In a meeting of Planning Committee B, Lewisham Council approved the construction of a four-storey building with a basement to house a place of worship and six apartments on Lewisham High Street, and also approved the conversion of Catford Police Station into 63 affordable housing units. Councillors also approved the construction of two semi-detached houses in Chilthorne Close.

Lewisham Islamic Centre Redevelopment

Councillors voted to approve the application for the demolition of existing buildings at 363 to 369 Lewisham High Street and 2A and B Mount Pleasant Road to construct a four-storey building with a basement for a place of worship and an adjoining three-storey residential block with six apartments.

Thomas Simnett, Senior Planning Officer, stated that the existing Lewisham Islamic Centre, Young Muslim Academy, Words of Wisdom Islamic Bookshop, Zaytun Nursery and Preschool and Wing Chun Art Marshall Art School, which currently occupy the site, have outgrown the space. He added that the proposed development would provide a modern, accessible place of worship and enhance community facilities, including meeting rooms, classrooms and a new library.

The approval is subject to conditions and a legal agreement under Section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990¹, which would secure:

• An events management plan
• A car-free development, including car club membership for first occupants
• A travel plan
• Public realm works
• Financial contributions of:
  • £34,800 towards the carbon offset fund
  • £5,720 for the council's local labour and business scheme
  • £15,000 for future CPZ² consultation and consultation on expanding CPZ hours to the weekend
  • £4,800 for an off-site children's play space

Alban Cassidy, a chartered town planner representing the applicant, said the current facility is not fit for purpose and that the new building would make a statement to make that high street better.

Councillor John Muldoon, Councillor for Rashi Green Ward, raised concerns about pedestrian safety on Lewisham High Street, particularly regarding crossing times and crossing points during Friday prayers. The architect for the scheme responded that the travel plan had been a major focus, with the aim of encouraging people to use alternative means of transport. He added that the new facility would allow people to enter and exit more efficiently, reducing congestion on the street.

Khadija Whiting, a Lewisham Council resident, spoke in favour of the application, saying that it would mean so much for not just our community as a Muslim community, but I think for the Lewisham community as a whole.

Councillor Anwar Ranuwa addressed the committee, noting that Islam is the second-largest faith in Lewisham, and that the Lewisham Islamic Centre is the most attended place of worship in the borough. He also noted that the planning officers had included conditions to address the concerns of local residents, such as an operational management plan, an event management plan, 15 hours of community access at a nominal rate, and a £15,000 contribution towards CPZ consultation. He requested that the committee approve the application, stating that Lewisham is stronger when all communities feel seen, respected, and supported.

Councillor James Rathbone proposed that the committee grant permission for the project, and Councillor Suzannah Clarke seconded the proposal.

Catford Police Station Redevelopment

The committee approved the application to convert Catford Police Station at 333 Bromley Road into 63 new dwellings, all of which will be affordable housing. The development involves converting and extending the existing building, with some demolition work. Two new blocks of five and six storeys will be constructed behind the retained police station building.

Dean Gibson, Principal Planning Officer, explained that the proposal includes 26 one-bedroom flats, 29 two-bedroom flats, and eight three-bedroom flats, with 29 units for social rent and 34 for intermediate rent. The existing police station, which is a locally listed building, will be retained and converted into 11 flats.

Steve Connor, a development manager at Phoenix Community Housing, the applicant for the project, said that Phoenix is a not-for-profit, resident-led housing association that owns and manages over 7,500 homes in the area. He added that Phoenix is committed to tackling the lack of affordable housing in Lewisham and has a strong record of building new homes.

Local residents raised concerns about overdevelopment, loss of amenity, parking, traffic, and street layout. One resident said that the proposed six-storey block is out of scale with the area and would invade privacy. Another resident raised concerns about the lack of parking for the new households, which they said would affect local schools, the doctor's surgery, and the pharmacy.

In response, Dean Gibson, Principal Planning Officer, said that the proposal optimises the development potential of the site and that the height of the buildings was found to be acceptable by the design review panel. He also noted that the development is car-free, with the exception of two disabled parking spaces, and that there are numerous bus routes and railway stations nearby.

Councillor Rudi Schmidt, Chair of Overview and Scrutiny, asked about the provision of solar panels on the site. Dean Gibson, Principal Planning Officer, responded that the proposal takes an all-electric approach to heating and hot water, and that all units will be equipped with an efficient mechanical ventilation heat recovery system. He added that the PV panels should be able to provide energy for all of the units.

Councillor Suzannah Clarke asked about the tenure mix and the rent levels for the affordable units. Steve Connor, a development manager at Phoenix Community Housing, responded that the intermediate homes would be set at somewhere between 65% and 70% of market rent, and that the social rent would be around 50% of market rent.

The committee voted unanimously to approve the application, subject to conditions.

14 Chilthorne Close

The committee approved the construction of two semi-detached, three-bedroom family homes at 14 Chilthorne Close. The development site is a parcel of land that was previously maintained by the council but was later found to be private land owned by the original developer of the site.

Tatiana, an agent for the applicant, said that the applicant is a resident of Chilthorne Close and purchased the land to prevent overdevelopment. She added that the proposal is in line with the small sites supplementary guide and would contribute to the council's housing targets.

David Pearson, chairman of the Chilthorne Close and Ravensbourne Park Residence Association, raised concerns about the density of the development, the loss of amenity, and the management of the green space. He said that the proposed homes would be too close to existing houses and would result in a loss of privacy and an increased sense of enclosure.

Marco Prishani, a resident of Chilthorne Close, said that he was concerned about the detrimental impact of the development on surrounding properties, including outlook and increased sense of enclosure. He also said that the information regarding the scale of the proposal was inconsistent with the officer's report.

Officers clarified that the proposed properties would sit below the roof ridge of number 14 and that the setbacks were sufficient to prevent a significant impact on neighbouring properties.

Councillor Suzannah Clarke raised concerns about a discrepancy in the report regarding the height of the proposed development. Jeremy Chambers, Director of Law and Corporate Governance, advised the committee that it was important for members to feel satisfied that they have full and adequate information before them to make a decision. He added that it was not unusual for corrections to be made in reports, and that he believed the committee had sufficient information to determine the application appropriately.

The committee voted unanimously to approve the application, subject to conditions.