The Mayor of London will not step in to overturn Lewisham Council’s rejection of plans to build 802 homes on either side of Deptford Creek.
Lewisham Council refused its part of the cross-borough planning application in late September, while Greenwich Council approved its side of the plans on October 13, subject to Lewisham’s refusal being overturned.
As the large residential development exceeded the 150-home threshold, the Mayor of London had the ability to step in and quash the refusal. However, City Hall has confirmed it will not use these powers.
The Secretary of State for Housing Angela Rayner still has the opportunity to overturn the refusal as well, but if she does not then the planning application will be blocked unless Lewisham’s decision is appealed by developer RER London.
Lewisham’s Strategic Planning Committee voted to refuse the proposal to build eight new tower blocks because its planners felt the concentration of several towers would not integrate successfully in the relatively low-rise nature of the surrounding area of Deptford.
Within its report, the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) planning department reasoned there were “no sound planning reasons for the Mayor to intervene in this particular case” given Lewisham’s reasons for refusal, as well as the lack of a Section 106 agreement which could be used to secure public benefits.
The GLA acknowledged the proposal’s benefits in contributing to both Greenwich and Lewisham’s housing supply on a brownfield site, as well as the additions to employment with the presence of commercial floorspace.
However, GLA planners were critical of the proposal only offering 24 affordable housing units, equal to 5 per cent of the development’s total residential provision.
The report said this fell “significantly below” the strategic affordable housing target of 50 per cent outlined in the London Plan.
Lewisham also refused the application on the grounds it would harm the amenity of nearby houseboats moored on the creek.
GLA officers found the impact of the towers to be acceptable to the residential amenity of the houseboats.
