Councillors have approved retailer John Lewis’ plans to build a housing block above a Waitrose store in Bromley town centre.
It makes Bromley the first council to grant permission to a John Lewis Partnership (JLP) housing scheme under the firm's £500m plans to deliver 1,000 new homes across three sites.
Plans for the east London site involve ‘up to’ 353 rental homes.
Just 30 will be affordable, and will be set at London living rent: a discount City Hall says is to help middle-income households build up savings to buy a home through shared ownership.
The plans received 144 responses in support and 109 objections.
Officers recommended approval and said the proposal ‘would make a very significant contribution’ to the borough’s housing supply and address ‘acute housing delivery shortages’.
However, their report to councillors said the development would have ‘unacceptable impacts’ on nearby housing block Perigon Heights, and the application failed a flood risk test.
Officers concluded it was a ‘very finely balanced’ case, but the benefits were enough to outweigh the harm.
The JLP’s director of build to rent, Katherine Russell, said: ‘We’re delighted that the elected members have agreed with the recommendations of their planning officials and after receiving significant support from the residents of Bromley.’
The firm recently appealed to the planning inspectorate because Ealing did not reach a decision on its housing scheme application after almost a year.
