CONTACTLondon Square has exchanged contracts with leading housing provider Clarion Housing Group to deliver the full affordable housing provision at the regeneration of the former Leegate Shopping Centre in South East London.
This marks the latest step in a multi year partnership between London Square and Clarion, which has helped deliver 1,539 homes across London, including in Twickenham, Neasden, Croydon and Staines.
The agreement will see Clarion take on 261 affordable homes, comprising 149 homes for social rent and 112 for shared ownership, all meeting London Plan space standards, highly energy efficient and delivered alongside high-quality private and communal amenity space.
The development is a transformative mixed use scheme that will deliver a total of 620 new homes alongside a new medical centre, community facilities, supermarket, restaurants, cafés, and extensive public realm improvements. The project regenerates a long derelict site and brings forward a mixed tenure scheme with strong transport links and easy access to Blackheath Common and Greenwich Park.
On acquiring the former shopping centre in March 2025, London Square revised the scheme to significantly increase its affordable housing contribution from 36% to 46% by habitable room. With 11,500 households currently on Lewisham’s social housing waiting list and 3,000 in temporary accommodation, the scheme makes a strong contribution to local housing need.
The agreement with Clarion forms part of a strong 2026 delivery pipeline for London Square, which sees the business on site with 25 schemes across the city capable of delivering 5,600 homes including 40% affordable.
Adam Lawrence, Chief Executive Officer, London Square, said: “Our partnership with Clarion is central to ensuring high quality affordable homes are delivered at scale across London. The development is a major regeneration project that will bring new homes, community infrastructure and vitality back to this long underused site. We are delighted to be moving ahead with a partner who shares our commitment to creating quality, safe and modern homes alongside significant social impact.”
Clarion already owns and manages more than 1,500 homes in Lewisham, including nearby estates at Merridale and Leybridge, and the development will further strengthen its presence in the borough.
Richard Cook, Chief Development Officer, Clarion Housing Group, added: “London urgently needs more affordable homes, and it’s great to be bringing forward new developments in the capital at a time when building here remains challenging.
“With 11,500 families currently on Lewisham’s housing waiting list, schemes like this are vital in helping more people access safe, secure and genuinely affordable homes in the communities they want to live in.”
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