Southwark to see major protest over gentrification of Peckham

On Saturday 1 March, Southwark residents will take to the streets in a powerful protest against the UK government’s handling of the housing crisis, as Berkeley Homes’ controversial plans to redevelop Peckham town centre continue to spark outrage.

Southwark: anger growing over ‘regeneration’

This marks the beginning of a national campaign led by SHAPE (Southwark Housing and Planning Emergency), a newly formed coalition of 14 community organisations, including Aylesham Community Action, fighting for responsible and people-centred development across the borough – instead of corporate-driven gentrification.

Local opposition to the plans is fierce.

Over 2,000 objections to the Aylesham Centre’s planning application have already been submitted on Southwark’s planning website. This adds to over 27,500 signatures from numerous petitions opposing this kind of overdevelopment on this site.

Now more opposition is being stoked in the new consultation on Berkeley’s huge cuts to ‘affordable’ housing – down from 35% to just 12%. This is a far cry from the 50% affordable housing promised in the Southwark Plan, leaving Southwark’s poorest residents further behind in a borough struggling to address its homelessness crisis. It exposes how commercial development for investment is not the right way to provide real homes.

“The people of Peckham are fighting for the soul of their community,” said Ann Lilac, former director of Channel 4 Grand Designs TV show and Aylesham Community Action member. “This is not just about housing; it’s about preserving the diverse culture that makes Peckham unique.”

SHAPE leading the charge

SHAPE, representing a growing network of community groups is calling for urgent reforms to the UK’s housing policies, which encourage creation of financial assets instead of homes – and so prioritise profit over people. Despite huge developments like Canada Water and Elephant and Castle, the number of people on the council housing list has only grown, and thousands of local families are being rehoused outside the borough.

Lilac said:

The planning system is being used to help developers make money, not to address the real needs of our communities. This is a national issue, and it is essential that people everywhere make their voices heard. We cannot let councils and developers continue to worsen the housing emergency.

The Government’s support for relying on commercial developers to build affordable housing continues the wrong national housing policy. If we don’t act now, we risk losing the very communities that make our cities vibrant and diverse. This will be a damning legacy if lessons aren’t learned.

The protest on 1st March will be a major demonstration of solidarity, as SHAPE calls for urgent reforms to the UK’s overreliance on private developers. With thousands of local residents, community leaders, and campaigners expected to join the march, the message is clear: the housing crisis demands immediate action.

Peckham locals, along with groups like Aylesham Community Action (ACA), Peckham Vision and Jumbi, are determined to protect the spaces that have helped shape the area’s unique identity, including the rooftop views, iconic Peckham Levels and the Bussey Building.

The remarkable 83-year-old local legend and community activist Eileen Conn MBE who’s been fighting to protect Peckham’s soul from developers for over four decades will be leading the march. She has saved iconic cultural spaces from the wrecking ball within Peckham’s town centre, cementing her legacy as a powerhouse in community activism.

As the march approaches, ACA and the other local groups in the SHAPE coalition are urging other communities in Southwark and other London boroughs, and across the UK, to join the movement and stand up against the growing trend of social cleansing in the name of development and regeneration.