Regeneration stalls in Lewisham

Is the The Great Recession the cause of a lack of progress in delivering regeneration projects in the ward and Lewisham in general? Or should the council hold its hand-up as well?

The redevelopment of the Kender Triangle appears to be the victim of a host of factors that have seen little progress made in the proposed NDC (New Deal for Communities) Centre planned to be built on the north side of Besson Street.

The NDC Centre as proposed, a mix of high-density housing and limited community facilities.

The NDC Centre was originally scheduled to open its doors in December 2009. Unfortunately, a visit to the site reveals little in the way of construction of this development. In November 2009 the New Cross Gate Trust was announced as a successor body to the New Cross Gate NDC. Has this change made any difference? It appears not.

The lack of progress on the Kender Triangle development is not the only example of stymied regeneration projects that have an impact on local residents.

In the context of being resident in Lewisham borough it must be of some concern that regeneration projects planned for Loampit Vale and Lewisham Gateway seem to have hit an impasse.

The planned redevelopment of Loampit Vale has encountered ardent opposition from local residents who have formed an action group (Action 4 Lewisham) to challenge the nature of the development. When the strength of feeling against the plans for redevelopment in Loampit Vale are so strong that local residents decide to form an action group the council and ward councillors have a duty to take notice.

Artist’s impression of the Loampit Vale development

Judging by the feedback collected from local residents, by consultants engaged by Lewisham council, the opposition by the residents does not appear to be spurious or superficial. This graph was published in the consultation report on the development.


The lack of progress and/or local opposition to these two projects indicate that something cannot be working right.

At the beginning of this article I questioned whether we should blame The Great Recession for these stalled projects.

When the local council chose Barratts as the developer of the Loampit Vale development or the NDC was created to to redevelop the Kender Triangle, were these the correct decisions?

The plans for both of these developments go back several years when there was no recession, demand was high for housing & commercial units and credit was cheap. If the council, the NDC and the private sector failed to deliver these projects when the times were good is it likely they can deliver them now that times are bad?

When it comes to regeneration in Lewisham it is clear that a more dynamic and community-engaged council is required. Lewisham Green Party stands for regeneration that is sustainable and community-led and not only Telegraph Hill residents but all residents of Lewisham deserve better from their council.

Concerns for the buses on Telegraph Hill?

Local residents have been telling us their concerns about buses on Telegraph Hill. Speeding is a concern on Jerningham and Avignon Road, and this makes other problems like noise, vibration and road damage even worse.

Our local bus services are a vital link for many people, but we have to balance the needs of passengers with the needs of residents. That’s why your Green Party candidates support the Telegraph Hill Society in calling for TfL to listen to residents whilst they consider making changes to the 343 and N343.

Green candidate Darren Flint says, 'I regularly use the 343 so I know how useful it is. But I also live on Telegraph Hill and know the problems we have with noise and speeding. I think more can be done, so I’ve been working with stakeholders to try to improve the situation for everyone who lives along the route’.

That's a lot of people, as the route runs almost the whole length of the ward. In fact the majority of residents in Telegraph Hill either live within earshot of the powerful Volvo buses that roar through the ward at night, or else ride on those same buses from time-to-time.

Reaching a compromise that serves the needs of everybody might be difficult, but there's no reason it can't be done. What does worry us is the way that TfL have kept quiet about their review of the 343/N343. There doesn't seem to have been a full public consultation, which would be appropriate for a route where there are known, long-running concerns.

We will continue to work with TfL, local residents, the police, Lewisham Council and Abellio (the company who run the 343), and we won't be satisfied until we know that the community has been properly heard and improvements have been made.



Telegraph Hill candidates
pictured with a 343 on Pepys Rd...

Feedback from the TH Assembly Meeting...

Well, last night's Telegraph Hill Assembly Meeting was a low-key, though thoroughly enjoyable affair. We had presentations and feedback from representatives of the PCT (Primary Care Trust), local mental health services, and the Lewisham Link. I also had a chance to chat about the buses again, and to meet two of Honor Oak Estate's excellent Community Wardens.

I'm already looking forward to the mid-summer Assembly Meeting, where we (the community) will agree a new set of priorities for Telegraph Hill for the following year. As I said at the meeting last night, it's great to see how the previous set of priorities have been worked through, with local people voting to send Localities funding in the direction of projects that build on those priorities. And there's more to come!