Policy information sourced from the Lewisham Local Plan

LSA4 A21 corridor / Bromley Road

Strategic Objectives:

A An open Lewisham as part of an open London,

B Housing tailored to the community with genuinely affordable homes,

C A thriving local economy that tackles inequalities,

D A greener borough,

E Responding to the climate emergency,

F Celebrating our local identity,

G Healthy and safe communities,

H Securing the timely delivery of infrastructure.

A The transformation of the A21 Corridor (Bromley Road) and its immediate surrounds into a network of liveable, healthy neighbourhoods with a distinctive urban character is integral to the delivery of the spatial strategy. Development proposals must demonstrate how they have responded positively to the A21 Development Framework through the design-led approach.

B Development proposals along the A21 Corridor and its immediate surrounds must contribute to enhancing the place qualities of the Corridor by:

  • Responding positively to the evolving urban character of the area through the sensitive intensification of sites, where appropriate;
  • Helping to establish a distinctive and legible urban grain along and around the Corridor, including clusters of development of an urban scale situated at major road junctions, particularly at Southend Lane;
  • Ensuring new development reinforces or creates a positive relationship with the public realm, including through the provision of positive frontages along the Corridor, and active ground floor frontages incorporating commercial and community uses, where appropriate, including at Southend Village and Downham District Centre;
  • Maximising opportunities to integrate urban greening measures; and
  • Enhancing connections between neighbourhoods along and surrounding the Corridor through the delivery of new and improved public realm.

C Development proposals must respond positively to the distinctive and historic character of Southend Village and its surrounds, whilst supporting the long term viability and vitality of the shopping parade by:

  • Enhancing the place qualities of the Village by designing development to create a more coherent urban grain along Bromley Road;
  • Making provision for a complementary mix of main town uses within the parade,; and
  • Improving visitor access to Southend Village through public realm enhancements:
    1. Around the junctions at Beckenham Hill Road and Southend Lane/Whitefood Lane;
    2. To and along Coninsborough Crescent; and
    3. At the route connecting Whitefoot Lane with Beechborough Green and Gardens.

D Development proposals must reinforce and enhance the role of the A21 as a strategic movement corridor by applying the Healthy Streets Approach. This principal north-south route should be supported by a complementary network of legible, safe and accessible walking routes and cycleways that link with it to enhance connections between neighbourhoods and places, including open spaces such as Beckenham Place Park, Forster Park, and Downham Fields.

E Development proposals should investigate and maximise opportunities to reinstate or enhance the network of finer grain east-west connections for walking and cycling to and from the A21 Corridor, and the river valley, particularly where sites are to be delivered through comprehensive redevelopment.

For more information and policy context please see the Lewisham Local Plan