Phoenix plans 63 homes at former Catford police station
The housing association's plans to convert the former police station on Bromley Road have been recommended for approval by Lewisham planning committee.
Phoenix Community Housing is a non-profit, resident-led housing association which manages more than 7,600 homes in the Lewisham wards of Bellingham, Catford South, Downham and Grove Park.
It has submitted plans to partially demolish Catford police station on Bromley Road, to develop 63 new homes.
The planning application will be heard by Lewisham council’s planning committee at a meeting on 25 November.
Catford Police Station closed at the end of 2017. Since its closure, the building has been occupied by live in guardians, who are allowed to live in disused buildings at a reduced rent in exchange for ‘guarding’ the vacant property.
In February 2022, Phoenix announced that it had purchased the site and initially planned to build 65 new homes, but this has now been reduced to 63.
Under the plans, Phoenix intends to retain and convert the locally listed main police station building, while all of the other ancillary buildings will be demolished and replaced with two new blocks which would be between four and six storeys tall.
All of the planned homes are affordable and would be split into 29 social rent flats and 34 intermediate rent flats.
"Intermediate rent" is defined in this case as priced at around 65-70% of the open market price, while renting from a housing provider not a private landlord.
The accommodation mix consists of 26 one-bedroom, 29 two-bedroom and 8 three-bedroom units.
During the public consultation stage, the plans received 10 objections, and a petition (objecting) with 37 signatures.
Reasons for objections included concerns about over-development, the height of the buildings being “visually intrusive” and a loss of privacy.
However, Lewisham council planning officers said the development would provide an “exceptional amount” of much needed on-site affordable housing, in line with policy.
There were no objections from Transport for London (TfL), Thames Water, Historic England, the Met Police’s Designing Out Crime team, the London Fire Brigade, the Environment Agency, Historic England or Active Travel England.
A planning statement which has been prepared on behalf of Phoenix, said: “The proposals will provide 63 affordable homes with a mix of social rent and intermediate rent tenures and will bring back into use and retain the main, locally listed police station building, securing its optimum, long-term viability for residential use.
“The new blocks will provide high quality housing with playspace and landscaping for urban greening and Carstairs Road will be made into a public/ pedestrian only street improving permeability across the local area.”
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