As private investment in high-end flats continues, housing groups report record overcrowding in social housing

~ Blade Runner ~

Despite the cold and rain, 150 people gathered in Peckham Square on Saturday (8 February) to protest redevelopment plans for Peckham town centre, and show their solidarity against another aggressive gentrification project. Organised by Aylesham Community Action and supported by the SHAPE coalition and other housing and political groups, the protest marched through central Peckham for over half an hour, passing the shopping centre and drawing applause, supportive comments, and honks of approval from bystanders and drivers.

The Aylesham Centre on Peckham High Street, earmarked for redevelopment since 2016, was sold to developer Berkeley Homes in July 2021. Their initial plan proposed 1,050 homes across 14 blocks up to 27 storeys high, overshadowing the historic town centre. The revised plan reduces the number of homes to 850, with 35% designated as “affordable” and buildings capped at 20 storeys—still much taller than anything else in the area and largely unaffordable, underscoring the development’s gentrifying impact.

In response to public backlash over its initial proposal, Berkeley returned with a revised plan featuring shorter buildings and fewer units. However, the updated scheme remains a high-rise complex with limited green space, reflecting investor priorities over community needs. The ACA said the proposals are “essentially the same” and would insert unaffordable large buildings into low-rise, historic Peckham.

Anti-gentrification efforts led by south London action groups like HASL have been effective in building solidarity networks in London’s increasingly dystopian housing conditions, securing victories and providing immediate relief. As private investment in high-end flats continues, housing groups report record overcrowding in social housing, with families crammed into one- or two-bedroom homes. Many are being displaced from London or forced into temporary hotel accommodation without regular access to hot or fresh food for extended periods. Homelessness is also rising as more private landlords reclaim properties for redevelopment.

Another demonstration is planned for Saturday, 1 March.