More than 800 homes proposed on Lewisham College’s Deptford Bridge site
Image courtesy RER London
A brief snippet of information now on plans to build upon the former Lewisham College campus at Deptford Bridge as a new image appears on the developers website.
RER London are proposing more than 800 homes on site around Deptford Creek after undertaking consultation earlier this year.
Their website states an application in due in Quarter 4 2024 though a quick search of Lewisham Council’s planning page shows no results as yet.
The site sits around the snaking Deptford Creek close to where it disappears beneath the A2 and becomes the River Ravensbourne.
When development plans were revealed in the summer I went for a nose about taking a few photos of the site.
Trains snake their way past and through the site atop the Docklands Light Railway viaduct between Greenwich and Lewisham.
The northern end of the creek has seen numerous developments both built and proposed and it always seemed a matter of time until this end saw similar.
Add in the DLR station here and it seemed a certain candidate.
Political grandstanding?
What made me look again into this site and its current status right now is the local MP putting up posts this week on social media regarding the proposal.
Vicky Foxcroft (Labour – Lewisham North) had been on a site tour and put up a message on various platforms about the need for social and truly affordable housing. Not something many would oppose but hang on, Labour are in power now.
She stated: “When I learnt of plans to redevelop the old Lewisham College site at Deptford Bridge, I called for a meeting with RER London. I made it clear that what Lewisham North needs first and foremost is social and truly affordable homes.”
Aside from Lewisham Council’s own development sites such as nearby Besson Street not including a single social or council home in plans drawn up whilst the site has sat empty for 15 years and 3,000 households are in temporary accommodation in Lewisham, what does “made clear” mean in this context?
No longer in opposition
If Labour want greater levels of social housing then the new government need to act to ensure that. Labour aren’t in opposition now and able to pass blame to the Tories.
It’s all well and good to state a private developer should build this or that level of social housing but they aren’t charities. Most will maximise returns under the system they operate. A system that government oversees.
She mentioned Viability Assessments which in were brought in under the Conservatives. These are often used by developers to state only a small amount of homes can be “affordable” after costs are worked out a minimum profit margin achieved.
So what change has this government made to that system? None so far.
But even if reversions to the system are introduced to what was in place under New Labour it was hardly a time of plentiful truly affordable housing supply. That alone is not going to get close to fixing problems both in Lewisham and across the country.
Funding
Which brings us to funding for new homes. Yes, as usual it comes down to money.
Once again in the six months since taking power and the budget a mere £500 million uplift in national Affordable Housing programme funding was announced. That’s enough for just 1,000 social homes in London when more than 68,000 households are in temporary accommodation and hundreds of thousands on council waiting lists.
Private developers have also built “affordable” homes under Section 106 agreements yet as things they’re empty in parts of the country as housing association nor councils are able to take them on due to a shortage of money – yet in turn billions being spent on private emergency accommodation and private rents.
A Labour MP complaining about a private developer when the party aren’t acting to increase truly affordable home provision looks like a classic bit of distraction from the party’s failure to act to any significant degree since taking control in Westminster.
Let’s hope that aside from public calls for developers to do things that aren’t in their interest, private calls are being made to reform and increase funding to ensure things change and we do actually see an increase in truly affordable homes. Without that happening, the calls for greater social housing are PR gesturing at best.
I hope the developer gets planning permission granted for the site.. 800 new homes will provide nrw homes for a lot of people. Including social housing for people on the housing waiting list.
As Labour are now in Government surely they can have more say on how many homes in new developments are allocated for social housing. On larger developments consisting of several blocks of flats. One block should be for soley social housing
Along with new homes we need new amenities Shops GP Surgeries Pharmacist Schools and Hospitals along with improved public transport and infrastructure including more drains and sewage etc to cope with growing demand.
‘… 800 new homes will provide nrw homes for a lot of people.’ Many of whom can afford to buy or rent elsewhere in the borough. Social housing is what is desparately needed for the many working people that are being ignored by developers and councils alike. The avenue of ‘non-viability’ has to be cut-off: no decent provision for social tenants; no planning permission.
Seems then that instead of calling a meeting with RER and telling them straight, Vicky Foxcroft should be standing up in the House of Commons and making it clear to Kier Starmer what Lewisham North really needs.
It’s all well and good telling the News Shopper or whoever, but go tell your boss!