The proposed redevelopment of Peckham’s Aylesham Centre has sparked major concerns over increased rent prices and unsustainable gentrification.
The Berkeley Group acquired the site in May 2021 and plans for the late-1980s retail arcade include new buildings ranging from four to 20 stories high, plus 877 homes and about 17,000 square meters of commercial space with completion targeted for 2034.
However, community groups and residents are worried about the scheme’s impact on Peckham’s character, including Aylesham Community Action (ACA), an organisation campaigning for a redevelopment which prioritises community engagement and reflects the area’s needs.
Jamie Reece, a member of ACA, said: “If a development is to be successful in an area, it has to honestly, authentically engage with the residents and communities that are affected.
“This has not done that, and that’s what we’re really concerned about.”
Reece highlighted a lack of affordable housing within the development plans and raised concerns that some local businesses could be displaced during construction and redevelopment.
Additional plans include a redesigned Morrisons supermarket, workspace, retail, and leisure venues.
ACA has organised a petition demanding a plan that aligns with the needs and identity of Peckham, and is hosting a public meeting on Thursday 14 November at Peckham Levels, encouraging residents to voice their views on the project.
Many residents share ACA’s concerns, feeling the density of the proposed high-rise buildings will disturb Peckham’s atmosphere and views.
Chris Haydon, founder of the Peckham Podcast and Peckham resident since 1982, believes the redevelopment will diminish Peckham’s strong cultural identity and damage its unique heritage.
Haydon said: “The proposed plans feel claustrophobic.
“Space is the thing that we really need to stand for, because it gives quality to life”.
Local leaders acknowledge these concerns but highlight the severe housing shortage driving the project.
Southwark Council has a target to build 11,000 council homes by 2043, but only 25% of the proposed housing in the Aylesham Centre redevelopment would be socially rented.
David Parton, councillor for Rye Lane, Peckham, describes the housing crisis as one of the area’s most pressing challenges, with rent prices climbing, and 18,000 people on Southwark’s housing waiting list.
Parton said: “Peckham has a variety of complex needs.
“We’re in the middle of a housing crisis.”
Parton acknowledged the limitations posed by private-sector-led development as it restricts the council’s ability to provide affordable homes.
In the proposed redevelopment, a one-bedroom apartment will go on the market for around £500,000.
Parton said: “It ultimately comes down to the broken market model that we rely on in housing at the moment, and that’s nationwide.”
The ongoing consultation process highlights the tensions between the need to expand affordable housing, preserving Peckham’s heritage, and not pricing residents out of the area.
The Berkeley Group were approached for comment.
Featured image credit: Poppy Pearce
