Lewisham town centre to get £24m facelift

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

Lewisham’s market and library will get a facelift after the council won more than £19 million in levelling up funds.

The Department of Levelling Up awarded Lewisham council £19,061,696 to spend on projects to improve the town centre. The council has pledged a further £5m to the project.

A new evening market will be introduced in Lewisham High Street as part of the council’s plans to attract more visitors to the area after dark.

Lewisham Market will also benefit from modernised stalls and improved bins to stop food waste being dumped in the street.

The money will pay for new lighting around the market, pavement repairs and the installation of a canopy along the high street, as well as a refurbishment of the Grade-II listed clocktower.

Officials hope the improvements to the market will allow it to play host to more pop-up and seasonal events.

The government cash will also fund the renovation of Lewisham Library. New workspace will be fitted in the library, as well as an area to host exhibitions and performances.

Officials want to add a café, bar or restaurant to the library and create a so-called Culture and Business Hub in the building.

The service would give business advice to individuals, as well as offer employment support and training.

The council hopes the upgrades will encourage more people to visit the library, which it says is currently underused.

Damien Egan, Mayor of Lewisham, said: “This money will enable us to make big improvements to the market, including a new canopy, so it’s a nicer place to shop in all weather, a total refurbishment of our library, with plans for a new café and rooftop bar, restoring the historic clocktower, new pedestrian crossings and lots of new trees and plants. It’s going to make a significant difference.”

The government money will also pay for new cycle lanes In Lewisham High Street and updated pedestrian crossings and signs in the the area.

Better CCTV and more public space will be created under the plans to improve the area.

Officials hope the changes will encourage more people to spend time and shop in the town centre.

Lewisham was one of 111 areas across the UK to win a share of a £2.1bn lump sum from the fund in the most recent round of bids.

The government’s levelling up fund, which was set-up in 2020, awards money to council projects to boost jobs and growth in communities across the country.

The Department for Levelling Up received 525 bids for the latest round of money in August 2022. Lewisham council’s was one of just over a fifth of bids which were successful.

The levelling up fund has a total of £4.8bn to distribute to councils for projects across the UK between 2020 and 2024.

Pictured top: An indicative visualisation of the proposed improvements to Lewisham High Street (Picture: Lewisham council)