Save Lewisham Shopping Centre campaign sees new opportunity with Greens in power

Anti-gentrification campaign Save Lewisham Shopping Centre has built its public profile fighting the large-scale development of Lewisham shopping centre.

The development is set to go ahead, but campaigners are calling on the new Green-led council, many of whose members endorsed the campaign, to slow down the plans.

The application for the initial phase of the development has already been approved by the council as well as the first phase of a compulsory purchase order (CPO).

The CPO allows the developer, Landsec, to buy out Lewisham House No.1 which has a 900 year lease and submitted its own rival plans for part of the development.

Organiser Christine Hannigan said: “We have to be pretty strategic about what the actual leverage still is. And so the next tactic is to try to block the compulsory purchase order of Citibank tower.”

“This will give us more time to negotiate what this redevelopment could look like and make it more relevant to the needs of local renters.”

The campaign is also hoping it will hold more sway over the decision of the council as many Green Party candidates, who are now elected councillors, pledged to back  the campaign ahead of the local elections. 

Another organiser in the campaign, John McGrath, said: “We don't want to see the Green Party make the same mistake that the Labour Party did.  

“Since being elected - it hasn't been long, I don't know how many weeks it's been, seven weeks or something - they have not gone quiet, but it's hard to really gauge where their support is.”

Faris Luke, also a campaigner with the group, fears that the Greens may go back on their word, but is still hoping that they will use the powers they have to help the campaign.

“That is a fear that we have," he said. "But we're hoping that they pull through and they stick to their promises, they attempt to do things differently and where they can't, they maintain good public communication with ordinary people and stakeholders.

 “I think it's a very valid fear that most of the Green Party people, very unwillingly, will end up just replicating what the Labour Party does.”

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The plans for redevelopment of the fifty-year-old centre include the construction of 1744 homes, 445 co-living rooms and 661 purpose-built student beds.

The plans also promise a new shopping centre, a public park, a live music centre and upgrades to the surrounding areas.

 Just 16% of the homes are classed as affordable - 6% will be social rent, while 10% are “intermediate tenure affordable”.

The plans propose these as “key worker rent”, restricted to occupations such as nurses, doctors, teachers, teaching assistants and social workers.

They propose 75% of the intermediate tenure homes be set at London Living Rent levels, and 25% at Discount Market Rent, i.e. 80% of market rent.

The campaign against the plans, which has gained more than 4,000 signatures, criticizes the lack of affordable housing and the long construction time, which they will say will be disruptive to the area. 

But more than that, the campaign rejects the entire model of development, saying that private developments such as this one don't work for the needs of residents in Lewisham.

They argue that rents and cost-of-living will rise at a quicker rate in the area if these kinds of developments, with minimal levels of genuinely affordable housing, are built, and will drive gentrification.

The average rent in Lewisham has gone up by more than 40% in the past 10 years.  

As of the end of 2025 there were over 11,000 households on the social housing waitlist in the borough, a 34% increase over ten years. 

Evan Cummins, also a campaigner, said: “There's generally frustration at the housing crisis, and the way that developments are being done, and the fact that new flats always seem to get built, but no one seems to be able to find a flat.” 

“And we don't want it to just be a cookie cutter, like Elephant Park type of situation [the 3,000 home Lendlease development at Elephant and Castle].

"I think the community part is really important, and the fact that we should actually have a say in what is happening around us, it shouldn't just be decreed from above, whatever's in the interest of private profits.”

The campaign itself has garnered critics who believe the shopping centre should be developed, as much of it sits empty.

The Leisure Box and Riverdale Hall events space is no longer in use, and the large multi-storey car park is underused. 

The campaigners are aware of conflicting views on the topic, and some agreed that the centre does need refurbishing, but shouldn’t be re-developed in the way that is currently planned.

Cummins said: "Some people absolutely love it, I use it quite regularly. But it's a Shopping Centre, it's nothing l spectacular, but it serves a real use for the community.”

Because the land belongs to the developer and not the council, it is likely some form of the planned development will go ahead. 

The campaigners are aware of this, but hope that pushing the council to stop the CPO can slow down this process, and allow them more time to negotiate.

They would also like the new council to really fight the viability assessment, which has brought down the number of affordable houses. 

Luke said: “We need to really think about the way we approach both private and public development.

“We would like to see developments done more democratically so residents aren't just consulted on it, but they have actual power and influence on developments.

“I'd also like to see development done more sustainably, so working with existing spaces, upgrading rather than demolishing them."

As a part of their wider rejection of these kinds of developments, campaigners want to see a new model for building housing in the city.

Luke added: “I feel like the council should be given more powers to influence private developments, especially major private developments and there should be support for community housing models like cooperatives and  community land trusts.”

The group  have submitted questions to councillors regarding the CPO, they will be holding a rally at the council meeting on 15 July and expect their petition to be debated by the council at its meeting in September.  

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