Lewisham (Parliament News) – Lewisham Council has cancelled plans to turn abandoned swimming baths into a cinema and housing after the developer said they could no longer afford it.
Plans to convert the Grade-II listed Victorian baths into 33 residences and a four-screen movie theatre were authorized by Lewisham Council in the fall of 2022. However, Guildmore, the private developer responsible for the renovation, informed the council that it could not start the project unless it found more funding, which caused the plans to stop the following year.
According to the council, Guildmore has not been able to resolve financial viability concerns and has not made “any meaningful progress” in finishing a s106 agreement, a legal contract that helps developers and local governments achieve the necessary planning benefits of a scheme.
According to a Guildmore representative, they started the initiative with “a strong commitment” to repurpose the building for community use.
The Strategic Development Committee of Lewisham authority met Tuesday evening, September 9, and decided to revoke the planning application. This will enable the authority to begin terminating its development agreement with Guildmore. A developer “who prioritises delivery without further delay” will be chosen by the council, according to James-J Walsh, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Regeneration and Planning.
Ending the current deal with Guildmore will enable the council to find a new developer to restore the historic landmark, as it is concerned that the building is still in a very bad condition of repair due to a lack of progress.
According to a recent Freedom of Information (FOI) request, the council has invested over £101,000 in building security since April 2021.
Cllr Walsh 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 have streamlined services, adopted a new comprehensive Local Plan, and unlocked planning gain to make restoration projects like Ladywell Playtower possible.”
The council is preparing to bring forward a new expression of interest process later this autumn and said it aims 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”.
A spokesperson for Guildmore said:
“The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic caused significant delays and disruption, with construction costs rising sharply. In addition, the cinema operator we had partnered with was no longer able to move forward, and the wider housing market remained flat, making the scheme financially unviable.
This was not a decision we took lightly. We recognise how important Ladywell Playtower is to Lewisham and remain supportive of the building being restored for the benefit of the community.”
What steps can Lewisham Council take to repossess the Playtower site?
Due to the client’s non-performance, the council is motioning to rescind the planning permission approved by Guildmore which is a procedural step to rescind the approval associated with the stalled project.
The council is also proposing to terminate the legal development agreement with Guildmore as it was based on completing a S106 legal agreement and making progress with the vision. This would allow the council to sever their association with the current developer.
Upon planning permission being revoked and the development agreement being terminated Lewisham Council can recover management control of the site.