Lewisham Tesco superstore rebuild images revealed

Plans to demolish a Tesco supermarket in Lewisham have seen the first images released.

In place of the low-rise shop and car park an area beside the Ravensbourne river will see three residential blocks above a new Tesco.

It’s now almost two years to the day that plans were first revealed. The site sits beside a recently constructed tower located on what was also Tesco land incorporating part of the car park previously sold to Meyer Homes.

Developer Astir are behind the proposal. Opening up land beside the river seems an aspiration, though renders do appear a bit fanciful.

A number of commercial units appear evident but as ever the question is will they be occupied? The recent completed Lewisham Gateway Phase Two has numerous units empty months after completion.

Transport

Another render shows a tube roundel where the station is (there’s no tube extension confirmed and it’s a major Southeastern Metro station) and what looks like a new station entrance.

That must surely be pushed for by Lewisham Council and Network Rail during discussions on Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy spend.

A previous station entrance on that side of the station was closed in the 2010s.

Overcrowding has since been common and access is now via one entrance and then using extremely cramped tunnels prone to flooding.

It’s a relatively simple job to install a new entrance at a site beside platform 4 near a staircase and lifts installed as part of the 1999 DLR extension project.

There’s one non-load bearing wall that would need knocking down to install barriers.

It’s surprising it hasn’t already happened given the building of a new tower, adjacent blocks plus two major estate rebuild projects almost now fully complete bringing many new homes.

It has previously been mentioned that a building on site would be retained (visible on the right in the above photo).

We’ll have to wait until a detailed planning application is submitted to see exactly what happens on that front.