Lewisham campaigners will oppose development plans on TV tonight

By Grainne Cuffe, local democracy reporter

Local campaigners opposing an approved development in Lewisham are set to make their case on TV this evening.  

The Friends of Mais House campaign will be featured on BBC London News at 6.30pm – late breaking news stories permitting.   

Campaigner Helen Kinsey is set to be interviewed live by Sarah Morris on BBC Radio London at 5.50pm. 

In August 2020 a Lewisham planning committee approved an application from City of London Corporation to build 110 new social homes on the Sydenham Hill Estate, with the decision officially published in November.    

As per an agreement with the council, half of the homes will be let to Lewisham residents.       

Residents spoke against the scheme at the planning meeting, concerned about density, pressure on amenities, disabled access, lack of proper consultation, and the impact the development would have on Grade II listed Lammas Green and the conservation area.      

Judicial Review Granted, 'THE CLAIMANTS GROUNDS ARE ARGUABLE AND MERIT CONSIDERATION AT A FULL HEARING’. Urgent Appeal 🚨to raise funds for court hearing, please help us by re tweeting. #ProtectTenants🧑‍🤝‍🧑 #SaveOurTrees🌳#ProtectGreenSpace #AreaofSpecialCharacter #ConservationArea pic.twitter.com/GznLjWId8F

— Friends Of Mais House (@OfMais) March 8, 2021

Mature trees are also set to be cut down if the development goes ahead.   

But planning officers and committee members felt “on balance” the need for social housing was too important.        

Since then, Friends of Mais House has been raising funds and mounting a legal challenge to the decision.     

The group applied to the High Court for a Judicial Review on various grounds – they say the council failed to take into account the harm the development would do to Lammas Green and the conservation area.      

They argue that the council failed to take into account that its own conservation and urban design officer objected to the scheme and “omitted significant parts of her advice”.      

The group wants the approval to be quashed and for City of London to “sit down and work on a co-design with the estate residents”.    

Mrs Justice Lang issued permission for the review on February 11, stating in her order that the claimant’s grounds are “arguable and merit consideration”.