A community group has criticised ambitious plans for new homes and new public space in the vicinity of the Aylesham Centre in the heart of Peckham as bad for the area.
London-focussed housebuilder Berkeley Group purchased land near the Aylesham shopping centre in June 2021 and now intends to improve pedestrian walkways, put in a new Morrisons supermarket and build 1,050 affordable dwellings, three public squares and a four-storey commercial building.
After acquiring Aylesham Centre, Berkeley started to meet local people and opened the Community Engagement Hub in the shopping centre in February. The masterplan was submitted for the community to review in November.
But Mark Williams, who runs Peckham-based Aylesham Community Action’s (ACA), says the plans are not designed for local benefit. One of the ACA’s main concerns is that the new homes will be unaffordable for the majority of Peckham’s population.
ACA’s website claims that the Greater London Authority (GLA) does not think tall buildings are the answer to Peckham’s housing needs.
Berkeley told SouthLondonLines in an email that “to date we’ve opened our community hub here in the Aylesham Centre, we’ve launched our dedicated consultation website, we’ve help a number of pop up sessions and consultation events in and around the centre.”
Eileen Conn, of Peckham Vision, told South London Lines: “They are contrary to the character of the area, not meeting local housing needs, and would change the town centre out of recognition which is what we think a majority of local people do not want.” Peckham Vision, which promotes local engagement through information, is working with ACA to oppose the planned redevelopment.
But one of Berkeley’s representatives said during a community meeting that the housebuilder had worked “to engage with a number of key stakeholders – community groups, neighbours and the wider community to ensure that you all have an opportunity to join the conversation about the future of the Aylesham Centre”.
The ACA also said Berkeley’s plans would be the end of many local businesses. But the builder says the new development will create 420 daily construction jobs and 225 other jobs for locals.
Conn said that the new campaign was meant to achieve a rethink. “We have succeeded in this before on three major sites in central Rye Lane.”
ACA said Berkeley had not presented their “brief to the public” and held no public meetings. It added that the masterplan consultation period is only eight weeks over Christmas.
But Berkeley said the feedback it had received from the public and from Southwark Council, the Greater London Authority and Transport for London had helped “create a proposal which we think will deliver a thriving new quarter that will complement Peckham as a vibrant town centre”.
