‘It’s too much for Penge’ – residents fight back over shopping centre demolition plan

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

Residents are fighting to stop the demolition of their shopping centre as developers plan to replace it with tower blocks up to 18 storeys high.

The Blenheim Centre in Penge, Bromley is home to an Iceland and Wilko on its ground floor.

Plans sent to Bromley council would see the centre knocked down and be replaced by four new apartment blocks, ranging from three to 18 storeys high, as well as shops.

The plans were submitted by Hadley Property Group and Clarion Housing Group.

Hadley bought the site last year, with the new proposal including 250 homes, 35 per cent of which will be affordable.

The developers are seeing how the buildings would affect the area before making a formal application.

Michael Payne, resident and organiser of the Stop the Blenheim Centre Redevelopment campaign, said: “It’s out of proportion and out of character. It’s too much for Penge.”

The resident said the new buildings would attract nearly 1,000 new people to Penge, and claimed people are worried about the development not including any new amenities for the growing population.

The planned space for shops in the development is nearly half the current size, and only 24 parking spaces are included in the proposal.

Mr Payne said: “Penge is the size of a village. You’ve got a Victorian high street, and the local businesses and residents are all concerned it’s going to completely destroy the high street because the development is going to go on for two years at least.

“The businesses are going to find it very hard to survive this.”

In a letter to Bromley council, the developers said the plans would include a “generous area of public realm at the centre of the site”, and provide “permeable” routes to the nearby high street.

On the reduced shop space, the developers said the new space would be of a “much higher quality” than the existing space, and would result in “wider improvements” to the high street.

Mr Payne has started a website and petition to oppose the development, after seeing the success the Nuts to the Walnuts group had in preventing the redevelopment of the Walnuts Centre in Orpington.

Objections to the plans can also be found on the Bromley council planning portal. One resident said the proposal was an “insult to the local community,” and that the tall buildings would “completely dominate the high street”.

A spokesman from Clarion and Hadley said: “We have been working closely with the residents and businesses of Penge since last December, and are about to launch another round of consultation on our evolving proposals.

“As well as delivering at least 35 per cent affordable housing, our plans include a new public square, green spaces and a range of commercial uses, which will significantly improve the day-to-day experience that Penge High Street offers to local residents.”

Pictured top: Blenheim Shopping Centre in Penge, Bromley (Picture: Facundo Arrizabalaga)