Areas of special local character

Areas of Special Local Character are places that have a special local character, often based on architecture, townscape, landscape and spatial qualities, and may include artistic, social and cultural interest. 

The adoption of Areas of Special Local Character will not result in any changes in what is needed to apply for planning permission. No additional planning controls will result from the designation of an area as an ASLC.

The adopted ASLC's special character will become a material consideration in how we consider proposals. Please refer to the specific policies in the question about planning policy. 

The ASLCs were nominated by residents and identified following the 2014 Development Management Local Plan, with a commitment to appraise and adopt them.

Using Historic England guidance on Understanding Place: Historic Area Assessments (2017) and Local Heritage Listing: Identifying and Conserving Local Heritage (2021), conservation officers have established a set of criteria that areas must meet to become ASLCs. 

To nominate new ASLCs, residents are encouraged to demonstrate how their proposed area meets the selection criteria, as detailed above. This documentation should be sent to the Conservation Team at conservation@lewisham.gov.uk, with a statement supporting the nomination. 

• MS Word template for ASLC

A heritage asset is defined in the NPPF Annex 2 Glossary as "A building, monument, site, place, area or landscape identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in planning decisions, because of its heritage interest. It includes designated heritage assets and assets identified by the local planning authority (including local listing)."

Heritage assets are recognised in NPPF (Dec 2024) paragraph 202 as irreplaceable resources that should be conserved in a manner appropriate to their significance, so that they can be enjoyed for their contribution to the quality of life of existing and future generations.

NPPF paragraphs 203-206 state that local authorities should maintain an up-to-date historic environment record, and make it public, to assess the significance of the heritage assets and predict the likelihood of unidentified heritage assets being discovered in the future, and paragraph 198 adds that positive strategies for the conservation and enjoyment of the historic environment should be identified and implemented.

The London Plan (2021)

London Plan Policy HC1 Heritage Conservation and Growth recognises and seeks to preserve the importance of London's historic environment, represented in its built form, landscape heritage and archaeology. 

Lewisham Core Strategy Development Plan Document (2011)

Core Strategy Policy 15 - Design: the Council will ensure any development conserves and enhances the borough’s heritage assets, and the significance of their settings.

Core Strategy Policy 16 - Heritage: the Council will ensure that the value and significance of the borough’s heritage assets and their settings, which include non designated assets such as locally listed buildings, will continue to be monitored, reviewed, enhanced and conserved according to the requirements of government planning policy guidance, the London Plan policies, local policy and English Heritage best practice.

The Council will work with its partners, including local communities, to ensure that the borough’s heritage assets and those yet to be identified will be valued positively and considered as central to the regeneration of the borough as detailed in the Core Strategy spatial policies.

Lewisham Local Plan (2025)

QD1 - Urban design and local character

Proposals must demonstrate an understanding of the site context and respond positively to Lewisham’s local distinctiveness by providing for buildings, spaces and places that reinforce and enhance local character.

This includes the special and distinctive visual, historical, environmental, social and functional qualities of places that contribute to local character, identity, sense of community and belonging. To successfully respond to local distinctiveness development proposals must be designed to address the significance of heritage assets and their setting, and architectural styles, detailing and materials that contribute to local character, and strategic and local views, views in and out of a site and landmarks.

QD9 - Alterations and extensions to existing buildings

Development proposals for building alterations and extensions will only be supported where they respect and complement the form, proportion, setting, period, architectural characteristics and detailing of the original building and the site; use high quality, durable and matching or complementary materials; maintain and wherever possible enhance, and do not adversely impact on, the architectural integrity of a group of buildings as a whole, or cause an incongruous element in terms of the important features of an area’s character.

HE1 - Lewisham’s historic environment

The Council will seek to preserve or enhance the value and significance of Lewisham’s historic environment and its setting by celebrating Lewisham’s historic environment and ensuring that it is central to reinforcing sense of place and place making; ensuring the significance of the Borough’s heritage assets is fully understood, positively valued and that their contribution to sustainable neighbourhoods and communities is recognised, including by preparing a Heritage Strategy; requiring that heritage meaningfully informs the design of development proposals, and only supporting development that preserves or enhances the significance of heritage assets and their setting; requiring development proposals to demonstrate that all reasonable measures have been investigated to avoid harm to heritage assets.

All development proposals in the historic environment should assess whether the site, building or structure is - or could be - identified as a heritage asset, ie. a building, monument, site, place, area or landscape identified as having a degree of heritage significance meriting consideration in planning decisions.

This includes assets that are designated (eg. Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas, Registered Parks and Gardens, Scheduled Ancient Monuments) as well as those that are non-designated (eg. Locally Listed Buildings, Areas of Special Local Character and Archaeological Priority Areas). The Council will consider the significance of the asset and the impact of the proposals on its special interest. Any harm should be clearly and convincingly justified.

The Council will continue to seek to identify new heritage assets to broaden public understanding and appreciation of the historic environment. Heritage assets may be identified through Boroughwide reviews, through nomination by members of the community or by the Council when assessing planning applications.

Not all heritage assets are currently known, documented or fully understood. Buildings, structures or sites may be identified as non-designated heritage assets through the development process. For example, new information may be revealed by local groups through the consultation process or during preliminary site investigations undertaken by an applicant.

This may also apply to those heritage assets of an archaeological nature, which may only become revealed and understood through the development process. In these circumstances we may seek amendments to proposals to ensure that the significance of an asset is appropriately preserved or enhanced.

HE3 – Non-Designated Heritage Assets

Development proposals will only be supported where they preserve or enhance the significance of a locally listed building or other non-designated heritage asset, and the asset’s setting. In particular, proposals for the sensitive retention, refurbishment and appropriate re-use of non-designated assets will be considered favourably.

