Aylesham/Morrison site

See also

• Peckham Town Centre
• Planning
• Peckham Town Centre Forum/meetings
• Major_developments
• Transforming Central Rye Lane
• Multi-Storey_Car_Park

Morrison's car park

Introduction

Tiger Developments the previous owner conducted a poor consultation in summer 2020 the height of the holiday season and when we were all still in the pandemic. They said that was the last before submitting the planning application in September. ACA (Aylesham Community Action) was set up to campaign for a delay to allow proper consultation, and created the petition for much better community engagement: http://www.change.org/PECKHAMVOICES to have really meaningful consultation before the planning application. Tiger sold the site in 2021 to Berkeley Homes another developer.

• Berkeley Homes had a unit in the Aylesham Arcade open Tuesdays (1pm – 5pm) and Fridays (9am – 1pm) staffed to answer queries and discuss the development. They were also occasionally open on Saturdays. more information. Closed once the planning application submitted.
• ACA is continuing to campaign for an Aylesham development fit for Peckham. Click here for information.

The Aylesham Centre was named after Aylesham the mining village in Kent near Canterbury. The building of the Aylesham Centre was completed during the year long miners' strike in 1984. The strike was very difficult for the mining community around the country. The new shopping centre in Peckham was named after the village to show strong feeling of support for the mining community there. The mine did not survive the effects of the strike and closed in 1987.

headline from The Standard article 14 Feb 2024

Support the campaign

• by joining the mailing list - ayleshamcommunityaction@gmail.com
• by following @ACAPeckham on twitter, facebook, and Instagram
• by coming to the ACA monthly community event in Peckham Levels. First one is 20th February 2024.
• by objecting to the plans here: https://www.ayleshamcommunityaction.co.uk/Object%20to%20the%20planning%20application
• see all key info on these linktree links: http://linktr.ee/acapeckham #RightForPeckham
• join the SHAPE campaign (Southwark Housing And Planning Emergency) - https://linktr.ee/shapesouthwark

See previous petitions*

• 2024 - ACA petiton on Berkeley pre-application masterplan - 4800 signatures (eventually totalled 5260)
• 2023 - ACA petition on previous Berkeley masterplan here - 7,200 signaturess
• 2020 - ACA petition on Tiger developments masterplan - 3,700 signatures
• 2017 Peckham Citizens petition against the tall tower - 4,200 signatures plus - article on 2017 Peckham Citizens petition against the tall tower.
• 2015 - Peckham Vision petition on Council’s plan for tall building - 4,500 with another 3,100 signatures in the following 12 months, total 7,600 signatures
• figures to nearest 100
• in total 27.300 signatures over 10 years

Latest News about the development

demo outside the Hearing in Tooley Street

Inside the Hearing in Tooley Street - first day 28 October 2025

Southwark News 4 Sep 2025

Southwark News 4 Sep 2025

Homes4All panel 6 July 2025 Shoreditch conference

SHAPE & ACA march through Rye Lane 31 May 2025

SHAPE panel at 15 May 2025 public meeting

ACA at Peckham Levels 29 May 2024

Multi Ward Forum 16 May 2024 Harris Academy Peckham Road

2026

July 2026 ACA joins High Court battle

28 July 2026. London Society. Keep, adapt or replace? What two Peckham buildings tell us about how London changes For 20 summers, the upper floors of a Peckham multi-storey car park have been home to art, architecture, music and performance. Next door, the future of an ageing shopping centre has become the subject of a major battle over housing, heritage and development. Together, they raise a question London will increasingly need to answer: how do we decide what to keep, what to adapt and what to replace?

15 July 2026 ACA launches appeal for funds to join Southwark Council opposing Berkeley's High Court Appeal. See crowdfunding page here.

15 July 2026. Property Week. Heritage hassle: the preservation versus regeneration conundrum. “The machinations of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) are rarely front of mind in the property industry. It is, however, the department responsible for heritage protection, the sponsor of Historic England and the owner of the listed building system. As a result, its influence over new development and redevelopment schemes is not to be ignored.”

1 July 2026 Planning Resource by Jo Smit. "How an inspector’s dismissal of a housebuilder’s high-rise, 867-home plan underlines the importance of considering heritage impacts. A planning inspector has dismissed a volume housebuilder's plans to redevelop a south London shopping centre with a high-density, 20-storey residential scheme, prompting the firm to launch a legal challenge to the decision. The case reminds decision-makers and developers of the importance of heritage and townscape considerations when proposing and determining urban schemes." Interesting quotes from the article include

• Mike Kiely, chair of the Planning Officers Society, which represents public sector planners, believed the inspector’s conclusion was “very much a decision in the round”. Not only did he look at listed and unlisted assets and overall townscape, said Kiely, but he also seemed to appreciate the “cumulative benefits that had occurred in this area over decades of sensitive, careful decision-making”. The inspector accepted there were “considerable” benefits to the provision of new homes, but ultimately decided “there is no reason for me to conclude a design better responding to those heritage assets could not be achieved”, according to Kiely, who added: “Berkeley needed to do a better job. It’s as simple as that. The provision of housing in and of itself isn’t always going to trump everything else.”
• For architect Benedict O’Looney, a member of community group Peckham Heritage and chair of the Southwark Conservation Areas Advisory Group, “the valuing of Peckham’s heritage felt like a momentous turning point”. He added: “Peckham has desperate housing need and people want change,” describing Berkeley’s proposal as a “missed opportunity”.
• Responding to news of Berkeley’s fresh legal challenge, Eileen Conn, coordinator of local group Peckham Vision, which co-founded Aylesham Community Action, the campaigner and Rule 6 party in the case, said she was “disappointed that there will be even more delay in developing a plan that fits with Peckham’s proven capacity for self-regeneration”.

26 June 2026 Judicial Review

• 26 June 2026 Housing Today. Planning inspector determined 850-home scheme’s height, scale and massing would cause harm to Peckham neighbourhood. Berkeley has applied for a judicial review of the planning inspectorate’s decision to block its plans to redevelop the Aylesham Centre in Peckham Town Centre.
• 26 June 2026 Southwark News Developer Berkeley Homes has appealed to overturn the Planning Inspectorate’s rejection of its plans to redevelop the Aylesham Centre in Peckham Rye, writes Alex Orr…
• 26 June 2026 Architects Journal. Berkeley applies for judicial review following ‘flawed’ refusal of dRMM’s Peckham scheme. Developer Berkeley has applied to the courts for a judicial review of the Planning Inspectorate’s rejection of its dRMM-led redevelopment of the Aylesham Centre in Peckham. Last month planning inspector Matthew Shrigley rejected an appeal by Berkeley, citing the massing and scale of the controversial south London development, as well as its impact on local heritage and the Rye Lane Peckham conservation area as reasons for his refusal. He described the proposal as ‘an enormous wall of development, thus resulting in harm’ when viewed from some locations. Now the developer has applied for a judicial review of Shrigley’s decision, claiming it is ‘clearly flawed’ and warning that ‘unless swiftly quashed’, it will ‘undermine the government’s pro-homebuilding agenda’

8 June 2026 the ACA successful case

35% Campaign blog. 08 Jun 2026. The Aylesham Centre - the decision, then the backlash The recent decision by the government Inspector to reject Berkeley Homes’ proposals for the Aylesham Centre provoked much criticism from pro-development quarters, with the local Aylesham Community Action (ACA) campaign often cast as NIMBYs, denying people the opportunity of a new home, because of misguided heritage concerns.

• The Inquiry Inspector did indeed reject the application on heritage grounds. Hashi Mohamed the ACA’s barrister at the Inquiry has provided a measured commentary of the decision, decrying ‘hysterical rhetoric’ and pointing out that heritage goes beyond buildings, encompassing ‘the people, the culture and history of Peckham’. He encourages people to read the full decision.
• One other key issue was the dire lack of affordable housing in Berkeley’s proposals - just 77 homes out of 867. Regrettably the Inspector did not think this was a ground for rejecting the application, saying that even if the scheme offered 35% affordable housing he would not have granted the scheme planning permission (which says something about how poor he considered the design to be).
• Affordable housing depends on a scheme’s viability and it is worth replaying the evidence presented at the Planning Inquiry by ACA's expert witness, because it demonstrates that viability is not set in stone, contrary to what many believe, but is a variable, determined by assumptions, projections and judgement.
• ACA’s viability evidence also demonstrates the serious thought and effort they put into the Inquiry, something that is absent from much of the commentary that followed the Inquiry decision.

Read here the comprehensive analysis of the ACA's case and why the Inspector dismissed Berkeley's appeal.

May 2026 Huge Success!

We have great news – local people won the Aylesham case against Berkeley's plan for the Aylesham over-development. The Inspector's decision was announced 18th May, 4 months overdue.

• He dismissed the Berkeley appeal against the Council refusal of planning permission.- Inspector's decision report on Appeal.
• He cited as a reason English Heritage objection that it would be "an enormous wall of development, thus resulting in harm". See image.->>
• He dismissed Berkeley’s appeal for costs against the Council.- Inspector's decision report on Costs.
• So six years of campaigning, since local people in Peckham Vision and Peckham Heritage started the Aylesham Community Action (ACA) campaign in 2020, has paid off.
• Nearly 30,000 signatures against this over development (since 2014), over £50,000 funds raised in 2025 by ACA to pay for lawyers at the Appeal Public Inquiry, numerous marches and rallies, banners and placards, community stalls, conversations. workshops and meetings - on-line and in-person, burning the midnight oil pouring over planning documents and campaigning leaflets. That is - hundreds of local people working together not giving up and working within the system can get results.

Join Peckham Vision mailing list - info@peckhamvision.org - to help strengthen the community network in Peckham.

2025

commentaries on the appeal public inquiry https://conserveconnect.news/the-ayelsham-inquiry-day-three-the-arithmetic-of-clearance-viability-and-the-price-of-peckhams-future/

November 2025

Wed 26th November. 6.45pm-8.30pm. Our House: fun & serious card game. Peckham Levels More info and book your place here. ACA will give a brief report of the Aylesham Centre Appeal Inquiry and next steps. Following that, we welcome ‘Our House’ into this monthly community space. ‘Our House’ is a growing national movement for people-powered democracy. We know from our battle over the Aylesham Centre redevelopment, and many other aspects of life, that the current political and government system does not and can’t meet local needs. Our House are developing an alternative to help bring real democracy. This follows in the footsteps of the chartists who won us the right to vote, and building demands with communities across the country to shape a new People’s Charter.

