Russ, the members-led community land trust, hopes to start the early site preparation for its house building project in Church Grove, Ladywell, in the summer of 2019.
Later in March tree surgeons are expected to carry out work approved by the council.
The trust was granted planning permission by Lewisham in 2018 for a “community-led, affordable, self-build housing development” on a derelict former school and industrial site at Church Grove.
The Rural Urban Synthesis Society, founded in 2009, has re than 800 members.
It was set up with the aim of creating sustainable community-led neighbourhoods and affordable homes across London.
It also aims to reduce community dependence on fossil fuels, increase food security, and encourage bio-diversity.
The Church Grove project will provide 33 new sustainable, customised, high quality homes that are permanently affordable and partly self-built to reduce construction costs.
It will also provide opportunities for training in construction for self-builders as well as apprentices and volunteers from the wider community.
The project will contain a range flats of different tenures, sizes and levels of self-build, to create a mixed community of people from diverse backgrounds.
Russ was also granted planning permission to self-build a community space on site with local people and volunteers, to create a knowledge hub for self-building, community-led housing and sustainable living.
The Community Hub has been crowd-funded with additional funding from the Mayor of London and the Ladywell Assembly.
Trust members hope to get this under way during 2019. For information on Russ, how to get involved or support the Church Grove initiatives visit https://www.theruss.org/