The Evening Standard‘s Anna White has written about Convoys Wharf and The Voice4Deptford Campaign in her article ‘London’s biggest regeneration zones: 265,000 new homes are on the cards in boroughs across the capital’. She writes:

The 41-acre Convoys Wharf along 550 metres of river frontage will bring 3,500 new homes, 2,000 full-time jobs and a new two-form entry primary school to Deptford, according to the developers. But plans have met with resistance from locals, despite token efforts to engage with the community through initiatives such as naming the new streets and buildings. 

“There is too much luxury housing, not enough affordable homes and not enough is being made of the history of the dockyard,” one local tells H&P. She is also concerned about lorries cutting down the quiet residential streets and a lack of emphasis on biodiversity. 

The most vocal community group, Voice4Deptford, has created its own heritage-led plan with a new Centre for Innovation, Education and Research. Among other things, this facility would research methods of greener construction. A spokesman for Hutchison says the council has approved a new culture strategy and says it has a heritage team working with Lewisham Council, too.

Currently only 15 per cent of the homes delivered at Convoys Wharf would be affordable and even this is under negotiation.

Anna White Evening Standard 3rd November 2023