building at the top of Kent house road

[poppy]

Does anyone know what is happening with this? It is a very nice building. It has been boarded up for a while now....

[leenewham]

It has planning permission to turn it into flats according to the white bit of paper stuck on a gate behind the fly tipping. PErhaps people objected and its now in a state of limbo.

It would be awful for yet more buildings to be demolished to make way for boring cheap replacements.

[simon]

Which building do you mean exactly?

[poppy]

On Sydenham road, I think it is next to the (baptist?) church. A detached building that faces you if coming out of Kent House road...

[leaf]

I posted about this building some months back, it belongs to lewisham council and was once a halfway house [or something along those lines], i expect they are letting run into disrepair then they can sell off it and the land it sits on for a princely sum.

[leenewham]

In a time where there is supposed to be a housing crisis, why are there many buildings like this lying empty. I read that there are some 80,000 homes in London like this.

Add it's a nice building and what is a neglected part of Sydenham.

If Lewisham council are the owners, why have they left it to rot? Perhaps someone could find out...Chris Best perhaps?

[Chris Best]

The building was leased to South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (SLAM) and they handed the property back to Lewisham. As Lewisham does not have the capital required to completely renovate the building we approached a number of housing associations and agreed terms with one of the larger associations. They have decided not to proceed with the sale and we are now looking at a larger site including the derelict garages at the rear. I really hope we will be able to move this on as it has stood empty for far too long.

Chris

[leenewham]

Thanks for this Chris.

I hope this doesn't mean that they are thinking of knocking it down. If they are I will STRONGLY oppose this! It's one of the few remaining nice buildings in that row. It would be nice to get this building back to some use, it's a neglected part of Sydenham.

Regards

Lee

[poppy]

Can it not be converted into quality private housing. If developers were given tight restrictions? For eg, if windows need replacing has to be wood etc...