A significant new development at the former Lewisham College site in Deptford, approved by Greenwich Council's Planning Board on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, will deliver 802 homes and 15 years of affordable workspace.
The redevelopment of the site at 1 Deptford Bridge, London, SE8 4HH, involves demolishing the existing building and constructing new structures ranging from one to 30 storeys. The project will incorporate residential, community, education, and drinking establishment uses, alongside landscaping and highway improvements.
The revised scheme will deliver 802 homes in total, with 254 located within the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Of these, 778 units will be private, alongside 16 Social Rent units and 8 Shared Ownership units across the entire site. Within the Royal Greenwich section, there will be 244 private units, 7 Social Rent units, and 3 Shared Ownership units. This development represents a substantial contribution to housing supply on previously developed land in a highly accessible urban location.
Within the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the development will provide 10 affordable homes, equating to 5.1% affordable housing by habitable room. Furthermore, the scheme includes affordable workspace within Block H, secured for a period of 15 years. The applicant has agreed that all workshop floorspace within Block H will be provided as affordable workspace. A Section 106 agreement will govern the delivery, affordability, management, and occupation of this workspace, detailing its quantum, the 15-year duration, a 50% rent discount, eligibility criteria, marketing arrangements, management responsibilities, and monitoring provisions.
Significant public benefits have been identified, including extensive public realm improvements and the creation of new routes. The scheme aims to significantly improve permeability across the site, introducing new pedestrian and cycle routes, enhancing access to Deptford Creek, and providing active frontages. The public realm and landscape strategy is a key component, opening up the site and providing public access to the Creek and riverside edge for the first time in over a century. New public routes, creekside spaces, landscaped areas, play spaces, green infrastructure, and public realm connections between Deptford Church Street, Deptford Bridge, the DLR, Deptford Creek, and Greenwich High Road will be delivered.
Biodiversity enhancements will be implemented through a revised landscape strategy, aiming for substantial increases in habitat units. The Biodiversity Net Gain assessment indicates a projected gain of approximately 804.87% in area habitat units. The scheme will also introduce hedgerow units and deliver a 16.67% net gain in watercourse units. Urban greening will be integrated via street trees, species-rich planting, rain gardens, woodland and creekside planting, and biodiverse living and green roofs, contributing to an Urban Greening Factor score of 0.406. Measures to benefit bats and birds are also included. Conditions will secure the final Biodiversity Gain Plan, detailed habitat specifications, and long-term management and monitoring arrangements.
Improved flood defence arrangements are a key feature of the development. These include setting appropriate finished floor levels for all dwellings, incorporating flood-resistant and resilient design, and ensuring buildings can withstand peak flood events. A Flood Warning and Evacuation Plan will be secured. Detailed fluvial floodwater mitigation measures will maximise flow into Deptford Creek during low levels while minimising tidal flood defence risks. Conditions will also mandate minimum setbacks between development and flood defence structures, control landscaping and services near defences, and require a flood defence loading and vibration control plan. Further requirements include a flood defence investigation, structural residual life assessment, a scheme of flood defence works and tidal habitat features, a 100-year monitoring and maintenance plan, and flood defence raising works before 2083. Plaques detailing key information and 'as built' drawings will also be provided.
The demolition and construction phases are expected to take approximately 7 years and 5 months, with peak construction activity anticipated in August 2032.
The development's impact on the existing townscape and heritage has been carefully considered. While some localised heritage harm is anticipated, particularly concerning the setting of Mumford Mills, the Ashburnham Triangle Conservation Area, Greenwich Magistrates Court, and 17 Greenwich High Road, this is assessed as 'less than substantial' and outweighed by the scheme's public benefits. Heritage benefits include the removal of poor-quality existing buildings, improved public realm around Mumford Mills, enhanced access to Deptford Creek, and the potential reuse of reclaimed brickwork. The development will introduce a substantial change to the local townscape, but the amended scheme aims for a coherent architectural response, improving legibility around Deptford Bridge and Deptford Creek. The proposed 19-storey Block E, while visible in some views, is intended to serve as an acceptable local marker. Massing and architecture have been refined to reduce perceived bulk and enhance townscape contribution. While some localised adverse townscape and visual impacts are noted, they are not considered to amount to unacceptable harm across the full range of assessed views.
The development will incorporate 'drinking establishment (Sui Generis)' uses. The proposed food and beverage/leisure floorspace within the Royal Greenwich part of the site is 841sqm GIA, which can include this use. The total retail, commercial services, food and beverage, leisure, and sui generis drinking establishment floorspace within this section will not exceed 1,349sqm GIA.
The decision was made after a thorough review of the development plan, national policy, and material considerations, including consultation responses and detailed assessments of heritage, townscape, amenity, transport, sustainability, and flood risk. The report concluded that the identified harms were outweighed by the substantial public benefits of the proposal. Further details can be found in the Public reports pack and Decisions.