At a meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee of Lewisham Council, councillors voted to approve the recommendations for the phased redevelopment of the Achilles Street Estate and 355-383 New Cross Road. The recommendations will now be referred to the Mayor of London for approval. If no directions are received from the Mayor, officers are authorised to grant planning permission, subject to conditions and a formal letter of undertaking.

Achilles Street Estate Redevelopment

The committee approved the recommendations for the planning application (DC/25/141160) concerning the Achilles Street Estate and 355-383 New Cross Road, SE14. This decision is subject to referral to the Mayor of London and the completion of a formal letter of undertaking.

The proposal involves the phased demolition of the existing Achilles Street Estate, including Azalea House, Fenton House, and Austin House, along with the properties at 355–383 New Cross Road. In their place, five new buildings will be constructed, ranging from four to 16 storeys. These buildings will provide a mix of residential dwellings (Class C3¹) and flexible commercial floorspace (Class E²), along with new public spaces, landscaping, and improved pedestrian and cycle access to Fordham Park. The development also includes car and cycle parking, refuse storage, and the relocation of an existing substation.

The decision was made after consideration of an addendum report, which addressed factual errors in the original report and included an additional planning obligation relating to an early-stage viability review.

The addendum report corrected the following factual errors in the original report:

• The percentage of intermediate (shared ownership) homes was incorrectly stated as 16% of the total units. The correct figure is 14%.
• The percentage mix of affordable housing was incorrectly stated as 79.8% social rent and 20.2% intermediate. The correct figures are 77% and 23% respectively.
• The numbers of long-stay and short-stay cycle spaces were transposed. The correct figures are 8 long-stay spaces and 28 short-stay spaces.

The addendum report also clarified that shared equity homes form part of the market housing offer, rather than the intermediate affordable housing offer.

The additional planning obligation requires an early-stage viability review if construction to first floor level is not achieved within 30 months.

The committee reports noted that the development site is within a designated tall building suitability zone, where building heights are limited to 10–15 storeys. The proposed development includes a building of 16 storeys, which is one storey above the policy parameter. However, the reports stated that the local plan allows for case-by-case consideration where proposals depart from the stated maximum, provided that wider public benefits are demonstrated.

The reports also noted that the site is located within the Heathrow Airport safeguarding area.

The reports summarised the comments received during public consultation, including objections relating to the adequacy of play space, the height and massing of the buildings, and the potential impact on local businesses. Comments in support of the application welcomed the additional affordable housing, the improvements to the public realm, and the provision of cycle storage.

The reports noted that the Greater London Authority (GLA) supports the principle of estate regeneration at Achilles Street, but considers that the application is not yet fully compliant with the London Plan. Outstanding matters include updates to transport documentation, further technical information on energy and environmental performance, and securing planning obligations.

The reports stated that the proposed development would deliver a number of benefits, including:

• A substantial uplift in affordable housing
• High-quality design and architecture
• Enhanced public realm and landscaping
• Flexible commercial space
• Robust sustainability measures

The reports identified some limited harms, including the loss of mature trees and minor daylight and sunlight impacts to a small number of neighbouring properties. However, these were considered to be outweighed by the substantial public benefits of the scheme.

The reports concluded that the proposed development accords with the development plan when read as a whole, and that the adverse impacts do not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits.