Lewisham Tesco tower sees work begin
Another tower is set to join an ever growing cluster around Lewisham station as Meyer Homes’ Lewisham development on Connington Road sees preparatory work begin.
The 34-storey tower will be built partly on Tesco’s former car park. Tesco sold land to Meyer Homes alongside plots around Woolwich Tesco and Lowfield Street in Dartford.
The tower was approved on appeal in January 2020 by Robert Jenrick after recommendation from the planning inspector. It features just 20 per cent “affordable” housing. As I covered this week, Lewisham Council has spent £109 million on temporary housing over four years due to a lack of social housing.
The development doesn’t only comprise a tower – as can be seen in renders above. In total there are blocks of eight, 14 and 34 storeys.
Other sites now underway include Lewisham Gateway which will eventually see a cinema, shops and 530 homes.
Another tower named Lewisham Exchange has topped out nearby.
This block above includes a new entrance to Lewisham station (and any future Bakerloo station) though there is no confirmation it will be used.
On the other side of the station a former entrance and exit near Meyer Homes’ tower remain shuttered after being closed around five years ago.
A fourth large redevelopment is 443 homes on the final stages of the Heathside and Lethbridge estate redevelopment.
That then leaves Legal and General’s development on the Sports Direct and Matalan site yet to start:
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I visited this area whilst walking the dog during lockdown and it’s an absolute horror: no picturesque dereliction; just a feeling of being directly poisoned by the environment.
I wonder if they’ll also do something about the thousands of rats coursing through the river below?
I used that car park when I went shopping in Tesco’s and latterly it became an all day free carpark. I never saw any rats, although I imagine that there must have been some because of the dumping.
The people I feel sorry for are those living in Silk Mills Path. They will have to keep the ilghts on for most of the day.
A lot of my family lived not too far away and they certainly wouldn’t recognise it now. I certainly don’t.
Indeed. It’s become like some kind of very boring and lifeless Blade Runner dystopia.
I have to say that I think Lewisham has a better long term future with these new developments. It will generate demand for local businesses and supply London with housing stock that is clearly required. Having lived in Conington Road for Years before the DLR development, I think its great that the silk mills path is now a busy through fare, linking Lewisham Centre via Tesco`s and as opposed to a Dumping route, for thugs and drug dealers working late at night spot.
“ I think its great that the silk mills path is now a busy through fare”
= It’s just a footpath next to a concrete encased polluted river. There’s still plenty of fly-tipping, drug dealers and addicts also: some of which live in the new developments.