Organisation

Lewisham council

86 stories · discussed at 5 council meetings · 4 councils

Lewisham Council recently refused a major development at the former Lewisham College site, while addressing significant financial overspends and enhancing resident services.

Lewisham Council's Strategic Planning Committee refused planning permission for the redevelopment of the former Lewisham College site in September 2026, citing heritage and urban design impacts. This decision followed officer recommendations regarding the scale and massing of the proposed 802 dwellings. Greenwich Council's Planning Board subsequently deferred its decision on the cross-borough project in September 2026, pending Lewisham Council's determination.

In September 2026, the Public Accounts Select Committee heard that Lewisham Council faces a projected £10 million overspend for SEND services and a £6.5 million overspend due to parking contract costs. Despite these financial pressures, the council launched a 'cash-first' Crisis and Resilience Fund for residents and approved an £83 million investment in housing repairs in September 2026.

Lewisham Council insourced mental health social care services and committed to reviewing its parental leave policy in September 2026, aiming for a minimum of six weeks' fully paid leave. The council also secured an £800,000 grant for a new children's home and improved the speed of EHCP reviews in September 2026 following an LGO investigation. No upcoming meetings are currently scheduled to discuss this topic.

Key facts

  1. Lewisham Council's Strategic Planning Committee refused planning permission for the former Lewisham College site on 24 September 2026. Source
  2. Greenwich Council's Planning Board deferred a decision on the former Lewisham College site on 28 September 2026. Source
  3. Lewisham Council is facing a projected £10 million overspend on its high needs block for SEND services, as heard in September 2026. Source
  4. Lewisham Council launched a 'cash-first' Crisis and Resilience Fund for residents on 23 September 2026. Source
  5. Lewisham Council approved an £83 million investment in housing repairs and maintenance on 09 September 2026. Source
About this summary

This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on, with background from Wikipedia. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 30 September 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.

Stories, page 7

  1. Lewisham Council to increase council home rents by 4.8% next year Lewisham Council is proposing a 4.8% increase in council rents for the upcoming financial year, which would raise the average weekly rent by £5.95. The current average weekly... Lewisham 17 January 2026
  2. Lewisham Appointments Committee Elects New Chair and Vice Chair, Discusses Executive Director Appointment The Lewisham Appointments Committee convened on Friday, 19 December 2025, to elect a new chair and vice chair for the upcoming municipal year. Lewisham 23 December 2025
  3. Lewisham Council Appointments Committee Appoints New Executive Director of Children and Young People Lewisham Council's Appointments Committee convened on Friday, 19 December 2025, to discuss the crucial appointment of a new Executive Director of Children and Young People. Lewisham 23 December 2025
  4. Lewisham Pension Fund Assesses Investment with Schroders as Part of LCIV Real Estate Pooling Lewisham Council's Pensions Investment Committee is evaluating a potential investment with Schroders through the London LGPS CIV's (LCIV) Indirect Real Estate Pooling (IREP)... Lewisham 22 December 2025
  5. Lewisham Defibrillator Locations Unmapped by Council Lewisham Council is currently unable to map the locations of its 18 public access defibrillators due to data format issues, the Health and Safety Committee heard on Wednesday,... Lewisham 21 December 2025
  6. Network Rail Considers Refurbishing Catford Bridge Station House Network Rail is exploring options to bring the north bound platform station house at Catford Bridge Station back into use. The agency is working with Lewisham Council and... Lewisham 21 December 2025
  7. Lewisham Council Considers Removing Ward Assemblies Reference and Deputations from Constitution Lewisham Council is considering removing references to Ward Assemblies and deputations from its constitution. The proposal, part of a review of the council's governing document,... Lewisham 13 December 2025
  8. Lewisham Approves £1.1M Waste Transfer Station Contract for Cleaner Streets Lewisham Council has approved a £1.1 million contract for waste transfer station services, aiming to improve the efficiency of waste disposal across the borough. Lewisham 7 December 2025