• They have developed a fun and creative way for structuring the process of writing the People’s Charter - but the demands will come from YOU.
• the founder and co-leads of the movement will be running the session.
• Using a card game, those present will discuss the different ways that we can do democracy and come up with demands for the changes we want to see locally and nationally.
• There will be tea, good conversation and we’ll build hope for a Peckham and a nation that works for everyone.

7th November 2025. Southwark News. Could Southwark Council ignore the government’s recent cut to the affordable housing quota? “Simply building more homes will not solve London’s housing crisis" claim critics.

7th November 2025. Southwark News. Peckham planning inquiry cuts to heart of debate around London’s housing crisis. A planning inquiry underway this week into the Berkeley Homes plans to transform the Aylesham centre into 900 new homes has become a battle between two competing approaches to London’s housing crisis. Initially supposed to wrap up today (Friday, 7 November) the inquiry will have an extra day on November 17 when each party – the council, Berkeley Homes and housing campaigners – will deliver their closing statements.

Public Inquiry begins

Report (2nd November 2025) on the beginning of the public inquiry, from the SHAPE coalition:

• Thanks to the 60 people who attended the protest on Tuesday 28 October, early in the morning! We were outside Southwark Council Offices at Tooley Street at the start of the Aylesham Centre Inquiry. We gathered outside the Planning Inspector’s Inquiry on the first day of proceedings where the Council, Aylesham Community Action and others argued that the development should not go ahead. The Council refused Berkeley Homes’ application for redevelopment of the Aylesham Shopping Centre in Peckham last July. Berkeley now hope to overturn this decision. Campaigners argue that 12% ‘affordable’ housing in a development is not acceptable. Residents say it is not meant for them. The development would include sixteen tall towers, up to 20 storeys high, with little consideration for the heritage of the area, local independent traders or the environment.
• The SHAPE Coalition was joined by Rye Lane Councillor David Parton, Green GLA Member Zoe Garbett, Unison rep Vanessa, PCS rep Shaun, Traders from Elephant and Castle, Homes for All, Save Lewisham Shopping Centre, The Peoples Assembly, PlushSE16 and many others to send solidarity with everyone fighting gentrification.
• Councillor David Parton said “At the opening of the Planning Inspectorate’s appeal on the Aylesham scheme, Rye Lane’s Labour councillors spoke up for our community and reiterated our firm opposition to the proposed development. “Only providing 12% affordable housing on this site when 4,000 people in Peckham are on the affordable housing waiting list is insulting. “In this critical appeal period for the scheme, Rye Lane’s councillors made clear that the scheme’s widely damaging impact on the social fabric of Peckham - from driving up house prices, displacing local communities, destroying historic sight lines, and providing next to no genuinely affordable housing - warrants a clear rejection from the Planning Inspectorate.”
• The Inquiry is due to finish on 7 November and the Inspector's decision is expected in December or January.

October 2025 lead up to Public Hearing

• 28th October 2025 Southwark News 'Fears that plans to slash affordable housing quotas could deepen London’s housing crisis. The government says will ramp up house building in the capital.'
• 28th October 2025. Southwark News. “Planning inquiry over controversial Peckham redevelopment begins - Peckham biggest redevelopment in a generation will transform the skyline but would only contain 12 per cent affordable housing. An eight-day inquiry into a developer’s plans to build almost 900 new homes in the heart of Peckham, just 12 per cent of which would be affordable, kicked off today. Over the next two weeks, the Planning Inspectorate will hear from witnesses representing community activists, Southwark Council and the developer, before deciding whether to give the plans the green-light.”
• 21st Ocober 2025. London Assembly Green Party Member Zoë Garbett letter to Planning Inspector objecting to Berkeley plans.
• 18 October 2025. Daily Mail. Comedians James Acaster and Nish Kumar have been branded nimbies after they helped raise money to block a huge housing development in Peckham. Mr Acaster and Mr Kumar have faced criticism for their opposition to the project with James Yucel, Director of the pro-house building Tory group Conservative YIMBY, describing the comedians as 'champagne socialists railing against "gentrification" while opposing new homes'…. A spokesperson for Aylesham Community Action said: 'Berkeley's development includes more than 800 luxury apartments but only 50 for social rent, which means barely any local people will be able to afford to live there. 'That is why we are opposing it. There are luxury apartment developments like this all over London and they haven't helped the housing crisis, they've made it worse. 'We are proud that James Acaster and Nish Kumar have joined with many others to give their time and energy to all our fundraising events. The £42,000 we have raised from nearly 500 donations, in not much more than a month, shows the strength of opposition against Berkeley’s proposals. 'We are determined to get a development on the Aylesham that meets the housing needs of Peckham, not one catering just to those who have enough money or are looking for second homes.'

• 15th October 2025 Southwark News. Comedians James Acaster and Nish Kumar help raise £40,000 to fight Peckham redevelopment Campaigners are seeking to raise £50,000 to fight the planning application. Comedians James Acaster and Nish Kumar have thrown their weight behind efforts of Peckham campaigners to resist the redevelopment of the Ayelsham Centre into nearly 900 homes, just 12 per cent of which would be affordable. Acaster, co-host of the Off Menu podcast, and Kumar, a TV presenter who also hosts the Pod save the UK politics podcast, both performed in Peckham Levels earlier this month to raise money for a local campaign set up to fight the plans. On September 9, campaigners from Aylesham Community Action set up a crowdfunder to raise money to pay a barrister to represent their objections during the Planning Inspectorate hearing, scheduled to take place in the final week of October. They have so far managed to raise £41,000 towards their goal of £50,000.

• 7th October 2025 The Times Times editorial comment: “Peckham development that explains London’s housing crisis: A plan to build nearly a thousand homes off Peckham Rye Lane has been met with considerable local opposition. But should a housing crisis take priority?” Article: “This development will cause irreparable loss to the character of the area. It will kill Peckham’s current valued local economy” said Eileen Conn, a community activist and local resident for 50 years. Conn argues that Berkeley’s plans do not fit into the surrounding streetscape. “It is like an “alien intrusion,” she said. “We’ve got something really precious in Peckham, but this proposed development will harm the town centre as a place to live, as a place to visit, and as a place to work or start a business. It’s difficult to see how the area’s potential can survive that.”

September Crowd Funding campaign

• 11 September 2025. Time Out - The south London neighbourhood that is the coolest place in the city, according to the Telegraph. It’s had its say on London’s best coffee shops, given its two pence on its best gardens and shared its opinion on the city’s poshest neighbourhoods, now, the Telegraph has unveiled its list of the top 10 coolest areas in the capital city. What makes somewhere cool, exactly? According to the Telegraph, it’s a place with a rich blend of cultures, a characterful mix of independent shops and caffs, an energetic offering of bars, boozers and music venues, and a bit of ‘grit’. All that considered, the paper crowned Peckham the coolest London neighbourhood of them all.
• 9th September 2025. ACA's crowd funding website went live at 6am. By late evening £10,220 had been raised! See image of crowd funding screen.

• 4th September 2025 Southwark News. Housing campaigners gear up to mount legal challenge against Peckham redevelopment "Housing campaigners are gearing up for a legal fight as they ramp up efforts to thwart a developer’s plans to cram thousands of new homes into towering skyscrapers in the heart of Peckham. Berkeley Homes, the developer behind the plans to redevelop the Aylesham Centre on Rye Lane, announced in May it would be bypassing Southwark Council’s planning committee and taking the application straight to the government for approval."

August Preparation for Appeal hearing

The public hearing of Berkeley's appeal for approval will take place 28 October to 7 November. ACA has registered as a 'Rule 6 Party' to take full part in the hearing. This will be to support the Council's reasons for rejecting the plans and to strengthen those reasons and extend them. This is to show that the harms to Peckham of the proposed development amount to substantial planning harm far outweighing the purported planning benefit. Berkeley and the Council will employ full legal teams for this hearing. To ensure that the community's voice is fully heard in the appeal, ACA is employing a barrister and solicitor who are offering their services at lower fees. The fees will have to be met by donations and a crowd funding appeal will be launched in September.

July Council rejects Berkeley plan

• 18 July 2025. Socialist Worker. Housing campaign blocks south London developers . Eileen Conn has been part of the fight against Berkeley Homes. She’s from Peckham Vision, the local community action group which has been campaigning for 20 years. “It was a great relief that Southwark’s planning committee voted unanimously to refuse Berkeley’s plans for the redevelopment of the Aylesham Centre,” she told Socialist Worker. “We were also very glad that their reasons for refusal included that the plans do not comply with the planning policies for town centres. “This means that the appeal inquiry can examine the way this plan is the wrong one for this town centre site.”
• 16 July 2025 35% Campaign blog
  • “Aylesham Centre planning application rejected. Southwark Council's planning committee has formally rejected Berkeley Home's proposals for the redevelopment of Peckham's Aylesham Centre. They have further agreed to defend this decision at a forthcoming public inquiry.
  • The Committee met after Berkeley announced in May that it would go over the Council's head and seek a decision on their planning application, by way of an appeal to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. The Council will now defend its refusal of the application at a public inquiry, scheduled to begin on 27 October.
  • Local campaign group Aylesham Community Action has also vowed to continue its long-running fight against Berkeley's plans, by applying to take part in the inquiry, as an independent 'Rule 6' party. Southwark Housing and Planning Emergency (SHAPE) has pledged its continuing support. Both joined together in a lively 'Peck off Berkeley Party demo' outside the Council's Tooley St offices, before the planning meeting.
  • The decisions were taken after a marathon meeting on Tuesday evening (15 July), lasting nearly six hours. The Committee unanimously endorsed the single reason for refusing the application, presented to them by their planning officers. After listening to objectors, Berkeley Homes and ward councillors the Committee added two further reasons, plus a requirement that one issue be returned to them for a final decision.” More...
• 16 July 2025 My London by Ruby Gregory “Controversial Peckham 867-home development unanimously rejected by council - but it's not over.”
• 15th July 6.30pm at Council Offices, 160 Tooley St, SE1P 5LX. PLANNING COMMITTEE hearing Berkeley planning application. Below are the reasons for refusal of the Aylesham development voted for at the planning committee by all 7 Committee members, taken from the livestream of the meeting:
  • The proposed development, owing to low levels of affordable housing, and the failure to deliver any community land trust homes, failed to deliver sufficient public benefits to outweigh the heritage harm to the character and appearance of Rye Lane, Peckham conservation area, owing to the heights and massing of proposed block a,b and c. The scheme would also result in to townscape owing to the excessive height of propsed block L. As such the proposed development would be would be contrary to paragraphs 212, 213 and 215 of NPPF 2024, The policy is D1 Design and capacity for growth, D4 delivering good design, and HC1 Heritage conservation, and growth of the London plan 2021. Policies P13 design of places, P20 conservation areas, P21 conservation of historic environment and natural heritage and site allocation NSP74 of the Southwark Plan 2022, and the Rye Lane Peckham conservation area appraisal of 2011.
  • An additional reason for refusal:- The proposed development owing to the low level of affordable housing, would fail to meet the significant need for social and rented and intermediate homes in the borough. As such it would contrary to policy P1 social rented and intermediate housing in the borough of the Southwark Plan 2022. The affordable homes SPD of 2025, and policy G4 of the London Plan.
  • A further reason for refusal is the proposed development owing to the loss of retail space, failed to meet the site allocation requirement of site allocation NSP74, to provide at least the existing amount of retail space, currently on the site, and as such would cause harm to the vitality and viability of the town centre, and would fail to diversify and compliment the existing retail offering in the town centre. This is contrary to policy SD6 town centres and high streets, and E9 retail markets and hot food takeaways, the London plan of 2011, and policy P35 towns and local centres, NSP74 of the Southwark Plan 2022.
  • If the appeal is granted and a condition or section 106 obligation is imposed that requires the applicant to submit a final business relocation strategy for the approval, that this approval is determined by the planning committee.
• AJ Architects Journal 10 July 2025
  • Southwark Council is set to turn down controversial plans to replace Peckham’s Aylesham shopping centre with 877 homes as part of a dRMM-led scheme Planning officers have recommended that councillors vote to reject the application at a planning committee meeting next week (15 July), even though developer Berkeley has already appealed to the planning inspectorate on grounds of non-determination. It means the decision is effectively symbolic as, following Berkeley’s appeal in May, the scheme now lies with the planning inspector, who will rule on the proposals following a public inquiry. In their report published on Tuesday (8 July), Southwark’s planning officers recommended refusing the Aylesham redevelopment proposals on both heritage grounds and because of a lack of affordable homes on the key town centre site, facing Rye Lane.
  • Responding to the council’s recommendation for refusal, Aylesham Community Action (ACA) told the AJ: ‘Unfortunately the Berkeley Homes scheme doesn’t get close to Southwark Council’s targets for affordable and social housing, let alone the 50 per cent we would like to see, and quite rightly the council will refuse permission on those grounds alone. ‘From the outset, the Aylesham Community Action group sought to engage with Berkeley and help shape a plan that would have local support. Now, rather than bring forward a scheme that people can get behind, Berkeley Homes has skipped to legal brute force and political messaging around “investment” to push through a citadel of luxury flats that will not help with the local housing crisis.’ Local architect Benedict O’Looney, of Benedict O’Looney Architects, told the AJ: ‘Many of us in the Peckham community are relieved that Southwark Council is recommending the refusal of the Aylesham Centre proposal. ‘Such a tall, high-density scheme placed beside the original, low-rise nucleus of this historic Surrey village seemed so wrong. The 17th and early 18th-century shops and houses, so wonderfully restored by Southwark Council’s Townscape Heritage Initiative, would be overshadowed and visually crushed by the Aylesham proposal.’ ‘We hope the appeal inspector will take heed of the widespread local opposition to this destructive proposal, and refuse this scheme.’
• Why we need a revolution in housing and planning policies - session at Marxism conference 6 July 2025
  • When council housing was central to public policy in Britain by Paul Burnham Notes from a talk on 6 July 2025 at the Marxism festival in London
  • Sunday 6th July 2025 Shoreditch. London Homes for All hosted campaigners to discuss “housing and planning revolution.” Report on the event.

June ACA community actions

• Wed 25th June 2025 ACA public monthly meeting in Peckham Levels.
• Saturday 7th June 2025 National rally & march in central London. ACA, Peckham Vision and SHAPE joined the Housing & Planning bloc in the national rally.

31st May 2025 Peckham Takeover

• short video of Peckham Takeover. Peckham Protest rally and march through Peckham town centre.
• Socialist Worker 26 May 2025 “Private developers cannot fix Britain’s housing crisis - Southwark Housing and Planning Emergency campaigners are fighting for more council housing.”
• Socialist Worker 31 May 2025 "Anger at Labour and property developers on south London march - The protest was organised by Southwark Housing And Planning Emergency (SHAPE). Housing and planning campaigners in south London are taking the fight to property developers who want to tear apart their communities. Hundreds of people rallied and marched through Peckham on Saturday."
• Southwark News, 3rd June 2025 "Hundreds of protestors take to the streets of Peckham in defiance of developer’s decision to bypass council planning committee over major housing scheme. Berkeley Homes wants to build almost 900 homes - just 12 per cent of which would be set at affordable rents."

15th May 2025 Public meeting report

• Tuesday 15th July 6.30pm at Council Offices, 160 Tooley St, SE1P 5LX. PLANNING COMMITTEE hearing Berkeley planning application.

Report from SHAPE on the public meeting:
SHAPE public meeting brings the fight to Peckham! Thursday’s public meeting was a big success, with around 100 people attending and the mood that was angry but hopeful with an inspirational energy and sense of momentum. One attendee came out of it saying it was ‘a real community meeting’. And that’s exactly right: Young, old, black, white, brown and fully representative of our community.

• Neil Tasker, Southwark Unite Branch Secretary said that the Aylesham development, and others across Southwark do nothing for local people, developers are only in it for profit, when what we need is council housing.
• Cllr David Parton, Rye Lane Ward, said that Berkeley’s proposal does not serve the community, and jeopardises their future. The issue had dominated his time as councillor. The Planning Committee would still meet despite Berkeley appealing to the Inspector, and the Council was minded to refuse the application.
• Zoe Garbett AM, who is Chair of the GLA’s Housing Committee but spoke on her own behalf, said the housing situation was terrifying, with new housing being built for profit, not for people and simply pushing up local rents.
• Andreea Vasilcin, Aylesham Community Action, said that the Aylesham campaign involved an incredible amount of voluntary action and there were many more people who would like to get involved.
• We were pleased to welcome Carmen and Michael from PLUSH SE16+No Price On Culture. Michael spoke of his 21 years running a business and how he had been pushed out by developers. Carmen said that she did not want her children to have to do the same thing and have the same fight.
• Speakers from the floor included young and old local residents, including a local vicar; local councillors; representatives of the Greens, Labour, representatives from Stand Up to Racism, Homes for All, Acorn Southwark and, of course, Peckham Vision. All condemned the proposed development and Berkeley Homes and supported ACA and SHAPE’s campaign. Many spoke of the need for council housing, for a radical approach to the housing crisis and for the community to come together to defeat Berkeley’s proposals.
  

Let’s keep up the fight! We still have a lot of building to do for this month's demo! Respond to this email if you can help.

• Peckham Takeover - Saturday 31 May, 1pm @ Peckham Square
• All three local Councillors and the local MP have publicly slated Berkeley Homes’ Aylesham Centre planning application as it now stands. The planning committee is due to meet in June, and a refusal is now a very real possibility, but we have to keep up the pressure.
• SHAPE demands
  • 50% Council housing on private land
  • 100% Council housing on council land

May 2025 SHAPE campaign

• Wednesday 21st May ACA community meeting at Peckham Levels 6.45pm for 7-8pm.
• 17 May 2025 Southwark News: “The government this week announced plans to make it easier to build on London’s green belt, reflecting once more a misunderstanding about what is driving the housing crisis in London. What local authorities need is not permission to dig up London’s leafy suburbs – it’s more cash to build the homes that people need. Only then can we start giving Londoners the homes they deserve.” This is Southwark News' own comment after reportong on SHAPE's campaign. The campaign has brought the real fundamental issue out into the open. The commercial market can not solve the affordable housing crisis.

The SHAPE campaign - to stop the way the planning system encourages the over-development of sites - is gathering strength. Over-development is damaging our neighbourhoods in the name of solving the housing crisis. But it is producing unaffordable housing and failing to provide housing the majority of people can afford, or enough family housing. SHAPE (Southwark Housing and Planning Emergency) is a coalition of local groups organising events to bring us all together across housing and planning campaigns and to get the message through that this now needs urgent action:

• Saturday 7th June 12 noon National demo - Housing & Planning Bloc in People’s Assembly , Portland Place, W1. There will be a Housing and Planning bloc to bring us together across London and nationally.
• Saturday 31st May 1pm assemble Peckham Square, Peckham High Street - Demonstration and march through the town centre.
• Thursday 15th May 2025 7pm SHAPE Public Meeting at Rye Lane Chapel, 59A Rye Lane – Southwark Housing And Planning Emergency

For more information on SHAPE -

• click here - SHAPE leaflet
• Email: shapesouthwark@gmail.com
• Call: 07487 665991
• Website: https://www.ayleshamcommunityaction.co.uk/SHAPE
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shapecoalition

May 2025 Decision now with Planning Inspectorate

Berkeley Homes have, a few days ago, appealed to the Government’s national Planning Inspectorate to take the decision and so bypass the Council’s Planning Committee. See

• the Council’s statement here - The council says that the Planning Committee will still consider the application and the Committee’s decision will set out the council’s case for the appeal.
• Southwark News article: which reports “Peckham’s biggest redevelopment in a generation to bypass Southwark Council.”

We now await news for the date of the Planning Committee. We hope that many local people will come to the meeting to support the objectors. It is likely that community groups and organisations which have objected will seek to be represented at the appeal hearing and will need to raise funds for that.

