Lewisham could have over 4,000 new homes built in the borough over the coming years – according to new figures.

According to data retained from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Governments, Lewisham could have as many as 4,025 homes built by under current proposals.

Currently 2,470 homes are set to be built under revised proposals in the borough, with an annual average of 365 homes built between 2020 and 2023.

Under current plans Lewisham’s skyline will be dramatically changed over the next few years as skyscrapers ranging between 35 and 48 storeys high are set to be built in Deptford, Lewisham Centre and Bermondsey, according to plans revealed by Lewisham Council.

These plans will involve the building of a 48-storey tower block on the current site of the ex-Royal Navy shipyard at Convoys Wharf, providing homes for 3,500 people in the borough.

In Surrey Canal Triangle, in the area surrounding Millwall, a 45-storey skyscraper could also be built under the council’s plan to build 4,000 homes in Lewisham

Under the London Plan, Lewisham has been set a target for 1,667 homes to be built in the borough per year, however only 820 net homes were built between 2022 and 2023.

Planning permission for this large-scale project was granted by Lewisham’s Strategic Planning Committee in a bid to provide “much needed” 3,500 homes in the borough, along with a new station and further community and employment facilities.

Alongside this ongoing project, Lewisham Council also confirmed other major projects including the redevelopment of Lewisham Shopping Centre, with plans revealed to build up to 1,700 homes on the site along with a new park and a fully pedestrianised high street.

Lewisham Council confirmed that these plans “were ambitious” and came in response to the growing housing crisis both locally and nationally.

To date the council has given the green light on planning permission for over 7,500 homes to be built in the borough with a further 6,500 with Outline Planning Permissions.

However, Lewisham Council confirmed that these homes were “yet to be built” by developers.

Councillor James-J Walsh, Lewisham Council’s Cabinet Member for Inclusive Regeneration and Planning said:

"Lewisham Council has set ambitious targets to do our part to respond to the housing crisis, but across the country, and particularly in London, local authorities are facing a complex situation with planning permission being granted, but developers not building the homes we’ve agreed to.

“Despite Lewisham Council giving planning permission to over 7,500 homes (and a further 6500 with Outline Planning Permissions), which would more than meet our targets, these homes are yet to be built by developers and currently there is no way in which we can compel them to do so.

“This slower delivery is the result of many external factors such as economic impacts of the Ukraine War, Brexit and the COVID19 pandemic coupled by hyper-inflation which has made many schemes too costly to build out at the moment, as well as Lewisham’s home building relying on large, complex sites and many private developers with slower delivery than expected.“