Plans revealed for Lewisham's first Travellers' site

Seven pitches could be built on a triangular strip of land north of the Pool Court estate in Catford.

Each plot would include a static caravan and space for a mobile caravan and car, according to details of the scheme outlined in planning documents.

The land for the proposed site is currently a fly-tipping hotspot

The borough has been without a dedicated place for the Gypsy and Traveller community since 2009 when a former site on Thurston Road near Lewisham town centre closed.

Lewisham Council granted permission for five pitches at the end of Church Grove in Ladywell in 2008 but nothing was ever built and the plot of land is now being developed for general housing.

City Hall’s London Plan requires councils to plan for sites to meet the needs of Gypsies and Travellers, to ensure they have access to suitable housing.

A council consultation from 2021 found that 74 per cent of Travellers were ‘very excited’ about the proposals for new homes at the Pool Court location.

The site is made up of two side by side plots of land: one an overgrown fly-tipping spot owned by the council and the other currently owned by Network Rail and leased to a scaffolding company.

The first stage of the project would see the development of three pitches on the council-owned plot, before a second phase where four pitches would be built on the Network Rail land, which the council is seeking to acquire.

Lewisham Council will decide whether to approve or refuse the plans at a later date. So far, 10 people have commented on the proposals via the council’s website – four in favour and six objecting.