Lewisham’s planning enforcement team have decided to “trigger the process” of seeking an injunction” that would make current activity at the “garage site” on Ladywell high street illegal.
The move comes after a host of complaints from local residents and road users about road safety and traffic disruption on Malyons Road.
It also follows repeated breaches of the terms of the operators’ agreement with planning on the use of the site. Under the agreement the site operators were granted temporary two year use of the storage facilities but asked to submit a delivery and service plan.
The agreement excluded the use of articulated lorries for deliveries and stated Malyons Road should not be used for loading and unloading.
Residents continued to report the use of lorries and the chaos they caused on Malyons Road as deliveries were unloaded and transported by forklift to the site.
Planning served a breach of condition notice and later a temporary stop notice on the site and have since rejected a proposed delivery plan as non-compliant.
. In a statement it noted: “We appreciate that this does not resolve the significant impacts to local residents. “As a result, we have recently taken the significant decision to trigger the process of gaining an injunction, making the current activity on site illegal.
“We are also exploring the possibility of withdrawing the temporary permission that was granted and potentially serving an Enforcement Notice and Stop Notice.
“We are very aware of the impact of this use and strongly believe it is unacceptable. We will continue pursuing formal action against those responsible.”
The operators are appealing against planning’s rejection of their delivery plan to the planning inspectorate.
Garage site operators appeal against planners’ rejection of delivery plan but continue to use articulated lorries for deliveries
Operators of the “garage site” at 62-72 Ladywell Road have appealed against Lewisham’s decision to reject its delivery and servicing proposals.
These were submitted after the council imposed a temporary stop notice on all work at the garage site.
The stop notice came after repeated complaints from local residents in Malyons road about road safety concerns and traffic disruption as a result of the garage site’s operators using 44 tonne articulated lorries for y
Under the terms of an earlier retrospective planning application (Feb 2025), the garage site operators were granted temporary two year use of the storage facilities on the site.
But this specifically excluded the use of articulated lorries for deliveries and stated that Malyons Road should not “be allowed to be used for the loading and unloading of vehicles”.
A delivery plan submitted by the operators said deliveries “were generally made (and are to be made in the future) with vehicles having a maximum weight of 7.8 tons and not being articulated.”
But residents have continued to report the use of articulated lorries and the chaos they cause on Malyons Road and Ladywell Road.
In an apparent effort to circumvent planners’ restrictions the operators have chosen to park articulated lorries in nearby Slagrove Place and ferry pallets of goods, sometime in the dark, to the site using forklifts along Malyons Terrace.
But this has resulted in even more chaos.
In a recent incident the operators spent three and a half hours unloading an articulated lorry on Slagrove Place at the side of the Ladywell Tavern.
It blocked the road for a local bus and other road users. Operators unloaded pallets onto nearby pavements causing a hazard to pedestrians.
When local residents complain, workers at the site are often abusive.
The appeal by the site operators is still under consideration but local residents hope planners will force the operators to comply with planning rules or end use of the site.
Lewisham’s planning enforcement team shuts down all activity at Malyons Road ‘garage site’ for 56 days after repeated complaints
Lewisham council’s planning enforcement team have issued a “temporary stop notice” on all activity at the “garage site” on the corner of Malyons Road and Ladywell Road after “repeated complaints” about traffic disruption and road safety.
The notice, issued on August 14 2025, requires all deliveries, construction work and other activity on the site to cease immediately for 56 days.
Breaching the terms of the notice is a criminal offence. The notice states: “The council will take those responsible [for breaches] to court if necessary, including landowners, delivery companies and drivers.”
It adds: “Legal proceedings are now underway .These can take time but we are determined to ensure the site coplies with planning rulses and the local area is protected.”
Residents on Malyons Road have fought a long campaign to stop the use of 44 tonne articulated lorries causing havoc on the road as they make large deliveries to the storage and distribution site at 62-72 Ladywell Road. They say the deliveries pose a threat to pedestrians and other road users.
Residents also complain that they have been abused by workers at the site whenever they have complained about disruption caused by the deliveries.
Lewisham planners reject proposed delivery plan for garage site over safety concerns
Lewisham planning officers have rejected the proposed delivery plan for the storage and distribution centre on the corner of Ladywell Road and Malyons Road (the “garage site”).
Officers said the proposed delivery and service plan for the site which involved closing footpaths during deliveries would represent “unacceptable conflict with other road users and pedestrians.”
In addition they noted that local residents said articulated lorries were still being used for deliveries despite a condition of the delivery plan stating that 44 tonne lorries should not be used.
If substantiated “these allegations … would represent a breach of condition and further reinforce the inadequacy of the submitted plan.”
In a letter to the owner and his agent refusing the application, the director of planning says the delivery arrangements “pose an unacceptable impact on the safe operation of Malyons Road and the safety and convenience of pedestrians.
“The arrangements would therefore lead to obstruction of the public highway, increased risk of conflict with other road users, and inadequate management of servicing activity.”
Planning officers had requested the delivery and service plan after granting a retrospective application for temporary permission for the use of the site as a storage and distribution yard.
The old garage site has long been an eyesore in Ladywell and is now in the conservation area.
In their report, officers say the site includes “a single storey white uPVC enclosure … constructed on the site without planning permission.”
Noting the site is currently used as a storage and distribution yard, they add “it is unclear whether this use is lawful.”
