Lewisham Council describes the blueprint as a “rescue plan” for the South East London town centre
Lewisham Council has unveiled a revised regeneration plan for Catford town centre with new housing, transport links and street scene improvements mapped out.
The new Catford Town Centre Business Plan 2026-2030 aims to bring together transport, town centre investment, affordable housing and public realm projects all into a single, deliverable programme. Projects in the programme’s previous iteration stalled due to changes in funding, market conditions and Government priorities.
Key projects within the latest plans include a revised scheme for A205/A21 improvements, better connections between Catford and Catford Bridge stations, as well as continuing with plans to deliver 113 affordable homes at Thomas’ Lane Yard.
There are also plans to restore the Catford Cat, while other town centre improvements in the short-term include better lighting, cleaner streets and market improvements.
The new Catford Town Centre Business Plan is subject to Mayor and Cabinet review and approval on Wednesday (September 9).
Cllr Daniel Dream, Lewisham Council’s Cabinet Member for Inclusive Regeneration, Housing Delivery and Planning, described the updated programme as a “rescue plan for Catford”.
He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Hopefully with the new plan there’s going to be a lot more transparency in terms of what’s actually coming in the short, medium, and long-term.
“I think historically around Catford, for the people that live here, there’s often been a bit of confusion as to what’s actually happening and what’s not happening anymore, and the aim of this [Cabinet] paper is to actually just be honest and open with the community.”
Cllr Dream, who is a Catford resident himself, went on to say: “We can’t just keep hoping that things get better or things take care of themselves, but there are moves being made through this paper that I think address the shortcomings of the way the town centre has been dealt with in recent years.
“It points towards something a lot more optimistic and a lot more deliverable.”
The new Catford Town Centre Business Plan is a shift from the 2021 framework, which Cllr Dream says is no longer deliverable.
The council and Transport for London (TfL) have together developed a revised package of improvements for the A205/A21 following the withdrawal of the opportunity for Government funding for the larger South Circular realignment in 2025.
Proposed improvements include a new pedestrian crossing near Catford Bridge Tavern, better walking and cycling routes, cycle parking and public realm improvements around the Broadway Theatre.
Work on creating better Catford Station links is expected to take place between 2027 and 2028, while the Thomas’ Lane Yard scheme is expected to be completed by 2028.
Goldsmiths, University of London’s new campus is expected to open in Catford in late 2027, and will bring around 500 to 600 students and staff into the town centre. The new campus will be located at Lewisham Council’s Old Town Hall and will house the university’s Fine Art and Design courses.
Alongside major projects, the council says a refreshed Catford Town Centre Framework will be developed to shape the long-term future of the town centre.
The council is also planning a ‘retrofit-first approach’ to existing sites such as Laurence House, Canadian Avenue car park, Milford Towers and Holbeach Road car park.
Cllr Dream added: “There’s a lot of great stuff in Catford already, there’s a lot of really valuable architectural heritage, and it often gets left out of regeneration conversations.
“We do need to see the quality of what’s [in Catford] and take better care of that quality, and factor that into where we need new things and where we carry older things into the future.”
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