Radical Suburbia

Perched on the sloping hills of south Lewisham, with its wide, leafy avenues framed by a mix of charming cottages, elegant period homes and sprawling parks, there is an unmistakable suburban character to Sydenham. Like its sleepy neighbours, Beckenham and Dulwich, this South East London neighbourhood—rich in green spaces—offers a quieter, almost village-like escape from the borough’s busier urban centres and the city beyond.

Sydenham’s history is closely tied to the area’s 19th-century transformation. Once a rural backwater, it grew rapidly after the opening of the Croydon Canal in 1809, which transported lime, timber, chalk and agricultural produce to central London in exchange for coal. Its fortunes were further elevated by its proximity to Crystal Palace, which was relocated from Hyde Park to Sydenham Hill in 1854. By the late nineteenth century, Sydenham had become an attractive destination for middle-class Londoners seeking culture and open green spaces.

Today, while its grand Victorian villas and tree-lined streets hint at this affluent past, Sydenham has evolved into an area that reflects the diversity and dynamism of Lewisham as a whole. Walking along its high street, Sydenham Road, there is a mix of old and new—a place where independent shops, boutique cafes, and Turkish grocers coexist with the practicalities of high-street chain stores.

Moving eastward, the vibrant grain of the high street gradually recedes, giving way to pockets of post-war council housing—their simple brick and render facades speaking to a time of urgent rebuilding and growth. There is notably more hardstanding and surface-level car parking here, especially as the neighbourhood stretches out to the industrial estate that flanks Lower Sydenham station. Yet the generous green lawns between blocks, where residents stop to chat, maintain the neighbourhood’s welcoming atmosphere and rural sense of community.

Sydenham’s appeal lies not only in its amenities and housing array but also in its connectivity. Its rail station, part of the London Overground, provides easy links to central London and beyond, making it a natural choice for professionals priced out of other neighbourhoods. The combination of relative affordability and a sense of community has drawn in a mix of residents over the years, from young families seeking good schools to long-time locals who have lived and worked in the area for generations.

Despite this, Sydenham is not immune to the pressures reshaping much of London. The past decade has seen a loss of affordable social housing and soaring property prices, mirroring national trends. While median house prices in Lewisham remain below the Greater London average, they are still 12 times the median earnings¹—a daunting figure for many, particularly for one and two-person households, which make up around 40% of Sydenham’s 17,000 residents. Fuel poverty is also rising, with an estimated 18% of households struggling to meet basic energy costs².

“Every year, we were losing key workers because of the lack of genuinely affordable homes,” says Janet Emmanuel, a local resident and recently retired assistant headteacher at Sydenham School, who began campaigning for community-led housing in the area over a decade ago. Like many others, Janet fears the housing crisis pushing residents out of their community, cutting them off from their livelihoods and extended family networks. She feels this strain herself: “Two of my three adult children still live with me. It's just impossible.”

Nestled within the backlands of this suburb, a quiet, alternative housing revolution has recently taken root. Tucked in the corner of Brasted Close estate, set behind rows of tired, post-war residential council blocks, stands Citizens House. Designed by Archio, this £2.5 million project is London’s first-ever community land trust (CLT) housing development. It was commissioned by Lewisham Council in partnership with LondonCLT and local campaigning collective Lewisham Citizens.

Set on a compact 0.1-hectare site, which formerly housed a disused garage and served as an unceremonious pedestrian shortcut to the nearby primary school, the development now comprises 11 thoughtfully designed one- and two-bedroom apartments alongside an adjoining landscaped public forecourt. The building is a confident departure from the predictable vernacular of its surroundings. Emerging from a uniform backdrop of red brick and slate tiles is an elegant, contemporary four-story residential block clad in a gleaming pale grey brickwork that redefines its suburban setting.

Co-designed with local residents, the landscaped courtyard acts as an extension of the homes, a sort of urban living room with carpet-like herringbone pavers and large stone boulders that double up as seating.

Co-designed with local residents, the landscaped courtyard acts as an extension of the homes, a sort of urban living room with carpet-like herringbone pavers and large stone boulders that double up as seating. Enhancing this communal space is an energetic façade of floor-to-ceiling windows, staggered projecting balconies and a striking open staircase, creating a lively ‘theatre set’ arrangement that invites social interaction between new and old residents alike.

The project is rooted in the ambition of Lewisham Citizens, a subsidiary of the national community organising charity Citizens UK. For over a decade, they campaigned to transform this underused garage site into a model of genuinely affordable housing for local residents. Their vision was simple, yet often overlooked in the face of London’s aggressive property market and corporate-driven gentrification: to create genuinely and permanently affordable homes, allowing local people to remain rooted in their community, close to family, schools, and workplaces.

