Wandering around Blackheath Village on a sunny midweek morning, it is easy to forget that hectic central London is just down the road.
The charming, leafy area in the south of the capital is dotted with independent cafes and bookshops, while parents stroll past with babies in buggies up the hill towards the heath. It would be unsurprising if a famous face also walked by, since the area is known to attract celebrities.
Veer off the high street, and you find residential streets lined with well-preserved Georgian and Victorian buildings, protected because Blackheath is a conservation area – the first in London to be designated, in 1968.
It has been described as a “special place” by those who live there, with “real community spirit” and “true village character” – and it is not hard to see why.
But scratch beneath the surface, and a battle is brewing – which highlights the strength of community in the area. Stars such as former Strictly Come Dancing finalist Sarah Hadland and LBC presenter Nick Ferrari have waded in, as they join their fellow residents across Blackheath in taking a stand against a proposed residential development described as “ugly, modern and generic”.
Developer Acorn Property Group has submitted plans to build 20 houses and 25 flats – in three blocks, four and five storeys high – on the station car park, with a decision expected later this autumn.
A total of 660 comments were formally submitted to Lewisham Council as part of the application process, of which 638 were objections.
Hollywood star Jude Law, Ms Hadland, Mr Ferrari, as well as Dominic Cooper, Lucy Boynton, Katherine Parkinson and Kellie Shirley, are among the many signatories to an open letter urging the local council to reject the current plans.
Locals have told The Independent they will be forced to consider moving if the proposals are given the green light. They cite a myriad of potential issues facing the area – from a lack of parking and heightened congestion, fears for Blackheath’s heritage, the future of the thriving farmers’ market held in the car park on Sunday, as well as threats to privacy.
“I don’t think I’ve spoken to a single person who thinks it’s a good idea or that it will enhance Blackheath in any way,” said Ashley Campbell, 37, who, with her dog, had stopped for a chat with her neighbour Alison McArthur, 35, along Collins Street.
The road of two-storey terraced houses is believed to be among those set to be worst affected by the planned development, as the properties face the station car park.
The 37-year-old said her young family would definitely have to move if the plans get the go-ahead, while Ms McArthur said she would also reluctantly consider selling due to the “level of disruption”.
Ms McArthur, pushing her baby in a pram, added: “We’re very concerned, very opposed to it… It’s been quite a cynical proposal.”
Both are members of a WhatsApp group set up to organise against the proposals, which has drawn hundreds of members across Blackheath. Meanwhile, a campaign group called Reject Blackheath Station has been established over the plans it described as “an insult” to the area.
As Yasmin Khan, 44, said: “Everyone has lots of thoughts about [the proposed development, we’re] not happy about it. I don’t think it’ll bring anything new to the area.”
Residents stress that they understand the urgent need for more houses to be built, but argue that this should not be done in a way that goes against the interests of the community.
Nick Ferrari told The Independent: “This is NOT a case of Nimby-ism. The people here are, and always have been, supportive of appropriate development – but this [is] so far off the scale it’s as if it’s come from a different planet.
“The good folk of Blackheath have an enviable history of resistance – Wat Tyler in 1381, for instance. It might [be] time to take to the barricades again.”
Locals have raised fears “the battle of Blackheath” could soon be repeated around the UK, as the government has committed to delivering 40,000 homes over the next 10 years in residential developments around railway stations.
In the bid to unlock what it has called “untapped” land, housing minister Matthew Pennycook said he intends to fast-track building on previously developed urban land – and, if needs be, to intervene in the face of local opposition.
Miranda actor Ms Hadland described this attitude as “very worrying”. She told The Independent: “I fear this will be repeated up and down the country – local residents paying their council tax and abiding by strict conservation rules regarding their own homes and gardens, will watch as private developers and the council flout those same rules and make vast profit from communities.
“It will be the residents and local traders who will pay the true price and suffer with pollution, hazardous traffic and loss of amenities.”
George Marshall, who is the manager of Blackheath Butchers along the high street, said his independent shop is among those that are “definitely” concerned about the plans, due to the potential impact on the village’s atmosphere as well as on his store’s business. “I think it is going to destroy the village a bit,” he said, adding, “It’s going to squeeze the market out into such a small area, which will lead to losing the market, and then footfall.”
Residents are calling for the plans to be revised, as they claim they were not meaningfully consulted on the current proposals.
Wendy Rigg, 67, who has lived in Blackheath for three decades, said: “As proposed, the buildings are out of scale and character with the area, and there is only a token amount of social or so-called ‘affordable’ housing. We are the ones who will live with the consequences: increased air pollution and already overstretched infrastructure, but greedy developers just don’t care. Let’s face it, this is about maximum profit for developers and local authorities with a lack of funding, who are desperate to meet targets.”
Acorn Property Group who have brought forward the proposals, said: “The proposed development seeks to bring forward an opportunity to unlock the development potential of the existing site – under-utilised brownfield land, primarily functioning as a car park for Blackheath Station.
“Through sensitive heritage-led design and a highly sustainable redevelopment approach, the proposals are wholly in line with national, London and local planning policies that promote increased housing supply in response to the urgent need for new homes.
“The pre-application process was accompanied and informed by engagement (via in-person events, as well as online) with local residents, businesses and stakeholders.”
It said the “sustainable” proposed development will deliver “entirely social-rented” housing and “re-provision” of the farmer’s market, and will support residents and the natural environment.
It added that London Farmer’s Markets, which manages the Blackheath market, supports the proposals. The Independent has approached them for further comment.
Lewisham Council said it is unable to comment as the planning application is live.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said it is unable to comment on individual cases due to the ministers’ quasi-judicial role in the planning system.
