Award-winning PLACE Ladywell to be demolished by Lewisham Council next year
An award-winning structure that was supposed to provide temporary housing across Lewisham borough is set to be demolished next year.
PLACE Ladywell was installed with the intention of being able to move around the borough providing temporary homes at various before permanent housing could be provided.
That never happened so it stayed on-site hampering greater numbers of permanent housing.
Back in January 2021 a Lewisham Council report stated that with it removed 232 homes could be built including 112 social homes. It was decided to keep it and instead only build to the rear.
Initially just 69 new homes were planned as a result. That total increased to 102 homes which are now underway (with 47 of those social homes) though that’s far less than the total that could have been provided with it gone.
Now a new Lewisham Council report states it’s to be demolished in 2027:
“Higgins are using part of the PLACE Ladywell site as their site office and is part of the meanwhile use strategy for the decanted building.
“A programme for the demolition of PLACE Ladywell has been developed to begin in July 2027, based on vacant possession at the end of June 2027.”
Failed experiment
The original idea was for it to stay for four years in Ladywell before moving to Forest Hill which never progressed. It begs the question of wouldn’t it have been better simply to build permanent housing in the first place.
More homes could have been accommodated on site than the 24 units it offered, which would have saved a lot of money heading to pay for private temporary housing over the past decade.
It’s not aged well either. The building’s an eyesore and said to be in very poor condition after just a decade.
As stated earlier, to the rear of the site 102 permanent homes are now on the way and when PLACE comes down more will be possible.
That will finally allow permanent homes to be built on site years later than once proposed. Whether the same total of 232 units including 112 social homes once planned will be met isn’t confirmed.
If not, keeping it has cost a lot of people the chance of a permanent home – and a lot of public funds have been spent paying for expensive temporary accommodation.
