Lewisham House No. 1 submits rival plans, to deliver 320 co-living homes "at pace"
The leaseholder of Lewisham House argues that its plans for the site should have been included in Landsec's Lewisham Shopping Centre masterplan, and that its scheme is "practical, viable, and ready to deliver".
Lewisham House No.1 Limited (LHN1), the long-term leaseholder of Lewisham House at 25 Molesworth Street, submitted its planning application to Lewisham Council on 9 October.
LHN1’s proposal would see the delivery of around 320 professionally managed co-living studios alongside shared amenities for the residents, with ground floor commercial and public space.
It plans to sustainably retrofit the 1970's office building, bringing it back into active use.
LHN1 argues that they can deliver new homes within 3 - 5 years, helping to address Lewisham's housing shortage, alongside providing community benefits through their associated investment into Lewisham Town Centre.
However, LHN1’s proposal was excluded from the Landsec Lewisham Shopping Centre masterplan and Landsec have presented alternative plans. Lendsec's masterplan is due to be determined by Lewisham Council’s Strategic Planning Committee at its meeting on 16 October,
LHN1 argues that Landsec's plans include an "out-of-character bolt on tower", which narrows access to the masterplan area, and that the plans also depend on a costly and time-consuming compulsory purchase process.
LHN1 has raised formal objections to the Landsec proposals for the site. It argued that it is financially unviable, would fail to deliver affordable housing early and is excessive in "massing and height", in December 2024.
Its further objection in September 2025 argues that, furthermore, the plans do not comply with the newly adopted Lewisham Local Plan policies on masterplanning and stakeholder engagement.
LHN1 states that according to the GLA and BNP Paribas viability assessment, the Landsec scheme faces a deficit of £492 million, far higher than Landsec’s own estimate of a £266 million deficit.
A spokesperson for RENU, Development Managers for the Lewisham House project, said: “Large, complex schemes like the shopping centre inevitably face challenges with viability, phasing, and financing. Securing planning approval alone does not guarantee delivery ..
“Our plans involve a high-quality retrofit of this long-vacant landmark building to deliver around 320 professionally managed co-living studios within three to five years, far ahead of the shopping centre timescales.
"Repurposing Lewisham House is a sustainable, low-risk approach. It avoids unnecessary demolition, reduces carbon emissions and waste, preserves the building’s character, and minimises disruption in the town centre.
"With the requirement for Lewisham Council to use their compulsory purchase powers for our site, there is a real risk that the development and delivery of homes in this particular phase of the proposed Landsec masterplan doesn’t come forward for many years.
"Crucially, our scheme complements the wider proposed Landsec masterplan, easing delivery pressures and helping to rebalance viability across the site, while providing certainty and progress now."
LHN1 argues that their scheme offers an immediate opportunity to bring new homes, affordable housing contributions, and public benefits to the town centre, while supporting the long-term ambition of the shopping centre masterplan.
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