Redeveloping the Mayow Road Warehouse

Our planning application was recently approved for our proposal to redevelop the Mayow Road Warehouse into 32 new council homes. The development will provide high-quality housing consisting entirely of new council homes for local residents who need housing.

Site location

• The site is occupied by an existing warehouse building that presents a blank and unappealing frontage to Mayow Road and has little relationship with the surrounding residential buildings.
• The site is located outside of Mayow Park.
• We will provide a new high-quality residential development that enhances its setting by tying in better with existing residential uses.

The proposal

• We will deliver 26 family-sized homes for homeless families. These will consist of self-contained flats with two and three bedrooms, all with their own private amenity space.
• The homes will provide much-needed temporary accommodation, supporting residents to remain in their local community.
• We will also deliver six supported living homes for residents with learning disabilities or autism, helping them to remain in borough and live more independent lives. This will be supported by 24-hour on-site care and support staff.
• We are supporting these aims in partnership with NHS England’s transforming care programme.

Design

• The development will enhance its setting by tying in better with existing residential uses. It will use a simple palette of materials that respond to and enhance the local context, while enhancing the existing green frontage with new planting and landscaping.
• The proposal lies within the footprint of the existing warehouse, with reductions in this footprint used to accommodate a secluded garden to the rear (for the supported living units), and a stepped profile back from the adjacent tower of Heathwood Point.
• The new housing is set back from the street and will face the new school opposite. New active frontage will create a safer and more welcoming pedestrian environment. The set back of both buildings ensures that the tree-lined character of Mayow Road is retained.

Consultations

We held two consultation events at Forest Hill School on 15 December 2018 and 9 March 2019. We met local residents to discuss our initial proposals. The consultation events raised a number of strengths and challenges of the proposal, and have helped inform our continued design process.

Proposal strengths

• Affordable housing: residents were supportive of the development and its aspiration to deliver new local affordable housing and supported housing.
• Amenity space: residents supported the design’s approach to considering improvements to local public amenity space and local place shaping e.g. pavement improvements, new landscaping and lighting etc.
• Parking: residents were reassured by the proposal not to build an additional car park, but identified issues with local parking provision and traffic in the local area.
• Design: residents were supportive of the scheme and its attractive design. There was encouragement by residents for the replacement of the existing warehouse which is seen as an unattractive local building.
• Synergies with Brent Knoll School: residents were encouraged by the proposal’s approach to considering design and delivery synergies with the development of a new school on the former Brent Knoll School site (adjacent to the warehouse).

Proposal challenges

• Building height: there were some concerns about the height of the proposed new build, especially with regards to Heathwood Point and the surrounding context.
• Construction disruption: there were some concerns about the disruption caused by demolition and building construction.
• Wider traffic improvements: some residents highlighted a desire for traffic improvements and calming measures along Dacres Road and its junction with Queenswood Road. Residents also raised aspirations for public transport improvements and new bus routes instead of a reliance on the 75 bus.

Design response

• Building height: we are actively engaging with planning staff to create a building that responds to the character of the local area. Designs now step the building back from Heathwood Point and make sure that no properties will lose their sense of privacy. The designs will also use an appropriate colour and material palette to fit within the local streets, promoting both integration and individuality.
• Construction disruption: the development is bound to create some disruption in the early phases. However, we are committed to keeping this to an absolute minimum and will keep local residents informed of all activity.
• Wider traffic improvements: we have passed these comments to our Highways Team and planning officers as part of this design process. We will make every effort to enhance the local environment and safety of the developments immediate area.

Get in touch

If you have any questions about our recent consultation, please email our housing company Lewisham Homes at newinitiaves@lewishamhomes.org.uk. If you live in the borough, you can also make formal representations about the proposal during the planning consultation period. The planning reference number is DC/19/113521.