April-May 2025 Objections

Over 2,400 objections have been submitted on the Council’s Planning Portal. More have been sent by email and post. Only 59 have been submitted in support of the plans. This shows the scale of the opposition. The reasons for objecting cover the wide range of negative impacts that the plans would have on Peckham, which outweigh the benefits that Berkeley Homes (BH) say the development would bring. This is even more obvious after BH reduced their offer of ‘affordable housing’ to just 12% of the total of 867 housing units on the site, especially when some of those would be unaffordable rent. The strong case against the plans is spelt out in details in the objections submitted by

• Aylesham Community Action (ACA)
• Peckham Heritage
• Southwark Law Centre

Altogether the negative impacts of the plans add up to a very strong case against the plans. An overview of the whole case is on the first page of the ACA objection. The Peckham MP and the three Rye Lane ward councillors have spoken publicly against the plans because of the derisory offer of affordable housing when there is such a huge need for more affordable housing in Peckham. Just a few minutes’ walk from the site, one of the primary schools has over 80% of its pupils registered as homeless.

April 2025 work behind the scenes

• 1st May & 3rd May public events in Peckham Levels by students on a UCL course for civic participation in urban design. Excellent contribution to the campaign and helping locals think through a good development plan for the site that will benefit Peckham without harming it.
• 28th April 2025 Southwark News: ‘Bleak’ redevelopment will change Peckham forever and must be refused, say heritage campaigners.’
• 23rd April 2025 ACA monthly meeting at Peckham Levels. Review of campaign and future events.
• 8th April 2025 The Urban Activist “London’s Housing Voices Offer Solutions for Whitehall” “There were more protests about affordable housing in London in the past months than in the last few years… This year promises more campaigns and significant organizing action amid the various developments across Southwark. All of it could represent a turning point.”
• Thursday 3rd April, 6.45pm for 7-8pm, ACA community meeting at Peckham Levels.

March 2025 rallies & deputation

• Wed 26th March 11am Homes 4 All lobby of Parliament in Parliament Sq

• 20 March 2025 South London Press 'Fighting for breadcrumbs: Protest calls on council to block development until more social housing offered Campaigners took to the street last night calling for more social housing to be included in a development over a popular market.'
• Wed 19th March SHAPE rally & deputation more info.
  • 6pm outside Council offices at 160 Tooley St,
  • 6.45pm Council Assembly, for 8pm deputation
• 8th March 2025 Southwark News This is crunch time for affordable housing – in Southwark and beyond "This is a crunch moment. Southwark Council has the power to reject plans that don’t meet the 35 per cent target. At the same time, the government needs to step up and properly fund council housebuilding. If developers can’t – or won’t – deliver the affordable homes they promised, councils must be given the means to build them instead. London’s housing crisis isn’t going anywhere – and without action, it’s only going to get worse."
• 3rd March 2025 Freedom News “Hundreds march against gentrification in Peckham Locals demand refurbished council housing instead of demolitions and sell-offs”
• Sat 1 March 2025 1pm Peckham Square: SHAPE demonstration and march from Peckham to Elephant & Castle. Peckham Vision and Aylesham Community Action are founder members of The SHAPE coalition (Southwark Housing And Planning Emergency). More info and to find what else SHAPE has been doing click here.
• 1 March 2025 Big Issue LIAM GERAGHTY Meet the 83-year-old activist who's fought gentrification for 50 years – and is still going strong. Eileen Conn has been defending Peckham’s community and architecture for five decades. Now she is standing against developments that are allegedly slashing social housing from the London borough where she lives. The pensioner has been a tireless community activist for more than 50 years, standing up for the local community and protecting local architecture and heritage from being bulldozed. The latest project that raises her ire is a plan to redevelop the 1980s Peckham shopping mall the Aylesham Centre. Conn and 14 community organisations have joined forces to form SHAPE (Southwark Housing and Planning Emergency) in protest at the number of affordable homes included in the plan.

ACA COMMUNITY PUBLIC MEETINGS AT PECKHAM LEVELS

Wednesday 26th February 6.45pm for 7-8pm. [links still to be inserted]

• Monthly meetings at Peckham Levels by ACA (Aylesham Community Action), local campaign group, about the Aylesham redevelopment plans. The 15 minutes before 7pm is to help us get to know each other, find answers to our questions and to discuss the issues. Conversations go on after 8pm as well so just come when you can.
• The meetings have been held each month for a year now. They are well attended and have contributed to the discussion about the plans. Major themes have emerged: housing, social & economic impact, design, sustainability and heritage. Some of the issues have been summarised here. The Planning Committee is expected to take the decision in June.
• ACA's 26th February meeting will review the issues, and look at the way to make comments on the Council’s website and the other ways of registering comments. Come and find out how to make your comments. Please register on Eventbrite - to help us get an idea of numbers. More information about the plans and the planning process can be found on www.linktr.ee/acapeckham
• With thanks to Peckham Levels for providing the space and opportunity to develop this town centre comunity forum.
• To support the campaign and to make sure you get the information and reminders for all these campaign actions, please:

       - click here to join the ACA mailing list  and 
       - if you can, follow @ACAPeckham on twitter/X, Bluesky, Facebook, and/or Instagram.

February 2025 more campaigning

• 3rd March 2025 Freedom News “Hundreds march against gentrification in Peckham Locals demand refurbished council housing instead of demolitions and sell-offs”
• 13th February 2025 Freedom News "Peckham protests luxury towers plan As private investment in high-end flats continues, housing groups report record overcrowding in social housing”

• 19th February 2025 Southwark News Housing campaigners to march again with sights set on nationwide campaign SHAPE is calling for urgent reforms to UK housing policies.

• 11 Feb 2025 video of demo from jwsal.bsky.social @jwsal "Last weekend I went to Peckham to film a protest against a new development due to be built by Berkeley Homes, including only 12% 'affordable' housing. Protesters say it's a test case on whether Labour will allow developers to build anything they want."

• Sat 8 February 3pm at Peckham Square. Rally & demo against insulting changed plans to increase unaffordable housing to minimum of 88%, less than 12% affordable.

January 2025 Community campaign continues

• Wed 22 January 2025 6.45pm for 7-8pm community gathering Level 5/6 at Peckham Levels to catch up and review ACA campaign and how to make sure community voices have an effect. Please register to help the meeting arrangements.

• The Sun 20 January 2025 A FORMER Grand Designs boss has claimed the plans for 877 flats in 20-storey towers are an insult to the area. Ann Lalic, who spent ten years working on the hit Channel 4 show, called the proposals a "horror show" for the "low rise town". She told Southwark News: “On the show, you see how a small house affects everyone in the area and that’s what strikes me about this horror show – the impact on everybody around it.” The 20-storey high towers will replace the Aylesham shopping Centre in Peckham, South London, which is home to a Morrisons supermarket. Ann said her time working on the architectural programme opened her eyes to the "state" of the UK's housing situation. This has "clarified why the Ayelsham development is so very wrong," she said.
• Southwark News. 19 January 2025. Former Grand Designs director brands Peckham town centre redevelopment a ‘horror show’.

2024

December 2024 Media

• Southwark News 23 December 2024 - "Peckham’s biggest redevelopment in a generation: What is happening to the Aylesham Shopping Centre and why are tensions so high? Everything you need to know about Peckham's biggest redevelopment project in a generation."
• SE Londoner 13 December 2024. "Protest held at Southwark Council over housing crisis. Southwark residents demanded 50% affordable housing in new developments as part of a protest against the borough’s housing crisis."

11 December 2024 ACA community meeting

• Wed 11 December 2024 6.30-8pm community gathering Level 5/6 at Peckham Levels to catch up and review ACA campaign and how to make sure community voices have an effect. Please register to help the meeting arrangements.

November 2024 several events

Council drop-in exhibitions, about Aylesham redevelopment planning application

• Fri 22nd November 2024, 3pm-6pm: at Peckham Library, Peckham Square
• Sat 23rd November 2024, 11am-2pm: at Nunhead Library, Gordon Road (near Nunhead Green)
• Mon 25th November 2024, 3pm-7pm: at All Saints Church, Blenheim Grove

It’s vital that many local people give their views on the plans. Please pass on the information about the Council drop-ins and encourage people to attend. This is a really important opportunity to learn more about the plans and ask questions so that you can work out what you want to say in your comments and objections. Council officers will be present to answer questions and to explain the exhibition boards and the models of the plans. More useful information about the issues that the plans are raising can be found on the ACA website

20th November 2024 - Protest demo about affordable housing crisis: 6pm-7pm at Tooley St
Great launch of SHAPE (Southwark Housing And Planning Emergency) 20 Nov 2024 outside Council Tooley St offices. Over 100 local people across Southwark came to say building homes for people in need of decent housing they can afford has to come before commercial investment. See here short video of the case against the Aylesham plans.

• Southwark News: ‘Most people in Southwark can’t afford these homes’: Protestors unite against Berkeley Homes’ ‘unfit’ plans for Peckham
• The experience of local people across the borough is that too much housing is being built for investment and not for people who live in the borough who are desperately in need of decent housing they can afford. This is just what the experience is now in Peckham through the Berkeley redevelopment plans for the Aylesham site, where more than 65% of the housing will be unaffordable by most people who live in Southwark.
• Local groups who have this experience have come together in SHAPE (Southwark Housing and Planning Emergency) to get the message to all the councillors – elected by residents in the borough – that this is not acceptable and that the housing emergency needs different action, including:
  • No to overdevelopment that ignores what we need
  • No more fake consultations. We want genuine tenant, resident and local peoples’ involvement in the plans
  • 50% council housing on private land. 100% council housing on council land
  • Stop unsafe and poorly built development
  • Act on the Climate Emergency now. No unsustainable building, no loss of green space
  • Stop displacement of traders for unaffordable housing.
• The protest demo will be outside the Council offices at 160 Tooley Street on 20th November 6-7pm. All councillors will be attending the Council Assembly at 7pm so will be going into the building during that time. If you want to get decent housing available for all who need it at prices they can afford, please join in the demo on 20th November. Let as many as possible who are affected by the housing emergency know about the demo.
  

Peckham Vision has joined SHAPE – Southwark Housing And Planning Emergency – to help draw attention to the housing policy that is causing all these problems about the wrong plans for many sites, including the Aylesham Centre redevelopment in Peckham. Local councils have to rely on commercial for-profit builders to provide affordable housing. The need for affordable housing is never met and huge numbers of flats are being built in London that can't be afforded by local people. In Southwark only 10% can afford the huge majority of homes being built in commercial developments like Aylesham.

