The Mayor of Lewisham, Sir Steve Bullock, is angry over a ruling that overturns Lewisham Council’s decision to stop inappropriate blocks of flats being built on the former Courts site on the Bromley Road.
Lewisham Council has refused two separate applications to develop the site, located on the east side of Bromley Road, opposite the Tigers Head. The developers of the site made an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate against the second application and Lewisham Council’s decision has been overruled.
Sir Steve said: “The Planning Inspectorate's decision is extremely disappointing and I know many local residents will feel the same way. The former Courts site needs to be developed appropriately and the Council has been clear that any scheme needed to fit in with the local area. It frustrates me enormously that the Inspector did not agree with the concerns expressed by the Council and it angers me that a non-elected body can take these sorts of unilateral decisions."
“The Council’s original decision was in tune with the wishes of local residents. Now it has been overturned by faceless bureaucrats who appear to be more interested in developers profits than local residents quality of life.”
The original two applications were for tower blocks providing residential accommodation. The main difference between the two schemes was that the second application proposed a lower and slightly slimmer tower element (9 storeys instead of 11 storeys). The number of residential units was decreased from 153 to 141 and the scheme included more affordable housing.