Policy information sourced from the Lewisham Local Plan

OL1 Delivering an Open Lewisham (spatial strategy)

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,

I Ensuring high quality education, health and social care.

The Council will work positively and alongside local communities, community groups, and other public and private sector stakeholders to realise the Vision for Lewisham and to address the strategic objective for ‘An Open Lewisham as part of an Open London’. Good Growth will be delivered in the Borough by:

a. Directing new development to Growth Nodes, Regeneration Nodes and well connected sites, including in Lewisham’s Opportunity Areas of New Cross/ Lewisham/Catford and Deptford Creek/ Greenwich Riverside, and carefully managing growth in these locations in response to local character;

b. Directing new development and investment to the Borough’s strategic Area for Regeneration, and other local areas for regeneration, and coordinating the delivery of this investment to help tackle the environmental, social and economic barriers that affect the lives of people in these areas, and ensure equality of opportunity;

c. Directing new residential, commercial, community, leisure and cultural development to Lewisham’s town and local centres in order to support their vibrancy, vitality, viability and long-term resilience, and through this process:

  1. Enable Lewisham Major Centre to cement its position as a centre of sub-regional significance and be designated as a Metropolitan Centre in a future review of the London Plan;
  2. Facilitate the comprehensive regeneration of Catford Major Centre to reinforce its role as the principal civic and cultural hub within the Borough;
  3. Ensure the District Centres at Blackheath, Deptford, Downham, Forest Hill, Lee Green, New Cross and Sydenham retain their distinctive character whilst evolving in their function as key hubs of community, cultural and commercial activity; and
  4. In all other locations, small scale residential development (0.25 ha or less) in existing residential areas, will be positively considered where the site is located within PTALs 3-6 or within 800m distance of an existing railway station or town centre boundary. Such proposals will be considered in accordance with the approach towards small housing sites. Proposals involving larger windfall sites will be considered in accordance with relevant local plan policies, specifically in respect of their impact on the wider townscape character and their ability to access transport and infrastructure networks.

d. Directing new development along the A21 Corridor and other strategic Growth Corridors to support growth, along with using the Healthy Streets Approach to enhance the quality of places and improve connections within and between neighbourhoods;

e. Enabling new and improved infrastructure as a catalyst for investment and to unlock the development potential of sites across the Borough. The delivery of the Bakerloo line extension will both support and enable growth in Opportunity Areas and Lewisham’s southern areas, including Bell Green and Lower Sydenham;

f. Making the best use of land and space by prioritising the redevelopment of brownfield land of low or negligible ecological value and enabling the sensitive intensification of established residential neighbourhoods and commercial areas, including through the development of small sites;

g. Ensuring all new development proposals follow the design-led approach to make the optimal use of land, respond positively to local distinctiveness (including the historic, cultural, natural and built environment), and helps to secure inclusive, safe, liveable, walkable and healthy neighbourhoods;

h. Protecting, enhancing and connecting Lewisham’s network of green infrastructure (including trees, parks and open spaces, water spaces and biodiversity), as well as improving the population’s access to it by walking and cycling; and

i. Ensuring that a strategic and coordinated approach is taken by the Council and its partners to respond to the climate emergency and requiring new development to integrate measures for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

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