Heritage zoom event: 11 November 7-8.30pm Over 40 took part in the Peckham Heritage event on why the heritage in the centre of Peckham is important and needs to be protected. Here is a recording of the event. There was an interested audience and a lively informed discussion about the value of historic buildings and the meaning of heritage in a community with diverse origins like Peckham. We made some welcome new contacts which we will follow up.

Media reports:

• Southwark News: Online talk & discussion 11th November 7pm-8.30pm Claire Hegarty, spokesperson for Peckham Heritage, said: “The consensus on the heritage value of Peckham’s built environment, established over many years with community support, has been ignored by Berkeley. The overbearing bulk of the proposal, rising like a citadel in Peckham town centre, will be damaging to Peckham’s character, while simultaneously not meeting the needs of Peckham’s communities.”
• South London Press: Eileen Conn, founder of Peckham Vision “It’s vital that many local people give their views on the plans, and if they think that they don’t benefit Peckham give their objections. This is an important way to help influence the Council decision” “We hope that all who care about Peckham’s heritage will tell people they know about the plans and about the zoom session on 11 November 7-8.30pm. “This will include a talk about the history of this part of the centre of Peckham, and give an opportunity to ask questions and discuss the issues.”
• SWLondoner online Residents rally against controversial Aylesham Centre redevelopment

24 October 2024 community gathering Peckham Levels

There was another excellent gathering of over 40 of us. We gave a catch-up report on the work going on to analyse the planning documents, and to spread the word to people locally. The meeting then heard from many of their individual thoughts about the plans. There was a broad consensus that they are a serious over development of the site which would radically change Peckham and lose a lot of what is valued by local people.

September 2024 Planning Application published

Berkeley's planning application published on the Council's Planning Portal. See details here.

• Thursday 26th September 2024 6.30-8pm community gathering Level 5/6 at Peckham Levels to catch up and review ACA campaign and how to make sure community voices have an effect. Please register to help the meeting arrangements.
• 14th September - ACA had a stall at the Peckham Festival to speak with many visitors about the campaign. Peckham Vision led a conversation with 984 Collective at their installation, on the theme of gentrification, about how community action can change Council plans.
• 7th September - Peckham Vision shared a stall with ACA and Peckham Heritage at Peckham Rye Fete.

August 2024 Media

Novaramedia 21 August 2024 Nobody in Peckham Wants More Luxury Flats ‘I don’t want to live in a soulless, corporate place.’ by Moya Lothian-McLean - this is an excellent article reporting the real issues. Here are two extracts:

• For decades, luxury developers have steamrolled councils and communities across London, promising affordable housing and trickle-down benefits that usually fail to materialise. Yet the fight over the Aylesham’s regeneration has allied not just long-term Peckham residents, but new generations of ‘gentrifiers’. And if they manage to beat Berkeley – and Southwark council – into compromise, the precedent set could resonate far beyond SE15…
• Josephine Francis and her beauty salon aren’t new to Peckham: Francis has weathered 25 years on Rye Lane… she tells me that local business owners have been kept in the dark about Berkeley’s plans. “I’ve never received any notification, newsletter, email, anything in regards to that project,” she says. Francis says that few of her friends within Peckham’s wider Afro-Caribbean community have heard anything about the plans either. But after getting wind of the proposals, Francis joined the ACA, whose membership is otherwise overrepresented by those at the whiter, wealthier end of the socio-economic spectrum. Berkeley’s failure to reach out to Black Peckham is a huge misstep, Francis believes. “We are Peckham,” she says. “The people coming [here] now, you’re coming because we’ve sustained Peckham. We want to keep the community spirit…”

26 July 2024 Failures in Berkeley consultation

Berkeley Homes have been consulting on their current plans for the Aylesham site for several months. This is the 'pre-app' stage (before the planning application is submitted) of public consultation by the developer.This has not included public meetings where local people could talk about the impact of the development and discuss that with the developers or other local people. The council has also been hosting meetings through their Aylesham Centre Community Forum (ACCF) which has been poorly organised with agendas at the last minute, and lengthy slide presentations from Berkeley with no chance for informed discussion. As a result, the ACCF has not been able to play a meaningful role in the consultation process. There are several other significant deficiencies in the consultation process given as requirements in the Council's Development Consultation Charter (DCC). These failures in the pre-app consultation are set out in more detail in three letters to Cllr Helen Dennis Cabinet member for New Homes and Sustainable Development:

• From Jed Holloway, (Planning Solicitor in Southwark Law Centre Planning Voice) 4th June 2024 on behalf of ACA, about Berkeley’s failure to comply with the legal requirements of the Council’s Development Consultation Charter (DCC); Headline points. and Legal letter.
• From Celia Moore (ACA community member of ACCF), 17th June 2024, setting out what has not been covered adequately by Berkeley in ACCF (Aylesham Centre Community Forum) and related consultation processes; ACA letter. and Attached note.
• From Eileen Conn, (Peckham Vision community member of ACCF) 9th July 2024, setting out how the ACCF has been poor community engagement and the need for a discussion with the Council about how to review and remedy that. Peckham Vision letter

ACA is seeking an urgent meeting with the Council to set out the case for delaying the validation of the planning application because of the failures in the ‘pre-app’ consultation process.

24 July 2024 community gathering Peckham Levels

Another great gathering of locals to hear the latest news and share and discuss the issues uppermost on their minds about the impact of this mega development on Peckham town centre. Unanimous agreement that the Berkeley consultation process has been totally inadequate to explore all the issues before the planning application. Yet now we have heard the planning application has been submitted and sometime soon the formal consultation will begin. The Rye Lane ward councillors who were present agreed to arrange a meeting for ACA with the Cabinet member for Planning and the senior officers involved. ACA would ask for the validation of the planning application to be deferred until the defects in the consultation can be remedied.

26 June 2024 community gathering Peckham Levels

The next ACA catch up and discussion about community action to get alternatives properly considered will be on Wed 26th June, from 6.30pm meeting 7-8pm. Do come and join us, and come back if you have been before! We need widespread participation in this to get the right plan for the site. Please register.

25 June 2024 Berkeley public meeting

Call to local people to come and tell Berkeley what you think about the plans before planning application submitted. Media reports:

• London News online - Peckham residents mobilise to voice opposition to town centre transformation
• Southwark News - ‘Peckham not for sale’: Fiery residents protest against Berkeley Homes regeneration of town centre.

17 June 2024 Community consultation inadequate

ACA wrote to the Council on 17 June 2024 setting out how the Berkeley consultation process has been shallow and inadequate, that many important aspects of the development have not been discussed, and so the planning application is not prepared adequately for submission. Acting on behalf of the ACA, the Southwark Law Centre also wrote on 4 June 2024 to the Council setting out (i) how the community engagement has not met the mandatory requirements of the Council’s Development Consultation Charter (DCC) which is part of the statutory Statement of Community Involvement (SCI), and (ii) how there has not been adequate preparation for the Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) which the Council requires to meet its Public Sector Equalities Duty (PSED). Headline points in the letter were summarised and listed in the covering email.

29 May 2024 community gathering Peckham Levels

This was a great ACA community meeting on 29 May in Peckham Levels. There was a catch up on what is known about Berkeley’s preparation of their planning application. This shows significant deficiencies which are not being addressed adequately. The photo shows local people engrossed in discussion about radical alternatives to the kind of plan that Berkeley have developed.

16 May 2024 Council Multi Ward Forum

This was the first public meeting arranged by the local councillors about the major redevelopment of the Aylesham redevelopment. It was held at Harris Academy Peckham, 112 Peckham Road. The Council also reported on the latest stage of trying to develop plans for the Peckham Library Square. Berkeley explained their plans for the Aylesham site. this was a rare chance for local people to say to ward councillors together what we think about the plans. But those hopes were dashed. There were about 180 there. But it was a disappointing experience. The 14 councillors as top-down decision makers sat up on a platform with Berkeley Homes the commercial developers, appearing to endorse the wrong plan for the site because it matched numbers in the Southwark Plan even though it is to local people a plan likely to ruin the attractive and unique qualities of Peckham town centre, while not meeting the real local needs for housing.
The many local people at the meeting were corralled into a Questions-only process with no comments at the only public meeting allowed. So there was no effective public discussion about the impact of the plans on Peckham. In the Questions it was clear there was full opposition to the current plans and demands for a rethink. People said there had not been proper community engagement on key issues of sustainability, green and open spaces, and the impact on the town centre small businesses, and called for more time for this before the planning application. There was unanimous support for a minimum of 50% affordable housing, and rejection of Berkeley Homes plan to sell the housing unaffordable to local people for 2nd homes. Several other issues were raised but there was no opportunity for satisfactory discussion.
Campaigners are encouraging people to write to their local ward councillors. Ward councillors have said they want to hear from their constituents. They ask that you write to them giving your views about the plans: Send your email to - Rye Lane ward councillors: Esme.Dobson@southwark.gov.uk, chloejtomlinson@gmail.com, Jasmine.Ali@southwark.gov.uk, CC to your own ward councillors. Click here to find their email addresses for your postcode - https://moderngov.southwark.gov.uk/mgFindMember.aspx? .

May Media

• Southwark News 14 May 2024 Graphic shows how Peckham regeneration will ‘loom over lower-rise historic Peckham’ The picture shows the iconic Jones & Higgins building being dwarfed by huge towers. A petition launched by ACA making several demands of Berkeley and Southwark Council has gathered over 3,000 signatures. ACA has urged them to provide 50 per cent social housing rather than the 35 per cent usually stipulated by Southwark Council. The petition also demands that existing shops be protected, the creation of quality green space, and better communication with the community.

April Media

• Southwark News 5 April 2024 Petition calls for more community involvement and social housing on Peckham Town Centre redevelopment. The online petition, launched by campaign group Aylesham Community Action (ACA), says: “Plans will soon be submitted for a massive redevelopment of the Aylesham Centre in Peckham. 14 new buildings of up to 20 storeys are proposed for the site – however community awareness remains low. “The current proposal doesn’t fit, won’t work and must change. Peckham’s communities have not been adequately listened to throughout the process. We support development of the site but the latest scheme contains the same issues as the previous, widely rejected plan. A more imaginative approach is possible.”

