Leegate tries again

Back in 2012, developers St Modwen produced one of the most uninspiring visions South East London had ever seen - a plan to knock down Leegate shopping centre (which needs radical action to regenerate it) and replace it with a supermarket, to complement the one on the opposite side of the road (which is the least radical idea possible).

The plan would have brought a little taste of the Old Kent Road to this spot.

Having gone back to the drawing board, the developers plan to return on June 21/22 with a brand new vision, which sounds suspiciously similar to the last. They promise:


• The demolition of Leegate House and Cantilever House replacing them with new landmark buildings
• A major new foodstore with entrances from Burnt Ash Road and Eltham Road
• Enhancement of the public realm areas within and around the centre
• Around 250 new homes
• New shops and restaurants along Burnt Ash Road and Eltham Road

Following the exhibition, an application will be submitted in the autumn. If you're interested in attending, the full details are here, but please come back and tell us what you thought. Andrew writes:

"I'm a local to Lee so I'm keen for as many people as possible to get down there - one way or another, the more people who are involved in the process in some way the better. St Modwen's plans as they showed them before were rubbish, so while I'm hoping the new developments are a big improvement, the more eyes on them the better in case they aren't."