Ladywell Playtower partner shortlist announced - name only
The community say they would have liked information on what the four bidders are proposing to do with the site.
Ladywell Playtower has lain empty for over 20 years with different plans for restoration falling through.
Lewisham council has once again begun the process of selecting a planning proposal.
Following a petition with over 3,000 signatures, the council made a commitment to deeper engagement with the community throughout the process and a consultation was held for six weeks ending 29 January 2026.
The council announced on 12 June that it has completed its review of Expressions of Interest and four organisations' proposals have been selected for the short list: Hackitt CIC, Liquid Listening, Rural Urban Synthesis Society (RUSS) and Turner Works.
Councillor Daniel Dream, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Regeneration and Planning said: "Working with my new Ladywell ward councillors, we’ll make sure local people are right at the heart of what happens next, so it becomes a place we can all feel proud of for generations to come.”
However, the council said in their statement that they would not be announcing any details of the proposals "due to the need to keep the process fair and robust".
They said this had to continue throughout the next phase, when bidders submit detailed proposals.
These will include the bidders' proposed works schedule and detailed delivery strategy, timescales, funding options, financial records and a long term business plan.
Following this, the shortlist will be whittled down to two, then the public will be consulted on the final two options.
Tony Rich, Chair of Ladywell Play Tower sub-group said: "While we're pleased to see that the process of finding a development partner has finally recommenced, we would have liked to have seen some information on what the bidders are proposing to do with the site, as this is what is of most interest to the local community".
Hackitt CIC was founded in November 2023 to cover a range of sectors including "remediation activities" and "engineering design for industrial processes".
Liquid Listening is a charity which promotes underwater music and aquatic therapy for disabled children and adults.
RUSS is a Community Land Trust, and part of CDS co-operative. They ran a successful self-build housing project at Grove street, near the Playtower site.
Residents moved into the 36 homes in 2024.
Turner Works is the architecture firm leading on Lewisham council's Thomas Lane Yard development in Catford.
The council's original timeline for the development is on commonplace.
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