Local residents in Malyons Rd say they are still being plagued by 44 tonne lorries causing havoc at the end of the street.
“Lewisham planning rejected the delivery plan in early August but articulated lorries are still parking up outside the site and being unloaded by a forklift,” said one
“These people really don’t seem to care. The site employees appear to be ignoring the ban on deliveries.”
Residents say they will now contact planning enforcement to try and get the trucks stopped.
Garage site operators claim most deliveries to site do not use articulated lorries
The storage and distribution centre on the corner of Ladywell Road and Malyons Road has finally come up with a delivery plan in order to gain planning consent for the site.
Regular deliveries at the garage site by 44 tonne articulated lorries have been causing disruption on Ladywell Rd and angered Malyons Rd residents who have seen access to their street blocked as deliveries are unloaded.
The delivery plan submitted to Lewisham planners (DC/25/140645) claims the deliveries are for two local supermarkets and occur once or twice a day.
They “are generally made (and are to be made in the future) with vehicles having a maximum weight of 7.8 tons and not being articulated.”
Local residents disagree and say most deliveries are made by huge articulated lorries despite council planners excluding the use of such vehicles.
They have compiled a substantial dossier of photographs and videos showing articulated lorries blocking Malyons Road as they make deliveries. The photographs have been handed to local councillors.
“These people just don’t care,” said a resident. “They just shout abuse when you complain.”
The owners of the site claim the size of lorry used for deliveries is often beyond their control as it is decided by suppliers.
Residents say this is an excuse – “an attempt to shed all responsibility for the use of articulated lorries.”
They also dispute the owner’s claim that deliveries take about 15 minutes and do not take place before 9.30am – the school run.
. “Its nonsense. This morning (July 9) an articulated lorry arrived at 8.36 am. It was still here way after 10.00am,” said a resident.
Finally residents dispute the claim by the owner that Ladywell Road “is in no way affected by the delivery process.”
“Whenever one of the articulated lorries tries to pull into Malyons or turn out on to Ladywell Road traffic is brought to a complete standstill. Its ridiculous what they are saying,” say residents.
Garage site operators ignore Lewisham planners’ request for delivery plan that excludes articulated lorries
Malyons Rd residents are still being plagued by 44 tonne lorries causing havoc at the end of the street as they unload goods at the garage site, a storage and distribution centre for local fast food outlets.
We understand the site operators were given until May 24 to submit a delivery action plan that specifically excluded 44 tonne (articulated) lorries as these were not allowed into the road.
But in mid June articulated lorries could be seen delivering goods to the site. “I am surprised the owners can just ignore planning regulations,” said one resident.
“In a recent delivery the driver just left the engine running the whole time and also while the vehicle was unattended. Both the driver and site man left the site to go to the local shops.”
When the resident contacted planning enforcement she was told the site had not submitted a delivery plan as requested but had been given a further 28 days to comply.
“I think this gives them until the July 2. But that is a substantial extension from a May 24 deadline. It really is time to put an end to this disruption. “
Residents up in arms over disruption caused by articulated lorries on Malyons Road
Residents in Malyons Road in Ladywell have had enough of forklift trucks, articulated lorries, and road blockages.
They are up in arms over the old garage site (62-72 Ladywell Road) at the end of Malyons Road which they say is now being used as a storage and distribution centre for fast food outlets across south London.
“It’s a nightmare. We are being plagued by huge lorries, parked up at the end of Malyons Road, restricting car access to the houses and nearby flats, as forklift trucks ferry pallets of drinks, sauces, burgers and fries into the storage site” said one.
“It’s time the police and council took action.”
Residents suspect the site is being used as the main distribution centre for Metro’s Fried Chicken shops given some of the labelling on the boxes there.
The old garage site has long been an eyesore in Ladywell and is now in the conservation area.
Two people died in a fire in the long neglected site in 2015, prompting calls for the site to be developed.
Applications to turn the site into a car wash were rejected in 2004 and the site remained garages, although residents say a car repair business was running there for some time.
“That changed when a bigger white storage building was set up on the site in 2023,” explains a resident. “That’s when the lorries started arriving.”
The council granted a retrospective planning application for the retention of the swhite torage building in February 2025 despite objections from local residents.
Local people were disappointed with the decision to allow the temporary two year use of the storage facilities.
But they hoped the restrictions the planners’ attached to the permission would keep the number of deliveries under control.
Sadly the restrictions have been ignored and abused by the people using the site.
Articulated lorries, specifically excluded by planning officers, regularly park in Malyons Road and unload.
The planning decision clearly stated Malyons Road should not “be allowed to be used for the loading and unloading of vehicles”.
In addition, Malyons Road should not be blocked for the loading and unloading of any delivery vehicles.
Planners recommended that deliveries should be by vans and should be restricted to between 7am and 8pm Monday to Friday, and 8am to 1pm on Saturday but NOT during school drop-off and collection hours
The application was for the storage of goods on pallets before they are sent on to two local supermarkets.
But local residents say two local supermarkets do not need huge deliveries in articulated lorries. “Not even the local Sainsbury needs them,” they add.
Residents say when they complain to the men unloading the trucks all they get is abuse.
“It’s all got out of hand,” said another.
“Today the road was blocked from 8.50am to almost 1.30pm. It’s Saturday … why should they be allowed to do that? The council needs to get this under control.”