The unique affordability model developed by London CLT has made that vision possible. Unlike conventional housing schemes, home prices here are linked to average local incomes rather than market rates. This approach resulted in a two-bedroom home priced at £272,500 and a one-bedroom at £215,000—approximately two-thirds less than comparable properties in the area³. Crucially, the model ensures long-term accessibility: when residents sell, the resale price remains tied to local incomes, safeguarding affordability for future occupants.

Now home to eleven families and individuals, the development has brought together NHS workers, teachers, artists, and other locals with strong ties to Lewisham. Eligibility criteria required not only a serious housing need but also a strong five-year connection to the borough, active involvement in the community and a shared ethos in the CLT model.

Despite its benefits, community-led housing accounts for a mere 0.1% of the UK’s housing stock, trailing significantly behind other progressive European counterparts-17% in Sweden and 15% in Norway⁴.

Oliver Bullied, executive director at London CLT, who has been advocating for a community land trust model in London since 2007, attributes this disparity to political inertia: “While commitments to community-led homes from politicians are often made, they frequently fail at the first hurdle due to viability or risk concerns.”

He’s referring to the campaign led in the early 2000s by Citizens UK, an umbrella charity of over 600regional community alliances from which London CLT emerged. The organisation was instrumental in campaigning for an Olympic legacy that would provide a commitment to 50% affordable housing in the 3Park, including at least 100 CLT homes priced to local income⁵. While that vision is still yet to be realised, their advocacy for a living wage made it to national policy.

London CLT, a non-profit organisation with nearly 4000 members, aims to tackle the UK housing crisis by acquiring and managing land to keep it under permanent community stewardship. Its affordability model, which ties home prices to local incomes, draws inspiration from policies developed during the U.S. Civil Rights movement. Through early and active collaboration, the organisation shares its expertise to empower local communities while removing the technical and practical barriers often associated with housing delivery.

According to Bulleid, affordable housing in London is a ‘hidden and endemic’ crisis that neither the public nor private sectors have been able to address at the necessary scale. He is also critical of the government’s shared ownership scheme, describing it as a market-driven solution rather than one designed to address societal needs, often resulting in homes that are harder to sell. “Our model focuses on giving residents greater control over their housing,” he explains.“We aim to create opportunities for people to build an asset base, ensuring long-term stability and security.”

According to Bulleid, affordable housing in London is a ‘hidden and endemic’ crisis that neither the public nor private sectors have been able to address at the necessary scale. He is also critical of the government’s shared ownership scheme, describing it as a market-driven solution rather than one designed to address societal needs, often resulting in homes that are harder to sell. “Our model focuses on giving residents greater control over their housing,” he explains.“We aim to create opportunities for people to build an asset base, ensuring long-term stability and security.”

The journey to create Citizens House began in 2014 when Lewisham Citizens lobbied the then-mayor of Lewisham, Steve Bullock, to provide land for community-led housing. After being told none was available, residents took matters into their own hands. Among them was Janet Emmanuel, then a local parishioner, inspired by the housing struggles her Windrush generation parents faced upon arrival to the UK. With a site-assessment checklist provided by London CLT, Janet and others scoured the borough.“We looked at carparks, overgrown gardens... any bit of scrubland”, she recalls, eventually returning to the Council with a map of 40 potential vacant sites.

By 2016, their persistence paid off when the Greater London Authority (GLA) directed Lewisham Council to collaborate with Lewisham Citizens and London CLT to develop a residential scheme on the disused garage plot⁶. Reflecting on the hard-won victory, Emmanuel quips that the site was so problematic, no developer would have considered it, given its contamination, underground gas line and restricted access. “Part of me thinks they just wanted to get rid of us", she wryly remarks.

Lewisham has a long and celebrated history of pioneering community-led housing initiatives. In the 1970s, the borough was among the first to adopt the Walter Segal self-build method, which later inspired the radical Black-led self-build project at Nubia Way in the 1990s.

More recently, Lewisham has seen the completion of 36 CLT homes at Church Grove for the Rural Urban Synthesis Society (RUSS). Building on this tradition, the Council recognised the value of Citizens House in providing more replicable models of affordable community-led housing.

