John Lewis Partnership plans to build tallest tower block in Bromley
Plans for the tallest tower block in Bromley have been revealed as one councillor has warned they won’t be voting to approve the development.
The John Lewis Partnership has revealed plans for a new pair of tower blocks in Masons Hill, with the tallest building at 24 storeys tall.
The plans include 350 flats, a public space and improvements to the Waitrose supermarket on the site.
The plans are part of a wider £500m scheme with global investment company abrdn to build 1,000 homes above Waitrose and John Lewis stores in Bromley, West Ealing and Reading.
The John Lewis Partnership plans to build 10,000 homes in the next 10 years.
A second round of public consultation on the plans was held this month, following the first round in June 2022.
The plans include two tower blocks to hold the flats, the southern building being 19 storeys and the northern building planned to be 24 storeys. Perigon Heights, the current tallest building in Bromley town centre, is 17 storeys tall.
Liberal Democrat councillor Julie Ireland said the party liked aspects of the plans, but couldn’t support them, based on the height of the tower blocks.
She said: “We welcome the badly-needed housing and particularly like that they’re looking for long-term rental.
“The response from residents who we’ve asked has been largely the same – at 24 storeys, it’s a massive seven storeys higher than the tallest building in Bromley (next door’s Perigon Heights) and sets a precedent for more even higher tower blocks. We won’t be able to support this development.”
A John Lewis Partnership spokeswoman said: “We believe this is an opportunity to better use this brownfield site to deliver a range of community benefits and facilities in Bromley, such as a significantly improved Waitrose, much-needed quality housing, including affordable homes, as well as major investment in improving the public realm.”
A planning application for the new tower blocks is scheduled to be sent to Bromley council in spring 2023, before being considered by the planning committee in winter.
Pictured top: A design of the new proposed tower blocks put forward by the John Lewis Partnership (Picture: John Lewis Partnership)