Policy information sourced from Lewisham Town Centre Local Plan
LTC18 Public realm
Public spaces in Lewisham town centre should be designed to be safe, accessible, attractive and robust through consideration of the following factors:
- the Lewisham Streetscape Guide should be supported, in particular through the avoidance of street clutter, and where it is useful and functional, street furniture and lighting should be designed to delight,
- the provision of public art in association with all major development in the town centre will be encouraged and should be considered at the early stages of the design process,
- development should enhance community safety through the overlooking of entrances and exits and clear definition of public and private space. Applicants should show how they have taken ‘Secure by Design’ into account,
- new development and public space improvements should be generously sized and designed to improve the wider network of routes and open space in and through the town centre, particularly for pedestrians and, where possible, create new public routes. Enhancements to connections between the town centre and surrounding residential communities are particularly important,
- development should ensure that the public realm and development projects incorporate inclusive design principles. The Council will also seek to make provision for Shopmobility initiatives,
- building lines should be organised to provide generous streets and pavements,
- intelligent planting and street trees should be used to mitigate heat island effects and assist in reducing run-off and flood risk,
- urban enclosure and urban grain play a critical role in creating good quality environments and should be considered in any proposals for development,
- high quality and legible signage should be provided as appropriate.
For more information please see the Local Plan