Tuesday 23rd April 2024 community gathering Peckham Levels

The 3rd monthly gathering for discussions about the Aylesham redevelopment and to meet other local people will take place in Peckham Levels from 6.30-8pm.
One of the serious omissions in developer Berkeley Homes 'community consultation' is that there has been no opportunity for community public discussion. For effective community engagement this is essential. In the absence of anything being provided by the developer, ACA is now arranging monthly community discussions in Peckham Levels. That is a good venue as it enables people to meet socially for informal conversation before and after the discussion and meet other local people to share thoughts and experiences of Peckham. All this is important for a local community to think together about the issues that affect us all - like the redevelopment of the Aylesham Centre. The first two gatherings have been successful with much animated discussion and leading to the consensus that a new petition is essential. The third monthly gathering will discuss progress on stimulating the widespread community conversation, and news on Berkeley Homes preprations and timeline for the planning application. Please note the date and help us by signing up when the Eventbrite link is ready. Google on Eventbrite for the link soon. ALL WELCOME, even if you don't manage to register in advance. Please spread the word about this event when you publicise the petition.

25th March 2024 new petition launched

Berkeley Homes have said they are soon going to submit their planning application for the Aylesham redevelopment. There are still significant gaps in their community consultations and other information they are required to collect and should have made available for discussion. The plans are for a massive redevelopment of the Aylesham Centre site in Peckham. 14 new buildings of up to 20 storeys are proposed for the site - between Rye Lane, Hanover Park and Peckham High Street. Community awareness remains low.

• ACA has started a new petition to open up this issue right across all the varied communities in Peckham, so there can be a real public community discussion about the kind of development that's right for Peckham and its people. This is a development that will shape Peckham for many decades and the community has to express its views now. The petition will help to get the attention of the Council and Berkeley Homes that much more needs to be done to get local people involved and engaged in the discussion, before the formal planning process can start.

* Please sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/RightForPeckham

• Please copy that link to spread the word to your friends and neighbours and in local online forums, social media and WhatsApp local groups. Find new ways to get the information to your neighbours in your street so that all parts of our community are included. Let's show what a widespread local conversation about the future of our neighbourhood looks like.
• Can you help to deliver leaflets, collect more signatures, arrange a local meeting in your area or local group, or any other way?

If you can help the campaign, please email <ayleshamcommunityaction@gmail.com> to make contact.

community gathering 19 March 2024 at Peckham Levels

Tuesday 19th March community gathering Level 6 at Peckham Levels

There was a great buzz at the ACA community discussion about the Aylesham redevelopment by Berkeley Homes. Nearly 60 of us there. Consensus that it isn’t the right development for that site! There was great energy to get the message out across Peckham and stimulate widespread discussion about what is the right development. Discussion will continue Tues 23rd April 6.30-8pm at Peckham Levels. Please join the mailing list to keep up! - ayleshamcommunityaction@gmail.com

• 6.30-8pm 2nd ACA monthly event at Peckham Levels More info & register here.
• The Standard article here.

12th March 2024 Community Consultation process

Peckham Vision helped with others to found ACA (Aylesham Community Action) in 2020 with the aim of achieving effective engagement for the local community with the council and the developer to achieve development plans for the major Aylesham Centre site that were right for that site in such a significant location in the town centre. Throughout the consultation process with two owner/developers and several firms of architects it has been relatively superficial and not produced a scheme which fits with the town centre. In our view it has not yet met the requirements of the Council's own procedures set out in the Development Consultation Charter (DCC) which is part of the Statement of Community Involvement (SCI). We have also been working with the solicitor at Planning Voice in the Southwark Law Centre to examine how the process so far does not meet the requirements in the SCI/DCC. As a result the Law Centre has written to the Council on behalf of ACA setting out what we consider to be the requirements which must be met before the planning application is submitted.

20th February 6.30-8pm ACA community event Peckham Levels

• Around 60 attended the meeting which was very successful. See the notes from the meeting - Follow up email after the meeting and further meeting notes.
• Level 6 at Peckham Levels Tuesday 20th February 6.30-8pm - come to this ACA community event for discussions on everything about the Aylesham redevelopment. Meet other local people socially and enjoy discussions about Peckham and how local people can have an effect on the plans. Register here to help prepare for refreshments.
• Latest: The first plan from Berkeley was strongly rejected last year by thousands of local people. BH recruited new architects who have just produced new plans but they don’t look much different. There is still a lot to discuss about whether this is the right kind of development for this very large site in the heart of Peckham town centre.

13th February 2024 Media

• Evening Standard The south London neighbourhood has never been so happening — which may be its downfall. As luxury housing and rising rents loom, residents are battling ‘gentrification on steroids’ ARE WE WITNESSING THE SLOW DEATH OF PECKHAM? HOW RESIDENTS ARE BATTLING BIG BUSINESS TO SAVE THE AREA'S SOUL.
• Southwark News A local campaign group is still questioning whether the 850-unit scheme is 'right' for the area. Following accusations that its initial plans for the Aylesham Centre were an “overdevelopment”, developer Berkeley Homes has returned with proposals featuring shorter buildings and fewer homes. But local campaign group Aylesham Community Action (ACA) still says the “high-rise” scheme, with “minimal” green space, is wrong for Peckham.
• The Standard 23 August 2023 What we might lose. Area guide to Peckham: team GB sprinter Imani-Lara Lansiquot on the ‘chaotic’ south London area she’ll always call home.

11th February 2024 ACA statement

ACA have just released a statement following Berkeley’s exhibition of their latest plans. Summary messages:

• The ACA continues to question if this is the right type of development for Peckham. The new proposals are essentially the same as those rejected by thousands of local people over the last 10‐years: the insertion of very large buildings into low‐rise, historic Peckham, to create flats that will be unaffordable to most local people, with minimal green or open space
• The scheme takes Peckham back to high‐rise development that has failed it in the past and the London Assembly has stated has problems with diversity of accommodation, lack of family housing, maintenance costs, embodied carbon, and community cohesion
• The site allocation in the Southwark Plan of 850 units, which was contested by local people and considered to be an unjust process, is shown to be unsuitable. The new scheme indeed exceeds the indicative allocation given it was based on the bus station also being developed
• There is still no coherent plan for the development showing the scheme can work, including traffic flows, the vision for the town centre economy, local public services and more
• Concerns about the impact on adjacent businesses and services provided to both low income and ethnic minority communities have not been addressed
• Public opposition to this approach goes back to 2013 and it is unclear what has substantially changed to try and gain Peckham’s support

January-February 2024 new masterplan unveiled

• Berkeley Homes are showing new masterplan designs in their Hub in the Aylesham Centre arcade https://theayleshamcentre.community/ These can be seen here: https://theayleshamcentre.community/the-aylesham-exhibition-boards-january-2024/ But they need explanations and discussions to understand them and what their impact will be. So visit the Berkeley Consultation Hub at Unit 15A of the Aylesham Centre, open Tuesdays (1pm – 5pm) and Fridays (9am – 1pm).
  

January 2024 More New Architects

from AJ Architects Journal 10 January 2024 - dRMM joined by new names on major Peckham regeneration scheme - Dowen Farmer Architects and Feix&Merlin have joined the recently appointed dRMM-led team regenerating the Aylesham Centre in Peckham, south London. The two locally based practices were revealed last month as the latest members of the design team working on the 2.7ha redevelopment following dRMM’s appointment last August. Developer Berkeley Homes and Southwark Council say Dowen Farmer and Feix&Merlin will work alongside the already announced Jas Bhalla Architects and nimtim architects on the scheme masterplanned by dRMM. Designs for the scheme are due to be unveiled later this month as part of an initial public consultation on the latest proposals for the long-running – and highly controversial – development.

2023

click to enlarge

December 2023 South London Press

Peckham ‘may never look the same again’ as town centre and railway station are set for huge redevelopment. "Peckham town centre and its railway station are set for a massive multi-million pound transformation, with some plans to redevelop the area to be finished as early as 2027. A £40million project by Network Rail to redevelop Peckham Rye railway station was given planning permission on Tuesday, and will form part of Southwark council’s £27million plan to create a new civic square between the station and Rye Lane. It joins the enormous redevelopment of the Aylesham centre in Rye Lane – led by developer Berkeley Homes and believed to be valued in the hundreds of millions of pounds – and a £6million council-led redevelopment of Peckham Square."

November 2023 new developer consultation

NEW INFORMATION from Berkeley the developers Drop-in

• Saturdays 18th + Sat 25th November, 10am-1pm at Main Hall, Rye Lane Baptist Chapel, 59A Rye Lane

OR

• Tuesdays (1pm – 5pm) and Fridays (9am – 1pm) at Consultation Hub at Unit 15A Aylesham Centre – .

November 2023 Jones & Higgins

• Southwark News 15th November 2023. Planning application submitted to convert Jones & Higgins tower in to a night club.

August 2023 New architects

• From AJ Architects Journal 11 August 2023 - dRMM team takes over from Sheppard Robson on major Peckham regeneration. Jas Ballah of the new dRMM team says - "… The success of this project will be defined by how harmoniously new buildings and spaces support the existing ecosystem of businesses and traders.” We agree. We look forward to hearing more.

May 2023 Start again

• From AJ Architects Journal 10 May 2023 - Sheppard Robson departs controversial Peckham tower scheme "The architect said it had agreed with its client that a ‘fresh start’ was needed for the plans to replace an existing shopping complex, the Aylesham Centre, with a 14-block development featuring towers of up to 27 storeys. The hugely contentious 1,050-home proposal for the 2.7ha site came in for heavy criticism from both a community group and the local council when the plans went out to consultation earlier this year." Peckham Vision has said in the Council's new Aylesham Community Council Forum (ACCF) that the local community must be engaged in wide public discussion about the definition of the character of Peckham and the town centre before the new 'masterplan' is developed.
• The Guardian 13 May/Observer 14 May 2023 ‘It doesn’t need regeneration’: Peckham’s charm under threat from gentrification plans "The quirky appeal of Rye Lane is threatened by developer’s high-rise flats, say residents."
• Berkeley new Design Brief.
• ACA response to the new Design Brief.
• Southwark News Herbie Russell 18th May 2023 Berkeley’s Rye Lane shopping centre redevelopment goes back to the drawing board “But a local campaign group is concerned that the new design brief for the Aylesham Centre is 'the same thing' as before.”

