The Council steps in to take control of Ladywell Playtower’s future after private developer fails to deliver
As one of the borough’s most significant Grade II listed sites, Ladywell Playtower holds deep local importance. The Council remains firmly committed to bringing it back into public use and ensuring its restoration meets the highest standards. This is why the Council is now recommending rescinding planning permission for the stalled scheme to the Strategic Planning Committee - marking a pivotal step in unlocking the building’s future.
In 2022 and following a competitive process, the Council announced an agreement with a private developer to bring the building back into public use and secure its future. Planning consent was granted, subject to the completion of a s106 legal agreement, which is necessary to secure the required planning benefits of the scheme.
Since this date, the development partner has cited financial viability challenges for this project, which they have been unable to overcome despite support from the Council to seek alternative funding sources. As a result, the applicant has not made any meaningful progress to complete the legal agreement, and therefore the Council is recommending that the previous resolution to grant planning permission be rescinded, and this will start the termination of our development agreement with the applicant.
It is a concern to the Council that the building continues to be in a very poor state of repair due to the lack of progress. The Council intends to formally end the stalled agreement and with that quickly move to begin the process of identifying a new partner with a deliverable plan for restoring this landmark. This decision allows progress toward securing the building’s future.
The Council is preparing to bring forward a new expression of interest process later in the autumn, which will seek to place the community's and wider stakeholders’ ideas and suggestions for future uses of the Playtower site at the heart of our decision making (subject to Mayor and Cabinet approval).
Councillor James-J Walsh, Lewisham Council’s Cabinet Member for Inclusive Regeneration and Planning said:
“The Council will not allow this local landmark to remain in limbo. We share residents’ frustrations and are acting decisively to break the deadlock. We are committed to working with the local community to identify new opportunities to restore the building.”
“Lewisham Council is playing our part in delivering on the national growth mission. As a council, we’ve streamlined services, adopted a new comprehensive Local Plan, and unlocked planning gain to make restoration projects like Ladywell Playtower possible.
“As a council, we are focused on growth, placemaking and getting results - and we’ll work with partners who share that ambition. We will progress with a partner who prioritises delivery without further delay.”