Former college site at Deptford Bridge earmarked for skyscrapers up to 31-storeys
By Cameron Blackshaw, Local Democracy Reporter
Plans have been submitted to build a large high-rise development on the grounds of a former college on the border between Greenwich and Lewisham.
Housing developer RER London submitted the cross-borough planning application to both Greenwich and Lewisham councils last month.
The scheme involves demolishing the former Deptford Campus of Lewisham College by Deptford Bridge DLR Station and using the land to build several high-rise apartment buildings, the tallest of which would be 31 storeys.
This 31-storey block would become the tallest building in the immediate Deptford area, the current one being the 27-storey Distillery Tower which is located just opposite the newly proposed development site on the other side of Deptford Bridge road.
The new large-scale development dubbed ‘Deptford Bridge’ would contain 903 residential units, with 597 of them located in Lewisham and 306 in Greenwich. Of these 903, 840 would be private units, 40 would be social rent and 23 would be shared ownership.
As well as the residential offering, the proposal also includes plans for several retail and leisure units at the ground and first floor levels of the site, many of which would be located along the waterside of Deptford Creek.
Developers have said that a key objective of the Deptford Bridge development is to promote public access to and use of the creek.
Some parts of the former Lewisham College buildings on the application site are currently used for educational purposes by Goldsmiths College of Fine Arts, which has a temporary lease until January 2027.
The new proposal includes provision for Goldsmiths if the university wishes to make use of space within the new Deptford Bridge development.
Developer RER London hopes that Deptford Bridge will be both “an exciting new destination for local people” and that it will make “a significant contribution to housing shortfall in the area”.
The proposal, which was submitted and validated by both councils at the end of March, has garnered 12 objections from residents across both boroughs so far.
Pictured top: CGI of the imagined view of Deptford Creek from an apartment in the newly proposed Deptford Bridge development (Picture: RER London/CZWG Limited)