April 2023 impact on heritage

Southwark News - Peckham historian battles to get listed status for the Jones & Higgins building despite Historic England snub. Nancy Coleman-Frank said Berkeley's plans for the Aylesham Centre made heritage status "more important than ever".

click to enlarge

click to enlarge - leaflet for on-line meeting & petition

March 2023 Over development

• ACA (Aylesham Community Action) has created a series of graphics images here giving an impression of how a pedestrian would see Peckham town centre if the Berkeley Homes masterplan proposals, published in December, were developed. The page also gives links to media articles about the plans, and copies of ACA campaign leaflets and posters.
• Southwark News March 2023 "... the ‘Borough Triangle’ development, in Elephant and Castle, could be forced back to the drawing board thanks to Sadiq Khan’s new fire safety announcement. It appears that one of south east London’s biggest residential developments may have hit an even bigger stumbling block. Developer Berkeley declined to comment on whether it would be submitting revised plans, but it’s difficult to see what other options are open to them. Khan has been clear that every residential block over 30 metres must have two staircases and their current plans simply don’t tick that box. It will also be interesting to see what implications this has for other tall developments across the borough. Will the Aylesham Centre 27 and 20-storey blocks, also proposed by Berkeley, meet the new standards? This is something the News will investigate."
• Peckham Peculiar Comtinued controversies. "Berkeley Homes’ plans for the redevelopment of the Aylesham Centre in Peckham town centre continue to attract controversy and opposition, with campaigners claiming that display boards at the current exhibition of its masterplan proposals are misleading and inaccurate...“Berkeley’s consultation information is really misleading,” Eileen Conn of Peckham Vision told the Peckham Peculiar. “It indicates that the development would create a significant amount of green and publicly open spaces. “They say people asked for this – but that meant real public open space at ground level, because there is hardly any in the town centre. These plans don’t in any way provide such spaces.”

February 2023 Staggering scale

• Southwark News- …staggering true scale of the Aylesham Centre redevelopment …Campaigners have produced shocking graphics showing how it could look. Aylesham Community Action (ACA) says the images show how the… blocks would “loom over” Peckham like “a citadel”
• SE Londoner- Confrontation continues over Peckham Aylesham Centre development

January 2023 green space misleading info

Southwark News-

• Display boards are “misleading on green space” claim campaigners on consultation for 27-storey development above Peckham shopping centre.

2022

December 2022 Masterplan criticised

• Architects Journal, 8 December 2022 Sheppard Robson’s Peckham tower scheme for Berkeley slammed by council.
• Click here for Council pre-app letter.

November 2022 Masterplan published by Berkeley

• Berkeley events - Details here.
  • consultation events.
• ACA events
  • Weds 7th December, 7pm-8pm ACA online meeting. Register here: https://bit.ly/3H7YMih
  • Sign the petition here - https://www.change.org/StandupForPeckham

12th August 2022 Southwark News

https://southwarknews.co.uk/news/regeneration/peckham-braces-for-the-next-chapter-in-aylesham-centre-redevelopment/

click to enlarge

10th August 2022 ACA online meeting

It is important for local people to have a chance to discuss the emerging ideas with each other, rather than just responding to sometimes not very clear or informative surveys. So ACA (Aylesham Community Action) has arranged a zoom meeting to report and discuss the latest on the development on Wednesday 10 August from 8pm-8:45pm, with informal discussion to 9pm, if you want to stay. We are keen also to hear what else you would find helpful to digest the information about this big development with a major impact on Peckham.- If you would like to attend, please register by email to get the zoom link: ayleshamcommunityaction@gmail.com or scan QR code on the poster -->>>

July 2022 Berkeley Homes consultations

Berkeley Homes (BH) consultation BH, the developers of the site, are continuing their consultation process by doing it in short stages over the summer. There seem to be two consultation surveys at this time:

• https://www.theayleshamcentre.community/yoursay : on their 'development principles', and possible design options for the ground floor of the development, in a 'fluid and unfixed format'.
• https://bit.ly/3BbyqsZ : on whether the plan should include a bus route like the plan of Tiger, the previous developer.

To discuss and ask questions, you can visit their consultation hub (in the Aylesham Arcade) on Tuesdays from 1-5pm and Fridays from 9am-1pm in July. They aim to release their actual proposals in Autumn, with more detailed and fixed proposals in Winter, and official planning application submission in early 2023.

• After you have done the surveys, let us know what you think of the consultation process and the development ideas by emailing ACA at - ayleshamcommunityaction@gmail.com . The ACA online meeting on 10th August will report on the information emerging and the questions arising.

to download leaflet, click to the left on 'directly from the pdf here'

June 2022 ACA Saturdays 11am-1pm table in Rye Lane

Beginning in May, ACA is most Saturdays (when there are enough volunteers) in Rye Lane at the entrance to the Aylesham Centre with information about the ACA, about the development, and with the Self-led Site visit leaflets. Do come and say hello. Join the mailing list - ayleshamcommunityaction@gmail.com - and ask for info about the dates the ACA table will be there.

May 2022 Self-led Site Visit

ACA has produced a leaflet encouraging local people to visit the site, on a guided walk in their own time, and learn about the redevelopment issues. This leaflet can be downloaded from the ACA news item here or directly from the pdf here. A copy can also be picked up in printed form from Peckham Vision's shop in Holdrons Arcade, 137A Rye Lane. The Arcade is open every day and the site visit leaflets are available in the leaflet boxes in front of Peckham Vision shop window, half way down the Arcade. Email to let us know if you make a visit and let us know how it was, and if any queries or comments.

April 2022 update

Berkeley Group have conducted some consultations to raise awareness of their presence and work to develop plans for the site. Information on these can be found on [ Berkeley Aylesham website]. ACA have had a few meetings with them urging a two way dialogue but it mostly remains one way from Berkeley to local people on ad hoc encounters. They say they will soon be consulting on their ideas for the site. The time scale seems to be slipping as we expected it would, though they are still they say aiming for a planning application by the end of the year.

January 2022 Community online workshop

• Saturday 22nd January 2022 11am-12.45pm Community online workshop: Aylesham Centre Redevelopment Register & more info and poster for print. Virtual site visit map

This on-line event followed up the in-person event in November, and took a virtual tour of the site. It was a great community event - an example of real horizontal engagement - local people talking to one another - about Peckham's requirements in coming decades. The great event brought local people together through zoom to learn from each other about the site and how it fits into the town centre. Horizontal engagement strengthens the community and is essential for any corporate (vertical) engagement to be meaningful. If you want to keep up to date on what happens next, please join the ACA mailing list – email: ayleshamcommunityaction@gmail.com

2020-2021

November 2021 site tour

on the site tour November 2021

on the site tour November 2021

On Saturday 20th November 2021, we had our first event in Peckham town centre since the pandemic began. Peckham Vision is working as part of Aylesham Community Action (ACA). It was a fantastic walkabout on and around the Aylesham Centre redevelopment site. We started on the steps under the Arch opposite the Jones & Higgins tower, as the site is right up at the backs of the historic buildings on Peckham High Street. We had several stops to look at the issues raised by the previous owner's plans. We ended our walkabout with an hour’s discussion in Peckham Levels overlooking the site. It was a great team building event preparing for discussions with the new owners, Berkeley Group, about Peckham’s requirements and how their development will meet them. Please join us to take part in the community discussions and strengthen community voice. Join the email list: - ayleshamcommunityaction@gmail.com ACA - https://www.ayleshamcommunityaction.co.uk

July 2021 site sold to Berkeley

The site has been sold by Blackrock to Berkeley Group. ACA and Peckham Vision will seek discussion about Berkeeley working collaboratively with the local community - all parts of it - in creating the brief for the site. That has been missing all the time so far. It is a new start and we will be approaching them to ask for collaboration on devising real community engagement on the brief. They talk about community engagement on their website so worth trying to pioneer how to do it for real.

December 2020 first success

graphic created for the petition by Aylesham Community Action

The first stage of the campaign for meaningful consultation has been successful. The planning application was not submitted in 2020. Discussions are now in process on the way to design a different and genuine informed public discussion about the development of the site. These discussions are taking place between ACA members and local ward councillors and representatives of Tiger Developments, the owner of the site. See also here: history of the Aylesham site and latest update from Aylesham Community Action (ACA).

September 2020 SIGN PETITION

Petition for meaningful consultation on Aylesham Redevelopment. SIGN HERE http://www.change.org/PECKHAMVOICES We can have an effect if we get a lot of signatures for thorough examination of these plans before the planning application. There are big questions about the amount of truly affordable housing, amenities for children and families, public space, impact on the character of the area, impact on adjacent housing, and many other issues. Their consultations fail tests of genuine consultation. The petition is simply seeking a real consultation. We have proposals for that ready to discuss with them. This is a collaboration with others from Peckham Heritage and Peckham Society in the new group Aylesham Community Action - leaflet. A5 flyer The four images below show the whole site and its surrounds. The first is an aerial view now, and the others a photo of the developers model, their diagram of the plan, and a campaign graphic showing heights of the new buildings on the diagram.
Media coverage:

• Resident Advisor Sep 2020
• Southwark News 24 Sep 2020
• https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/anger-at-1000-home-peckham-skyscraper-which-will-block-views-and-take-six-years-to-finish/
• https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/dont-damage-peckhams-diverse-neighbourhood/
• https://www.southwarknews.co.uk/news/aylesham-centre-regeneration-under-fire-developer-pledges-continued-engagement-over-plans/

Poster in 2017-18

Rooftop view

site map in NSP 2017 Preferred Option

site map in PNAAP 2014

February 2020 Developer's exhibition

AYLESHAM CENTRE REDEVELOPMENT CONSULTATION: Tiger Developments are holding exhibitions of their plans for their major redevelopment of the Aylesham Centre at Unit 15 in the Aylesham Centre on SATURDAYS 22nd and 29th FEBRUARY 10am-2pm WEDNESDAY 26 and THURSDAY 27 FEBRUARY 4-8pm

• Visit to give your feedback. This redevelopment will have a major effect on the town centre. Some issues to look at - height of buildings, affordable housing, commercial spaces, redesign of bus station, effect on historic buildings, effect on rest of town centre.
• Further information from: http://www.ayleshamcentrepeckham.co.uk . Phone: 0800 307 7562. email: info@ayleshamcentrepeckham.co.uk and ask to be put on their mailing list.

