The Aylesham Centre redevelopment in Peckham became a contested planning case in 2025, with affordable housing and the character of the area central to the debate. The sequence of decisions is important when reading reports from that period.
In a statement dated 8 May 2025, Southwark Council said Berkeley Homes had appealed against non-determination of its application. That means the appeal was submitted before the council had determined the application, rather than simply following a completed refusal.
The council said a report would still go to its planning committee to establish its position for the appeal. It attributed the need for further consultation to a reduction in the developer’s affordable-housing offer.
Southwark also pointed to substantial local need, reporting more than 4,000 households in Peckham and nearby areas on the social-housing waiting list. That was the council’s stated figure at the time, not a current measure of demand or a prediction of how many households the scheme would house.
The case illustrates why a large proposed housing total does not settle every planning question. The mix of homes, local services, design and relationship with the surrounding area remain part of the discussion. A council statement should also be identified as that authority’s account, rather than presented as a neutral statement of every party’s position.
Later update — 18 May 2026: Southwark reported that the Planning Inspectorate had dismissed Berkeley Homes’ appeal. Its announcement described the proposal as 867 homes, including 77 affordable homes, alongside retail, leisure and commercial space.
The council said the inspector had concluded that the benefits did not outweigh harm to designated heritage assets. The decision document was linked from the council’s announcement for readers seeking the full reasoning.
This article retains its original October 2025 archive date while adding the later outcome explicitly. The proposed homes were not completed homes, and the dismissed scheme should not be read as an approved development.