One of South London’s most argued over corners is finally about to change dramatically as a tired shopping centre disappears. In its place, 620 new homes and a 17-storey tower promise fresh life, brighter streets and many more neighbours. Supporters hope this long-stagnant site will finally feel safe, useful and busy again. Critics, however, fear that the tower’s scale and its shadow will strain local character and deepen neighbourhood divides.
A long-derelict block finally faces demolition
For many residents, the Leegate site has felt like an empty shell rather than a real centre. Boarded units, stained walkways and dark upper floors have pushed shoppers elsewhere. The 1960s concrete block stands at a busy Lee Green junction, yet large parts feel deserted and unsafe.
That is the backdrop to the decision taken on Tuesday November 18 by Lewisham’s Strategic Planning Committee. After years of debate, councillors voted unanimously to clear the failing complex and support a major rebuild. Several called the existing buildings an eyesore and said the scheme could finally unlock long-promised change.
The plans will demolish the current structure and replace it with a mixed-use development containing 620 homes. A new community centre, commercial floorspace and a pub will sit at street level. Once the shopping centre is gone, new streets and courtyards should link more naturally with surrounding roads and everyday routes.
Why the Leegate shopping centre site has such a long history
The project approved now is only the latest attempt to overhaul the tired block. In 2016, Modwen Developments won permission to redevelop the site in a scheme centred on an Asda supermarket. That vision never left the drawing board, but it confirmed that big change on this corner was possible.
In November 2024, Galliard Homes secured a fresh consent for a different mixed-use design. Earlier this year, London Square bought the land and inherited that permission, plus rising construction costs and new safety duties. Once in control, the company reworked layouts, cores and heights to meet tougher fire regulations.
Because permission already existed, London Square used a Section 73 application that planners saw as a minor change. The tallest tower would climb from 15 to 17 storeys, several blocks would gain extra floors, and the medical centre, supermarket, community space and car parking by the former shopping centre would be cut.
Rethinking homes, services and everyday life on the site
One major change in the latest plans lies in the housing numbers and mix. The development will now include 620 homes instead of the 561 previously approved. That increase comes without expanding the footprint, so more people will live close to buses, services and shops woven into nearby streets.
The proportion of affordable housing has climbed when measured by habitable room. It rises from 36.2 per cent in the earlier consented scheme to 46.3 per cent in the current version. Within that total, 149 homes are for social rent and 112 for intermediate tenures, while the remaining properties will be private.
Councillors were also told that the changes would deliver 89 extra affordable homes, including 35 more social homes and the rest intermediate. The medical centre, supermarket and community centre are all smaller than before, and both residential and commercial parking spaces are reduced above the old shopping centre footprint.
Height, heritage and a tower beside the shopping centre
Local campaigners in the Lee Manor Society say they accept that new housing is needed on the site. Many members welcome investment and the chance to replace what they call the “Leegate eyesore”. Yet they warn that the tallest building, at 17 storeys, could overwhelm nearby conservation streets.
They argue that such a tower would dominate views from historic terraces, gardens and local routes. Some residents were angered when London Square first branded the project “Blackheath Gate”, a name that barely mentioned Lee. To critics, that label suggested glossy marketing aimed outside rather than at people already living nearby.
Objectors also point to Lewisham’s Local Plan for Lee Green, which says the district centre is not suitable for tall buildings above 12 storeys. They fear that approving this scheme will make it harder to refuse future towers. In their view, a 17-storey block beside the shopping centre corridor would set a strong precedent.
How planners weighed benefits against their own rules
During the committee meeting, planning officers accepted that objectors were right about key wording. The Local Plan for Lee district centre says heights on this site should not normally exceed 12 storeys. However, they stressed that the policy does not require refusal whenever a proposal rises above that guide figure.
Officers told councillors that the revised plans had been tested against local and London-wide guidance. In their view, the public benefits outweighed harm from extra height. They pointed to more homes overall, a higher share of affordable housing and changes made to reflect stricter fire safety rules since the earlier consent.
Councillor Jack Lavery reminded colleagues that another scheme already has consent and called this a minor material amendment. He accepted that the taller tower was unpopular, yet stressed the 89 extra affordable homes, including 35 more social homes, and urged support for a dense, mixed-use quarter beside the shopping centre.
A local choice that will echo through daily life for years
As demolition and construction move ahead, people living nearby will judge whether this dense new quarter truly works. Some will focus on the extra affordable homes and fresh community spaces, others on how the tower feels beside conservation streets and familiar back gardens. Over time, the development that replaces the old shopping centre will shape trust in future decisions about height, growth and whose needs count most right across Lewisham.