2019

December 2019 news

We have heard that there will be a pre planning application consultation in the first three months of 2020. This is usually just a few weeks before the formal planning application is submitted. So these are likely to be the final plans from the developer. The concerns remain the same as before: The height of any buildings interfering with the rooftop views and the provision of social housing and not unaffordable flats.

March 2019 news

There has been no public news about the development for over a year. The Developers say they wil be consulting again in 2019.

2017

December 2017 Petition to stop the 20 Storey Tower in Peckham

The rooftop view from the Peckham Multi Storey and the Bussey Building is now famous. But we have heard that the developers of the Aylesham Centre / Morrison's site are doing what the Council has been encouraging them to do throughout our campaign to draw attention to it - planning a 20-27 storey tower block. This is just in front of the Peckham Multi Storey and the Bussey Building. So the view that we and others have promoted for 10 years, and has had a dramatic positive effect on Peckham's economy, is threatened. Previous information about the campaign to protect the rooftop views. There are also additional reasons for opposing a tall building in the town centre - it is the wrong kind of housing for Peckham people, the real housing need can't be met by expensive flats in tall towers, and it is totally out of scale with the nature and character of Peckham town centre that has evolved over centuries.

To support the campaign to halt the tall building on the Aylesham Centre:

• Sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/southwark-council-stop-a-20-storey-luxury-tower-in-peckham
• Call in to Peckham Vision’s shop in Holdrons Arcade, 135A Rye Lane, Saturdays 2-5pm, Tuesdays 2-4pm
• Write to: letters@slp.co.uk , letters@southwarknews.org , letters@standard.co.uk
• Write to developers at: info@ayleshamcentrepeckham.co.uk
• Spread the word through your networks and contacts
• tweet your picture of the view to @NTlovesLondon @peckhamvision

5th November 2017 - 27 Storey Tower Block

The rooftop view from the Peckham Multi Storey and the Bussey Building is now famous. But we have just heard that the developers of the Aylsham Centre / Morrison's site are planning a 27 storey tower block. This is just in front of the Peckham Multi Storey and the Bussey Building. So the view that we and others have promoted for 10 years, and has had a dramatic positive effect on Peckham's economy, is threatened. Previous information about the campaign to protect the rooftop views.
To support the campaign to halt the tall building on the Aylesham Centre:

• Sign the petition: https://www.change.org/p/southwark-council-stop-a-20-storey-luxury-tower-in-peckham
• Call in to Peckham Vision’s shop in Holdrons Arcade, 135A Rye Lane, Saturdays 2-5pm, Tuesdays 2-4pm
• Write to: letters@slp.co.uk , letters@southwarknews.org , letters@standard.co.uk
• Write to developers at: info@ayleshamcentrepeckham.co.uk
• Spread the word through your networks and contacts

1st April 2017 Peckham Vision 4 sites walk

The Aylesham development site (NSP55) is one of 4 Peckham sites in the Council’s draft New Southwark Plan (NSP). Nearly 40 of us went on our Peckham Vision walk last Saturday to visit these 4 large development sites. In spite of forecast rain showers, it was a lovely day to explore from a new angle Peckham town centre. See here some photos of the walk: and Further information.

23rd February 2017 Local voices from 2016

Each year, Peckham Vision takes its stall and mobile exhibition about the town centre developments to several community fairs and festivals. The fairs are well attended and over the years since 2008, we have discussed the town centre developments with hundreds of local people. In 2016 one of the displays was about the Aylesham Centre redevelopment and we asked people to put comments on post-it notes. All the comments were typed up and are shown here. Selections and summaries of the comments are shown to illustrate the themes that emerged under these headings: • Scale & height of buildings • Street scene • Housing • Uses on the site • Facilities on the site • Consultation process. This document has been sent to the developers and their consultants and published through Peckham Vision's communication channels to contribute to the discussion. This community exercise, over several months in 2016 organised by Peckham Vision quite separately from the developers two workshops in November 2016, produced similar and complementary local responses showing their consistency with different audiences.

6th February 2017 New Southwark Plan (NSP)

The Council has published its Preferred Option of the New Southwark Plan (NSP) the borough land use planning policy for the next 15 - 20 years. This contains 4 proposed development sites in Peckham town centre, one of which is a revised plan for the Aylesham site which was first designated as a development site in the 2014 PNAAP (Peckham & Nunhead Area Action Plan). The proposals for the Aylesham site can be seen on pages 208-210 of the NSP in this extract of the Peckham pages. This Preferred Option Version of the NSP is out for consultation until 5pm 28 April 2017. Peckham Vision will be disseminating further information and holding discussions about the plans during the NSP consultation period.

21st January 2017 Community-led workshop

community-led workshop

Members of Peckham Vision and Peckham Citizens met together in this Community-led workshop on Sat 21st January 2017 to develop communities' ideas and aspirations for the site.

2016

First consultations November 2016

Tiger Developments held their first public discussions with local people in November 2016 at two developer organised workshops in Rye Lane Chapel. The reports from these workshops are here. To be kept up to date with future events organised by the developers email: info@ayleshamcentrepeckham.co.uk . Their website is here: http://www.ayleshamcentrepeckham.co.uk

Background to Aylesham & Morrison's site development

2016

The largest re-development site in Peckham town centre is the Aylesham Centre and Morrison’s car park.

Southwark News has reported that up to 1000 new flats, with shops, evening entertainment and public space could replace the current shops and car park. The site is owned by a joint enterprise between Tiger Developments and hedge fund Blackrock. For such a large and important site it is essential that local people have a chance to contribute their ideas and their needs before the site owners develop their plans for discussion with the Council.

For a long time we asked Tiger Developments and Blackrock, the owners and developers, to meet with us to discuss how local people can contribute before the plans are further developed. We had no response. Out of the blue in mid November 2016 we received an email about a consultation workshop on 23rd November 2016. This was far too little notice, and places limited to 50. After protestations at the limit on numbers they arranged a second workshop for the following evening. The developer's report on the workshops is here. Developer's information about the development is here. People should email info@ayleshamcentrepeckham.co.uk to ask to be on their mailing list for further events and information.

What local people say

Local voices from summer 2016

Each year, Peckham Vision takes its stall and mobile exhibition about the town centre developments to several community fairs and festivals. The fairs are well attended and over the years since 2008, we have discussed the town centre developments with hundreds of local people. In 2016 one of the displays was about the Aylesham Centre redevelopment and we asked people to put comments on post-it notes. All the comments were typed up and are shown here. Selections and summaries of the comments are shown to illustrate the themes that emerged under these headings: • Scale & height of buildings • Street scene • Housing • Uses on the site • Facilities on the site • Consultation process.

Spring 2016

We held an informal event in March 2016 at Peckham Library Square together with UCL students who presented their design proposals for the site, all with the purpose to bring awareness to the demolition and potential changes and to received feedback from locals on what they want. Their survey showed that local people think they should be allowed to decide how the development goes, who it's for, how tall the buildings are and how it contributes to the local economy. The survey reflects well known opinion about the town centre:

• We wish to protect the view from the Multi-storey
  • https://www.change.org/p/protect-peckham-s-rooftop-view
  • http://peckhampeculiar.tumblr.com/post/99639920971/dont-destroy-our-view
• We do not wish for tall buildings on this site as it would block views from the Multi-storey & Bussey building
• We need more affordable social houses not private homes
• We wish to keep Peckham mixed and diverse
• A call for more public toilets
• Traffic flow considerations
• Provision for the disabled
• A call for green space
• We need safe spaces and activities for the elderly, children and community use
• We wish to support local business
• Keep parking capacity that currently serves the site and help local businesses
• A call for a market, garden growing, and fresh produce for Peckham people
• we want a street scene and not a closed shopping mall
• We want the gaps filled in basic quality high street provision

Oliver Goldsmith Estate (Peckham) resident, Peckham Vision volunteer and UCL academic John Bingham-Hall said:
_{“this is the biggest development in the town centre and will fundamentally shape Peckham’s character. The developers are working on plans without having asked residents what they would like to see happen here - they’re missing out on so many good ideas. Many people are positive about change but want to see it happen in a way that benefits them. So rather than wait to be consulted we decided to start the conversation ourselves and get people talking. It’s fantastic that we could link up Peckham Vision’s energy with the skills of the Bartlett students, who were looking for a community project to work on. I just hope Tiger Developments can see that this will be better for everyone if we work together.”}

Upcoming events and consultation dates

• Developer's workshop on 23rd November 2016.
• Peckham Vision's stall has information about the development. The photos show the stall and display informing people of the Aylesham's redevelopment and asking them for views on what they wanted on that site, at Goose Green community fair on 8th May 2016. We have had the stall at several community fairs over the summer - Nunhead Cemetery Open Day on Sat 21st May, Choumert Sq Open Gardens 5th June, Brimmington Park Festival 2nd July, and at the Peckham Rye Fete on 3rd September. The information is also available in the Peckham Vision shop in Holdron's Arcade at 135A Rye Lane on Saturday and Tuesday afertnoons 2-4pm. Do come and visit.
  
  

Social media

• https://twitter.com/public_culture/status/711178655276404736
• https://twitter.com/EnoraRobin/status/711134372552970240
• https://www.facebook.com/PeckhamVision/posts/1093697710653091
• https://www.facebook.com/PeckhamVision/posts/1124723300883865

More info

• Peckham Vision post on recent event to raise awareness in Peckham Library Square (23 March, 2016).
• An entry on the forum for Southwark, Lewisham, Greenwich and anything South East London-related issues on the potential of 20 storey building from details in the PNAAP (Peckham and Nunhead Area Action Plan) document.
  
  

Press coverage

South London Press (29 March 2016)

• Southwark News (25 February, 2015).
  Campaign to save Peckham’s rooftop views gains support. Campaigners have rallied against a proposal to construct a 20-story building in central Peckham.
• Southwark News (11 February, 2016)
  Block of a thousand flats planned for Peckham town centre
• Southwark News (18 February, 2016)
  Demolishing the Aylesham Centre for flats would mean ‘no more Peckham’
  
• South London Press (29 March 2016) Residents' Ideas aim to put town centre on the map >>>>

Webpage started March 2016