Before the planning phase, a legal agreement was drawn whereby the Council retained the freehold of the site and granted London CLT a 250-year lease, with sub-leases established for individual homes. To ensure long-term affordability, the land was transferred for a nominal fee of £1. Departing from traditional procurement practices, Lewisham Council bypassed competitive bidding and designated London CLT as the preferred development partner. Bulleid praised this bold move, noting that such decisions are rare among local authorities, “which often rely on bid processes to avoid accusations of cronyism or mismanagement.” Ultimately, he sees this decision as an acknowledgement of London CLT’s proactive efforts in identifying the site and engaging the local community.

When the project began, the Community Housing Fund—a government initiative designed to provide pre-planning revenue for community-led housing groups—had not yet been introduced. To bridge the funding gap, London CLT raised £500,000 through a community share offer. This innovative mechanism allowed local residents and ethical investors to purchase shares in the project, generating essential funding for pre-planning activities.

When the Community Housing Fund did become available in 2018, London CLT leveraged it to secure capital grants of approximately £100,000 per home, significantly lowering sale prices⁷. Additional financing was obtained through the GLA London Housing Fund, administered by Big Issue Invest⁸. This development loan offered favourable interest rates, making construction financing accessible for a small, high-risk group like London CLT.

Lewisham Citizens and London CLT led an extensive community-led design process, hosting over 50 events to engage residents across Sydenham. Reflecting on this approach, James Ringwood, Housing Delivery Manager at Lewisham Council, recalls the Council adopting a consciously supportive but back-seat role, acknowledging that their involvement can sometimes rouse suspicion among residents. “We turn up with badges and flip charts, and we’re almost apologetic,” he explains.“But when community members lead the conversation, it’s completely different. It’s much easier to gain trust when a familiar face knocks on your door.”

In September 2016, following presentations from multiple practices, Archio was selected via a public vote to co-design the housing and landscaping, with Rooff chosen as the contractor. For Mellis Haward, Director of Archio–back then a relatively young practice–the unique project presented an opportunity to do things differently, replacing conventional desktop feasibility studies for an inclusive community dialogue about the project’s potential.

The practice set up a temporary on-site office, inviting residents to a three-day workshop equipped with foam cutters, Post-it notes, maps and models. Passers by joined spontaneous discussions, fostering what Haward describes as “an anarchic and unusual change in power dynamics.” This innovative approach not only led to the publication of Collection Action! The Power of Collaboration and Co-Design⁹, a toolkit on collaborative design, but also became influential in helping the practice win future projects.

The design evolved through multi-layered conversations with the community, focusing on sensitive building placement with respect to the adjacent school and external landscaping preferences. Haward openly admits that some of their initial assumptions missed the mark. For instance, proposals for movable planters, soft landscaping and allotments were met with widespread responses of “Please, we do not need more to look after!”, emphasising the importance of considering maintenance and care for the longevity of projects like this. Residents opted instead for a hard-landscaped, piazza-like forecourt to host a range of informal get-togethers. Haward is pleased that the space lives up to that community vision: “Seeing young girls hanging out there after school is a really positive sign that we’ve created a space that feels safe and welcoming."

Engagement extended to two pre-application meetings with Lewisham planners–unusual for a small project but necessary to reassure stakeholders. While the planning authority praised the co-design efforts, some decisions, such as brick choice, were felt best left to the designers. Haward agreed, stating that “community input should always be meaningful, not tokenistic.”

The engagement process also created opportunities for local involvement. A filmmaker from the community was commissioned to document the project, while a young resident aspiring to work in media conducted local interviews, later using this experience to build a portfolio that led to a career opportunity with the BBC.

Proposals were submitted for planning consideration in 2018, garnering over 100 letters of support—a volume so unprecedented that, as James Ringwood recalls, “there were suspicions among the planning team that it wasn’t genuine."

To celebrate the start of construction, which took place during lockdown, the wider community was invited to participate—local students created a mural on the site hoarding, honouring the NHS and commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Windrush generation. Mellis fondly recalls the then-mayor, Damian Egan, visiting the site to show his support: “There was a full photo shoot with everyone involved—it was really moving.

The design challenges for this project were inherently linked to its constrained and overlooked location, with the adjacent school engaged throughout to address potential concerns.

The building's massing is carefully stepped to respond to height variations of neighbouring developments, with the frosted glass selected for bedroom windows, maintaining privacy. The building was also strategically oriented to improve the pedestrian experience through the newly created shared public space.

With a limited budget of £2.5 million and a design-and-build procurement route, maintaining high-quality design was both critical and challenging. As Haward explains, “designing economically was almost a constant constraint, but it led to a design that is pared back, focusing on the things that really mattered."

