Local resident Chris has called Lewisham home since 2009 and supports the redevelopment of the shopping centre which has been in long term decline
When I saw the latest campaign to stop the redevelopment of Lewisham Shopping Centre, I felt compelled to speak up.
As someone who has called Lewisham home since 2009, I support the plans. Not because I want to see the borough become somewhere local residents get priced out of, but for it to be renewed alongside the market, the beating heart of our high street, for years to come.
From the moment I moved here in 2009 I felt welcomed by a community unlike anywhere else I’d
lived. Lewisham’s green spaces, diverse population and proud history of standing together against injustice made me realise I had found somewhere special.
Despite years of living in insecure private rented accommodation, I never wanted to leave. Two years ago when my landlord evicted me and my husband I feared we would finally be priced out of the area we loved. Instead, an affordable housing scheme allowed us to stay.
Today our building is full of people with similar stories. Teachers, healthcare workers, care staff and others who contribute to the life of this borough but would otherwise struggle to afford a home here.
Far from driving local people out, affordable housing has allowed many of us to remain in the community we call home.
That is why I find the argument that improvement automatically equals gentrification difficult to accept. The people of Lewisham whether they were born here or have made it their home deserve a town centre they can be proud of.
To the Save Lewisham Shopping Centre campaign, I would simply ask: what exactly are we saving?
The reality is that the traditional high street has been in decline for years. Many units in the shopping centre stand empty. The office tower has been vacant for as long as many residents can remember. Large parts of the site, including the car park, are underused.
This is not a thriving town centre being threatened by development. It is a struggling site in need of renewal.
They have also made false claims that it will threaten the market traders. I also would have serious concerns about that but the truth is all traders have secure plots and construction will not affect them, they can trade continuously throughout.
Housing is understandably a major point of contention. Like many people, I would welcome a higher proportion of social housing if possible.
There is undoubtedly a desperate need for more genuinely affordable homes. However I also recognise the realities of delivering a £1.5 billion regeneration scheme.
The proposals include not only new housing but also a large public park, a community-run music venue, improved public spaces and the return of the much-loved Model Market.
Alongside this hundreds of affordable homes will be provided helping local people stay in Lewisham rather than being forced elsewhere. Of course critics argue that the affordable housing offer should be higher. In an ideal world, it would be.
But regeneration projects only happen if they are financially viable. If insisting on 50 per cent affordable housing means the development never gets built, then Lewisham loses out on both the homes and the transformation of a neglected town centre.
The current proposal provides a minimum of 340 affordable homes, with scope to increase that number if the scheme proves more profitable than anticipated.
At the same time, it will deliver much-needed family housing and increase the overall supply of homes. If we are serious about tackling the housing crisis, we have to build more homes of all types.
Another claim opponents make is that the development is being imposed on residents. This simply does not reflect reality.
Over a three-year period there were public exhibitions, community events, drop-in sessions, online surveys and even a youth gaming platform designed to engage younger residents.
Anyone who regularly used the shopping centre towards the end of the consultation process will remember you couldn’t walk through the doors without being asked your opinion.
Community feedback genuinely shaped the plans and changes were made in response. The consultation process was so extensive that it won the prestigious Pineapples Future Place Award recognising its collaborative approach and commitment to community engagement.
When the planning application was submitted it received 637 letters of support compared with just 105objections. Given that opposition campaigns are often the most vocal those figures suggest significant local backing for the project.
Likewise, when I spoke to residents in my own affordable housing development about the campaign to oppose the development the reaction was overwhelmingly one of disappointment.
The Save Lewisham Shopping Campaign may well be futile though. The scheme has been approved by thr council’s planning committee
For those of us fortunate enough to call Lewisham home I strongly believe the redevelopment of the centre is something worth supporting.