Ladywell Pop-Up Village approved

Lewisham Council has confirmed that this plan for a pop-up housing development on the site of the former Ladywell pool was approved last night.

It is frustrating that, having known for years that this site would become available, the Council has failed to come up with a long-term plan for the site, especially as we're in the middle of another building and investment boom, which won't last forever. However, we are where we are, and this is an interesting throw of the dice. It could be a great new model, or it could be like those miserable little green humps they built in the middle of Lewisham in lieu of Lewisham Gateway. Lewisham Council says:

The site of the former Ladywell leisure centre is set to host one of the UK’s first ever pop-up villages.

The pop-up concept is to use modern technologies to provide temporary housing and retail units that can be largely constructed off-site, assembled and used, then dismantled, moved to a new site and used again.

The central Lewisham site is earmarked for a wider area development that will take some time to put into place and gain all necessary planning consents. The pop-up plan would put the site to good use in the meantime providing temporary homes for 24 families and space for retail, commercial and civic use – a ready-made micro-village.

Lewisham’s Mayor and Cabinet gave the green light to the concept at its meeting on Wednesday 22 October.
  
The Council will now move forward with a formal tendering process with the aim of awarding a contract early in 2015.  New homes could then be ready for occupation in autumn 2015.