Gordonbrock: Once more into the breach

The Brockley Society will meet with Lewisham Council on Tuesday to discuss their opposition to the current plans for Gordonbrock School's redevelopment. Given Mayor Bullock's answers in the BC virtual hustings, it seems unlikely that the elections will have changed the Council's position, so how much room remains for compromise from Lewisham's point of view is unclear.

The Brockley Society has published their report from the recent public meeting of their members and other interested parties here and included a Q&A, which sets out their position. Most noteworthy is this answer:

Q. Why did you make the legal challenge, and will you now withdraw your challenge?

A. We made a legal challenge on the lawfulness of December's Planning Consent. No screening decision had been obtained on the requirement to fulfil an Environmental Impact Assessment for the proposals. This was a serious error. Without our challenge, the buildings at Gordonbrock would be undergoing demolition and we would not be in the position to put forward realistic alternatives. Lewisham consented to our legal action; we have agreed to their consent; the action should be signed off in the courts within the next few weeks. Lewisham will then have to make a revised Planning Application. We hope to persuade the council to adopt significant changes to the design for this new application.