MORE than 200 Lewisham residents turned out on Sunday afternoon to march and protest against the collaboration of the south east London Labour Council with corporate owner Landsec, to demolish the shopping centre and replace it with 18 tower blocks.
Of the 1,744 high rise flats only 98 will be for social rents and only 20% affordable.
Residents are outraged at the plan and the local Labour council’s collaboration with the scheme which will tear the heart and soul out of Lewisham with its lively multicultural local population.
Sam Shields told News Line: ‘I’m a Lewisham resident and I work for a food bank so I see the impact of society being neglected and run down on a daily basis.
‘I’ve come down to support having social housing for everyone, which is basically a human right.’
Timothy Robinson said: ‘This is a social class thing. It’s about gentrification. My mum had to work two or three jobs to raise me and it’s even worse now.
‘So imagine, all the young parents that need housing and jobs now, everything is getting gentrified, so you have to move up to Doncaster to get housing and what does that do to your family ties?’
On the same issue, SHAPE (Southwark Housing and Planning Emergency) are holding a SAVE OLD KENT ROAD march this Saturday.
SHAPE demands:
No more social cleansing!
- Homes for people not for profit
- Council housing, not luxury flats
- Stop overdevelopment
- Protect local traders and cultural spaces.
SHAPE declares: ‘Join Save Old Kent Road and SHAPE to protest Southwark Council’s plans for Old Kent Road, Peckham and Walworth.
‘If the Planning Inspector agrees to the Old Kent Road Area Action Plan (OKR AAP) more working class people will be pushed out of the area.
March down the Old Kent Road.
Saturday 25th April 2026.
Assemble 12pm, Michael Faraday Memorial, SE1 6LW (opposite Elephant and Castle tube, Northern Line entrance).