Instead of formal communal spaces, the scheme fosters informal social interaction through its circulation design. A generously sized communal hall, accessible from the forecourt, incorporates bike and pram storage and provides a natural meeting point for residents. This space connects to a striking curved steel staircase leading to the upper floors from the rear, encouraging casual interactions as residents come and go.

Consideration of maintenance was crucial to the project’s overall viability. Durable materials were selected throughout, and the decision to exclude a lift was integral to reducing costs. Referring to Lewisham’s Small Sites Design Guide SPD, which supports cost-saving strategies for small developments¹⁰, Archio were able to demonstrate that the exclusion of a lift could be justified for the site given its wider community benefits.

The compact site required individual units to be designed to London’s minimum space standards but was thoughtfully configured to feel spacious and airy, aided by floor-to-ceiling windows—a choice Haward feels the practice might approach differently now, given more recent concerns and regulations regarding overheating.

The building's form, divided into three staggered volumes, enables every unit to benefit from triple or quadruple aspects. The north-facing deck access walkway enhances this further, allowing natural light into every hallway. Haward describes the hallways as her favourite ‘middle’ space, likening it to an additional room—it is designed to be wide enough to accommodate a desk for home working. Additionally, inset balconies on the eastern units help mitigate the building’s proximity to neighbouring properties.

The biggest success comes from the southern facade treatment, which overlooks the public forecourt. Metal balconies are staggered along the facade, creating a shuffled effect instead of a typical stacked arrangement. Although this required a more complex alignment of service risers, Archio felt this would encourage greater sociability amongst neighbours. As Haward notes,“it’s made the space feel safer, more comfortable, and less like a typical stacked block of flats squeezed into a small site.”

The allocation process for Citizens House began in 2021 and ran concurrently with construction. Designed to prioritise fairness and transparency, the process evaluated applicants based on five criteria: local connection, housing need, financial eligibility, alignment with London CLT’s values, and community participation.

Applicants were required to demonstrate a minimum five-year connection to the borough, either through residency or strong local ties. Housing need was also a critical factor, encompassing issues such as poor living conditions, overcrowding or insecure tenancy.

To address local nuances, the community steering group had the flexibility to adjust criteria, such as including adjacent boroughs or targeting areas with greater housing disparities. Additionally, the process considered individuals falling into what London CLT defines as an ‘intermediatory Londoner’ - those earning too much to qualify for social rent but unable to afford market housing.

The process, supported by an online platform and a small administration fee of £15, involved rigorous oversight, including reviews by external third parties such as neighbouring housing associations to ensure accountability. Inevitably, interest was significant, with over 1,000 inquiries, nearly 400 completed applications, and just 11 homes ultimately allocated.

Oliver Bullied highlighted early engagement with selected residents as a key aspect in the allocation process, designed to avoid the often impersonal and anonymous nature of traditional off-plan purchases: “This approach allowed future residents to form relationships before getting their keys, have a say in choosing some of their home finishes, and gain an understanding of their responsibilities in managing the development,” he explains.

While the new Labour government pledges to build 1.5 million homes¹¹ by 2029, those promises ring hollow amid chronic underfunding and policy setbacks.

With the closure of the Community Housing Fund in 2022¹² and last years' predictions of a 75% collapse in affordable housebuilding in London¹³, it is abundantly clear that the UK’s housing crisis shows no signs of abating. Amidst these challenges, the potential for grassroots housing initiatives to address the crisis becomes all the more critical.

While London CLT has delivered only 34 homes to date, its pipeline for 150 new homes across 7 London boroughs—and plans for 500 more over the next decade¹⁴, a figure that could rival the current output of UK housing associations. However, he is clear that this vision hinges on securing land and grant funding–resources in critically short supply, particularly in the context of cash-strapped councils, which, as Ringwood notes, often require a “significant capital receipt on the disposal of council land.

Despite these challenges, Citizens House—though modest in scale—serves as a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when communities mobilise. Today, all 11 flats are occupied, with seven sold to key workers, members of the community who might otherwise have been priced out of Sydenham.“It’s not just about the most in need,”says Haward, “but about the people the community really depends on. That’s the essential ingredient for a rich and varied neighbourhood.”

Above all, the success of Citizens House lies in the inspiring efforts of its campaigners, whose selfless civic acts stand in stark contrast to a competitive housing market dominated by adversarial bidding wars and lengthy housing waiting lists. Remarkably, those who championed the project—ordinary individuals like Janet—never sought to live in the homes themselves. Reflecting on the achievement, Janet remains characteristically modest: “I have just done what countless working-class communities have done before. That is how you get things done.”