Policy information sourced from Lewisham Core Strategy
18 The location and design of tall buildings
Tall buildings may be appropriate in specific locations identified by the Lewisham Tall Buildings Study. These locations are Lewisham and Catford town centres, Convoys Wharf, Oxestalls Road, Plough Way and Surrey Canal Triangle. Within these locations the Study identifies further details of areas which may be appropriate, inappropriate or sensitive to tall buildings. All tall building proposals should be accompanied by detailed urban design analysis to assess its impact upon the immediate and wider context.
Tall buildings will be considered inappropriate where they would cause harm to the identified qualities of the local character, heritage assets, landscape and open space features listed below:
- World Heritage Site of Maritime Greenwich, the setting of the World Heritage Site, and the World Heritage Site Buffer Zone
- London panoramas, protected vistas as defined in the London Plan and local views and landmarks
- conservation areas and their settings
- Metropolitan Open Land and other open spaces including London squares
- historic parks and gardens
- listed buildings and their settings
- Sydenham Ridge Area of Special Character, which comprises a topographical feature where tall or bulky buildings would affect the skyline and have an adverse effect on the landscape and local residential amenity
- riverside environments where tall buildings might harm biodiversity interests through overshadowing
- existing residential environments and their amenity.
Tall buildings will need to be of the highest design quality. The silhouette, crown and bulk of the building will be important considerations, as will its contribution to an interesting skyline and its visual impact and interest at street level. In order to assess this the Council will use the guidelines issued jointly by CABE and English Heritage.(142)
Tall buildings close to the Thames will be assessed in consultation with the Port of London Authority, to gauge possible interference with navigational communications which operate on a line of sight basis.
Tall buildings will be assessed in relation to the flight path safeguarding for Biggin Hill and London City airports.
An assessment will be made on the potential developmental, overshadowing or micro-climatic problems at street level.
For more information please see the Core Strategy