Plans to redevelop the Aylesham Centre in Peckham are facing significant opposition, with over 2,500 local residents, businesses, and community groups voicing concerns. The Southwark Council Planning Committee convened on Tuesday, 15 July 2025, to discuss the application (reference 24/AP/2074) by Berkley Homes (Capital) Plc. However, the developer has lodged a non-determination appeal with the Secretary of State, meaning the final decision will be made by the Planning Inspectorate because the council had not determined the application within the required timescale.
The application seeks full planning permission for the demolition of the existing Aylesham Centre and a phased redevelopment to provide a replacement supermarket, flexible retail, leisure, commercial accommodation, dwellings, landscaping, and associated works at Rye Lane.
The council’s report pack noted that the site is subject to site allocation NSP74 in the Southwark Plan, which requires a comprehensive redevelopment of the site including retail floorspace, new homes including Community Land Trust homes, new public realm and new routes through the site. NSP74 gives an indicative residential capacity of 850 homes, and states that development of up to 20 storeys could be appropriate in this location.
However, the application has faced significant pushback. The public reports pack stated that the application had generated objections from over 2,500 local residents, businesses and community groups, raising concerns about the scale of the development, lack of affordable housing, impacts upon existing businesses, and increased house prices and rents.
Specifically, the report pack recommended that the council should seek to defend the appeal on the grounds that the public benefits of the proposal would be insufficient to outweigh heritage harm to the character and appearance of the Rye Lane Peckham Conservation Area.
The Planning Committee was asked to agree the grounds on which the council would defend the appeal, due to the applicant's non-determination appeal to the Secretary of State on the basis that the council had not determined the application within the required timescale.
The committee was scheduled to hear that the application had generated objections from over 2,500 local residents, businesses and community groups, raising concerns about the scale of the development, lack of affordable housing, impacts upon existing businesses, and increased house prices and rents.