Within Areas of Special Local Character development proposals must:

• preserve the characteristics that contribute to the area’s significance, which may include the spatial, architectural, townscape, landscape or archaeological distinctiveness
• secure the retention of unlisted buildings where these contribute positively to the local distinctiveness of the area
• ensure development in its setting preserves the area’s special local character

Charleville Circus is an unusual circular road located between Crystal Palace Park Rd and Westwood Hill with large residential properties organised in short terraces and semi-detached pairs. It comprises large late 19th century yellow and red brick villas built using bricks made from the local clay, developed by George Wythes and built by William Goodwin.

The site was first used as a brickfield when the area saw widespread investment as a result of the re-erection of the Crystal Palace in Sydenham in 1852. The large villas have a lively mix of neo-Tudor and Italianate detailing. Their front and rear gardens and mature trees contribute to the creation of a green character. The layout provides an interesting pedestrian experience and evolving views through gaps and around the buildings which add visual interest.

Charleville Circus was adopted on 25th of June 2025 by Mayor & Cabinet as an Area of Special Local Character because of its high-quality architecture, distinctive circular layout, planting, and its interesting historical and cultural connections.

• Charleville Circus ASLC Statement of Significance
• Charleville Circus ASLC map

With thanks to the One Place Study of Charleville Circus for sharing their research.

Hall Drive is a private road between Westwood Hill and Lawrie Park Gardens, built on the grounds of Sydenham Hall, which was demolished at some point between the 1930s and 1950s.

It has a very peaceful, green and almost bucolic character created by wide green verges with a chain and post fence, detached houses in a variety of styles set back far from the road behind soft planted front gardens, and several large trees and a central planted lawn.

Hall Drive was adopted on 25 June 2025 by Mayor and Cabinet as an Area of Special Local Character because of its high quality architecture, distinctive townscape, its lush and well cared for gardens and planting, and its interesting historical and cultural connections.

• Hall Drive ASLC Statement of Significance
• Hall Drive ASLC map

With thanks to the Hall Drive Residents’ Association for sharing their research and providing additional information.

Kirkdale ASLC is centred on the junction between Kirkdale and Dartmouth Road. It comprises of a commercial core and residential buildings distributed across the area, but most notably at the northern fringes.

The commercial focus is on Kirkdale, and contains a wide variety of building typologies built between the 1850s and the early 2000s. There are 2 pubs (plus another in the immediate setting) and three groups of listed buildings along the stretch included in this ASLC boundary, illustrating the importance of Kirkdale/Dartmouth Rd as a local centre of note since the early 19th century.

The residential buildings within the ASLC boundary are similarly varied in style and period.

Kirkdale was adopted on 25 June 2025 by Mayor and Cabinet as an Area of Special Local Character because of its high quality architecture, distinctive townscape, and its many interesting historical and cultural connections:

• Kirkdale ASLC Statement of Significance
• Kirkdale ASLC map

Rockbourne Rd ASLC encompasses four roads on flat land laid out in a triangle around Rockbourne Road and Rojack Road, and edged by Stanstead Road and Waldram Park Road, with a variety of architectural typologies constructed through the 19th century.

The houses range from small, simple two storey paired or terraced dwellings (on Stanstead Rd and Rojack Rd) to larger three and four storey paired villas and terraces (on Rockbourne and Waldram Park Road).

Despite a variety of boundary treatments, the houses have for the most part retained soft planted front gardens, and the presence of large, mature street trees give the area a peaceful, verdant feeling. This is especially true in Stanstead, Rockbourne and Rojack roads, where there is little traffic. 

Rockbourne Road was adopted on 25 June 2025 by Mayor and Cabinet as an Area of Special Local Character because of its high-quality architecture, distinctive townscape and its verdant gardens and street trees.

• Rockbourne Road ASLC Statement of Significance
• Rockbourne Road ASLC map

Sydenham Ridge ASLC lies on the upper east facing slope of the Ridge and includes the area between the Sydenham Hill and Longton Avenue, and Hillcrest Wood.

Hillcrest Wood is a remnant of ancient woodland, once part of the Great North Wood, within which the Hillcrest housing estate has been built. Some fine old oak and sweet chestnut trees link back to this time.

The ASLC contains several groups of historic buildings of different periods with interesting historic and social connections. 

Sydenham Ridge was adopted on 25 June 2025 by Mayor and Cabinet as an Area of Special Local Character because of its high-quality architecture, distinctive townscape and far-reaching views, its lush landscape and mature trees, remnants of the Great North Woods and its many interesting historical and cultural connections. 

• Sydenham Ridge ASLC Statement of Significance
• Sydenham Ridge ASLC map

Thanks to the Sydenham Hill Ridge Neighbourhood Forum for the additional historical research and information.

This ASLC is a triangular area of flat land, tightly bounded by streets. It's in residential use, with a coherent and harmonious built form, creating a continuous edge of development, with minimal gaps between buildings to open space at the rear. There is important greenery in front gardens and street trees.

This ASLC contains two groups of very coherent Victorian (4-36, 35-45 Woolstone Rd) and Edwardian (75-85 and 66-92 Hurstbourne Rd, 47-91 and 38-50 Woolstone Rd) housing built with quality materials and a high level of detailing, which is very well preserved, especially for the Edwardian villas.

Woolstone & Hurstbourne Roads was adopted on 25 June 2025 by Mayor and Cabinet as an Area of Special Local Character because of its high-quality and well-preserved architecture, distinctive townscape, and the green, verdant character of its landscape. 

• Woolstone and Hurstbourne Roads ASLC Statement of Significance
• Woolstone and Hurstbourne Roads ASLC map