Planning application for 18-storey tower block (and more) in central Penge

[alywin]

Well, we've known it's been on the cards for a while, but a planning application has now been lodged with Bromley Council to demolish Penge's Blenheim shopping centre and car park and replace it with 4 blocks, of 3, 6, 9 and 18 storeys, respectively. This involves the loss of 150+ car parking spaces and a significant reduction in existing commercial floorspace (currently occupied, among others, by Iceland, Wilko and Peacocks).

"Phased development including demolition of existing buildings and erection of four blocks to facilitate a mixed-use development providing up
to 250 dwellings, up to 2,828sqm of commercial/town centre floorspace and associated communal amenity space and play space, cycle
parking, refuse storage and plant space in four buildings ranging between 3 and 18 storeys. Provision of public realm and new pocket park at
ground floor with associated landscaping improvements. Provision of 24 commercial car parking spaces and 8 blue badge spaces for the
residential accommodation."

Presumably "commercial" car parking is for shoppers? If so, do the planners seriously think that 250 dwellings with no parking spaces is a good idea? (And where, apart from Sainsbury's not-very-large car park, do people park when shopping in Penge?) There would be some 750 additional residents in Penge with, as far as I can see, no increase/improvements to the infrastructure to support them.

I don't think anyone would deny that the Blenheim is old and tired, and could do with being redeveloped. But the 18-storey tower block is the real humdinger in a town where the usual height of buildings is 2-4 storeys - it would be out of character even in Bromley, let alone Penge. Even the monstrosity down at Bromley South is "only" 15 storeys - and the buildings next to the Waitrose there are maybe 10-12 storeys. 18 storeys (65 metres high) is Croydon-worthy, at least. There are numerous homes in the vicinity which would be overlooked/overshadowed by such a development. I haven't as yet had a chance to download the dozens of drawings associated with the application.

Objections and other comments must be received by 21st February 2023. You don't have to live in Penge to comment.

Application number: 23/00178/FULL1 Can be found at: https://searchapplications.bromley.gov. ... lications/ I've seen useful leaflets with more information being handed out on Penge High Street. I believe there's also a meeting being held to discuss the application at Melvin Hall this coming Wednesday evening.

[Holaquease]

Not sure if these petitions are effective and I haven't signed it myself but this may be of interest to some:

https://www.change.org/p/save-penge-high-street

[Nigel]

Absolutely repulsive - it’s not even just more people warehousing , it will be a money spinner for people to speculate sublet and otherwise suck the life out of Penge .
No new infrastructure, the parking will be abominable even if all of Penge becomes a CPZ .
It hopefully proves beyond doubt that government including local government is now overwhelmingly contra to the interests of ordinary people . Definitely worth signing the petition as a starting point .

The visual impact for the whole area is revolting and people whatever their political beliefs should realise where this is heading and take note - London is slowly becoming unliveable - dirty , over-populated and violent. Your payed officials are working to deliver this dystopia to your doorstep . Don’t think it will ever stop unless they are stopped .

[alywin]

Petitions will have no effect on Bromley Council: only objections based on valid planning grounds will. So if you want to get this prevented you need to write to the Council. There is a very useful leaflet doing the rounds which may be of help. I wonder if people will be out by the Blenheim Centre distributing them again this weekend?

Just think, if this gets through, it could set a precedent

[stuart]

And here are a couple of images:





Stuart

[alywin]

I see from the NewsShopper that a revised application has now been put in for the Blenheim Centre, still with an 18-storey tower block. I thought it was Bromley's policy to notify people who object to an application when a revised application is made, but I'm still waiting.

The application number is 23/00178.

[Bovine Juice]

The new application is for 16 storeys. The only significant other difference from the previous plan, which garnered about 800 online comments, mainly negative, was that this plan includes 2 stairwells. Quite how we can trust a developer that, despite Grenfell, thought they could get away with an illegal fire/emergency plan. I don't know. Anyway if you commented on the portal last time, please do so again, as the deadline is only a week away and previous comments are all being ignored.

[alywin]

I don't know whether I misread the original application or whether there was an error, but I definitely read it as 18 still, until I saw the NewsShopper article saying it was 16. But that's still far too high for the area.

Are you sure about that deadline? It says "within 21 days of the publication of this advertisement", which was 24th January.

[alywin]

Nope. It still says 18 storeys on the Bromley planning website.

I'd forgotten about this site, which has useful information:
https://stophadley.co.uk/