Southwark (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Peckham’s most significant redevelopment in decades is set to bypass Southwark Council, raising debate over local oversight and planning authority.
As reported by Southwark News, a contentious plan that will change Peckham’s skyline and provide only 12% affordable housing is scheduled to be sent directly to the Planning Inspectorate.
Berkeley Homes has doubled down on its meager 12% offer, effectively circumventing Southwark Council’s own planning committee in its appeal of its application to alter the Aylesham Centre.
In an exclusive interview with the News, Cllr. Helen Dennis, the Cabinet Member for New Homes and Sustainable Development on the Southwark Council, expressed her disappointment with Berkeley’s decision.
She noted that after the developer cut the amount of affordable dwellings on the land from 35 to 12 percent last December, the council was compelled to reconsult on the plan.
She said:
“There is a huge need for more affordable homes in Southwark, with more than 4,000 households in Peckham and the nearby area on the waiting list for social housing.”
If a developer feels the local government has been taking too long to make a decision on a planning application, they may file an appeal on the grounds of non-determination.
But Cllr Helen Dennis said:
“There is significant public interest in this complex planning application and it is due to go to the planning committee next month. A report on the planning application will go to our planning committee as planned and the committee’s decision on the report will set out the council’s case for the appeal.
The council met all the relevant timetables for this application and the decision to appeal against “non-determination” was entirely that of Berkeley Homes. The decision by Berkeley Homes to reduce the affordable housing offer to 12% from the previously proposed 35% was the reason the council had to reconsider the scheme this year.”
In order to construct around 900 homes on the grounds of the Aylesham Shopping Centre in Peckham, Berkeley Homes filed a planning application last summer.
The developer reduced the percentage of affordable housing from 35 percent to 12 percent in December of last year. According to this change, 77 of the 877 residences will have reasonable rent.
According to Southwark Council’s planning policy, any new construction must provide at least 35% affordable housing, contingent on viability studies conducted by the developer and planning officers.
In protest of the drastic decline in the supply of affordable housing, locals have taken to the streets.
Peckham’s elected officials have also entered the discussion, with Rye Lane’s Labour ward council members and local MP Miatta Fahnbulleh urging the developer to build more affordable houses on the property.
The construction will “harm the historic character” of Peckham, according to a recent official opposition to the planning application filed by local preservation groups.
They wrote:
“The Aylesham site is so central, and so large, that its development will change Peckham as a place and profoundly affect the lives of the Peckham community and economy for decades to come.
The proposal will have a massive physical impact on the town centre and the application makes no attempt to disguise this.”
Berkeley Homes chose not to respond.
How will the new Peckham Rye Station Square improve the community in Southwark?
The great Victorian façade of the Grade II listed Peckham Rye station will be exposed upon the demolition of the 1930s shopping arcade.
This will restore the station’s 1860s architectural splendor and reinstate the old station forecourt. Local pride and the area’s visual appeal will both increase as a result.
In order to create a bright and secure space for locals, commuters, and tourists, the new square will have expansive, open spaces, contemporary seating, lush vegetation, and better lighting. This makeover will take the place of the original arcade’s gloomy and claustrophobic entrance.
In order to support the local economy and preserve Peckham’s distinct identity, the renovated Victorian railway arches that surround the area will be transformed into new spaces for neighborhood merchants and stores.
The station has been upgraded with accessible restrooms and new elevators to all platforms.