Catford’s town centre car park identified as ideal venue for two tower blocks

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

Lewisham council has submitted plans to build 113 homes on a car park in Catford town centre.

A total of 60 parking spaces would be lost under the proposals to construct two towers on the car park in Thomas’ Lane.

A two-storey building where film and TV sets are created would also be bulldozed as part of the council’s plans to redevelop the site.

The two planned buildings would have commercial units on the ground and first floor, with the remainder of the eight storey and 12 storey blocks containing flats.

All the new homes would be classed as affordable. Of the flats, 65 per cent would be ‘intermediate’ homes, which includes shared ownership properties  – where a buyer purchases a portion of a property and pays rent on the remaining unsold share – and London Living Rent, which is set at a third of local incomes or below.

The remaining 35 per cent of homes would be ‘genuinely affordable’, which includes social rent homes  – usually the cheapest form of rent – or London Affordable Rent, which is generally similar or slightly more expensive than social rents.

The redevelopment of the car park on Thomas’ Lane is part of the council’s 20-year vision to revamp Catford town centre. Once finished, the project could see up to 2,700 homes built in the area and the South Circular road rerouted through a car park behind the council’s Laurence House offices.

Other Catford landmarks set to be redeveloped as part of the town centre revamp include the Milford Towers estate, Catford Shopping Centre and the Holbeach Road car park. Plans for works to the Catford Constitutional Club pub were approved in 2021 and refurbishment is currently ongoing.

Lewisham council will make a decision on the redevelopment plans for Thomas’ Lane car park at a yet to be disclosed date.

Pictured top: The car park in Thomas’ Lane in Catford (Picture: Lewisham council)