Specific objectives include refurbishment of the railway station, with improved access and intensification of uses around the station interchange; supporting higher density residential-led growth with mixed-use retail and food and drink uses; encouraging improved active frontages along either side of the railway line; improved links from Tulse Hill Station to the area to its east; supporting improvements to the public realm to improve safety, accessibility and connectivity; and removal of the gyratory system which causes significant severance to the area, carrying high volumes of traffic on the South Circular and resulting in a hostile environment for walking and cycling.Where necessary and justified to achieve the objectives of this policy, the council will use conditions and/or planning obligations in new development proposals to limit uses consented within Class E.

For more information please see the Local Plan