Lewisham Local, the charity which offers support to communities in the borough, is having to move out of its offices in The Place Ladywell by March next year because the fabric of the building is in such a poor state.
The Place, which was intended as a temporary building on the site of the old Ladywell Leisure centre, for four years until 2021 now looks set to be demolished next year.
The four storey building was designed as a “deployable” building which could be dismantled and relocated elsewhere within the borough at a later date.
The aim had been to use the building of 24 two bedroom flats and four ground floor commercial premises over a number of years in different locations.
Lewisham council says it has carried out improvements and repairs to extend the lifespan of the building. But recent surveys and changes to regulations “indicate it’s not economically viable to maintain the building for the long term”, says Cllr James-J Walsh, cabinet member for regeneration and planning,
He says the council has written “to those living in the building to let them know we’ll be vacating the building over the coming months and we’ve allocated two members of staff to support people into alternative accommodation.
“We’ve also informed the commercial tenants of our plans and we are working with them to find alternative premises.
“We are actively working with Lewisham Donation Hub and Lewisham Local.”
The council has planning consent for 107 homes to the rear of the site (known as Ladywell Gardens), which will be a mix of social rented and shared ownership.
Cllr Walsh says the council is “reviewing options for the rest of the site and will share proposals in due course”.