The Strategic Planning Committee

---

We are expecting there to be a strategic planning committee meeting on the 27th January 2026 to decide this application.

The Councillors who will sit on the strategic planning committee will receive a summary report from the Lewisham Planning Officer (Alfie Williams). This may be all that they know about this development proposal before they sit. For that reason we would urge you to write to these councillors so that they are aware of our concerns around application DC/25/139604.

Be polite. Be firm. Stick to planning points e.g. massing and scale, heritage, loss of parking, economic impact on the village, loss of farmers' market, loss of light, impact on John Ball etc.

Don't expect a reply and don't ask for them to express an opinion. These councillors must remain impartial but also they should be informed about the concerns we have as a community.

The Lewisham Councillors most likely to sit on the planning committee are:

Peter Bernards - peter.bernards@lewisham.gov.uk 

John Paschoud - john.paschoud@lewisham.gov.uk

Rosie Parry - Rosie.Parry@lewisham.gov.uk

Hau-Yu Tam - Hau-Yu.Tam@lewisham.gov.uk

Ese Erheriene - Ese.Erheriene@lewisham.gov.uk

John Muldoon - john.muldoon@lewisham.gov.uk 

Sakina Sheikh - Sakina.Sheikh@lewisham.gov.uk 

Jack Lavery - Jack.Lavery@lewisham.gov.uk 

If you wish to send them an email, copy and paste this into the To field of a new email:

peter.bernards@lewisham.gov.uk; john.paschoud@lewisham.gov.uk; Rosie.Parry@lewisham.gov.uk; Hau-Yu.Tam@lewisham.gov.uk; Ese.Erheriene@lewisham.gov.uk; john.muldoon@lewisham.gov.uk; Sakina.Sheikh@lewisham.gov.uk; Jack.Lavery@lewisham.gov.uk

The Planning Officer at Lewisham Council working on this application is: 

Alfie Williams - alfie.williams@lewisham.gov.uk

Your Lewisham Councillors are:

Pauline Dall - pauline.dall@lewisham.gov.uk

Amanda De Ryk - amanda.deryk@lewisham.gov.uk

Luke Warner - luke.warner@lewisham.gov.uk

For shops / businesses on Lee Road / Bennet Park (which fall under Greenwich) your councillors are:

Leo Fletcher - leo.fletcher@royalgreenwich.gov.uk

Mariam Lolavar - mariam.lolavar@royalgreenwich.gov.uk

Christine St. Matthew-Daniel - christine.stmatthew-daniel2@royalgreenwich.gov.uk

Relevant MPs are:

Vicky Foxcroft (Lewisham North) - vicky.foxcroft.mp@parliament.uk

Janet Daby (Lewisham East) - janet.daby.mp@parliament.uk

Clive Efford (Eltham and Chislehurst) - clive.efford.mp@parliament.uk

Matthew Pennycook (Greenwich and Woolwich) - matthew.pennycook.mp@parliament.uk

We need to make sure our voices are heard — and that they are heard clearly. When contacting decision-makers, please:

• Be polite, professional, and fact-based — back up your points with evidence wherever possible.
   
• Follow up until you get a response — persistence shows we care.
   
• Request a meeting to discuss this urgent matter. If possible, go with others — there’s strength in numbers.
   
• Businesses: organise joint meetings to demonstrate the real threat to your income and to the wider Blackheath economy.
   

Avoid being side-tracked. Unless it directly affects your business’s economic impact or is your main concern (e.g. Baizdon Rd access), please avoid getting into discussions about e.g. construction logistics — these will not influence the planning decision.

Steps to Take:

1. Send letters of objection — keep a copy and update the WhatsApp group.
    
2. Provide clear evidence to support your objection and challenge the developer’s claims.
    
3. Arrange a meeting — ask for support, record the outcome, and update WhatsApp.
    
4. Suggest positive alternatives for the site that would benefit the whole community — for example, a community market square or village green.