Lewisham council has selected four organisations to take forward plans for the future of the Grade II listed Ladywell Playtower.
They are: Hackit CIC, Liquid Listening, RUSS (the Rural Urban Synthesis Society), and Turner Works.
Liquid Listening delivers training in hydrotherapy for staff in special schools
Established in 2010, the charity has been working with teachers, therapists and practitioners in special needs schools across the UK to demonstrate that Musical Hydrotherapy can help children with profound disabilities to experience deep relaxation, increased motor and sensory skills, increased vocalisation, and improved wellbeing.
Hackitt (?) or Hackit CIC is a social enterprise and interior design company. It specialises in accessible home organisation and interior design for disabled individuals and those experiencing mental health challenges.
Turner Works is a London-based design and architecture studio that creates adaptable, community-driven spaces. It specialises in micro-planning, meanwhile spaces, and urban regeneration, transforming disused locations into vibrant cultural and creative hubs.
It is known for transforming unconventional sites – such as shipping containers, car parks, and old warehouses-into spaces for artists, makers, and independent businesses. Examples of its work include Hackney Bridge, Peckham Levels, and Pop Brixton.
RUSS (Rural Urban Synthesis Society) is a volunteer-led community land trust in Lewisham which aims to create sustainable, community-led, and permanently affordable housing while reducing carbon footprints and promoting urban biodiversity.
RUSS developed the Church Grove site in Ladywell, which features 36 permanently affordable homes (including social rent, shared ownership, and part-buy). Prices remain linked to building costs rather than market value.
The council said the proposals offered a diverse mix of ideas, that explored community, creative, and health and wellbeing uses for the building.
It said that to ensure a “fair process” further details on the shortlisted proposals could not shared at this stage while the next phase is underway.
The next phase involves bidders submitting detailed proposals to the council.
It said there would be more opportunities for the community to get involved, give feedback and help shape how the plans develop over the summer.
Councillor Daniel Dream, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Regeneration and Planning, said the council working with the new ward councillors would “make sure local people” were “right at the heart of what happens next, so it becomes a place we can all feel proud of for generations to come.”
Ladywell Playtower, a Grade II listed Victorian Bath House built in 1884, is a landmark Gothic structure and one of the country’s earliest public swimming pools.
After years of disrepair following its closure and fire damage, the council is seeking a restoration partner to revive this historic site for future generations.
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Lewisham council has shortlisted four development proposals for the Grade II listed Playtower, according to the recently elected Green Party ward councillors who spoke at a Ladywell Society organised event in St Mary’s church.
More details are set to be released in a few days, according to Cllr Daniel Dream, the cabinet member for Inclusive Regeneration, Planning and Housing Delivery in the new Green administration, who said a total of seven bids had been received.
Cllr Dream, speaking to 50 people at a screening of the film ‘Memories of Ladywell Baths‘ hosted by Ladywell Society as part of Brockley Max, said full details of all the bids would be given in the late summer/autumn when a commmunity consultation on the bidders would be held. A final decision would be made in December.
He said there had been more than 500 responses to a community consultation hosted by the previous Labour administration which had proved helpful to potential partners as they developed their proposals.
Cllr Dream said the new administration was committed to ensuring transparency throughout the process.
Local ward councillor Ed Sutton said the council was determined to bring the Playtower back to life and would ensure the future space allowed community access and uses.
Cllr Shireen Asaw, a local ward councillor and cabinet member for Workers, Business and Skills, said she thought this was the last chance to restore and “secure the future” of the Grade II listed Playtower after the efforts of the last bidder Guildmore stalled after rising costs.
One of the bidders is RUSS, the commuity land trust. It is aiming to involve the diocese which owns the St Mary’s centre and nursery in its development proposal. It is likely to partner with another group if it wins the bid.
The fabric and structure of the building has continued to deteriorate because of vandalism, flooding and fire. Bringing the Playtower back into use was a priority for the Green administration, Cllr Asaw added
The costs of restoration have risen sharply and now range upwards from £12m. The earlier estimated had been £7m.
RUSS said it would take at least five years to complete work on the Playtower once the council had taken a decision on the chosen bidder.
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