Local people of Penge and surrounding areas 

you may or not know there is a plan to turn the Blenheim Shopping Centre into a block of flats and us the local residents have concerns about the effect this will have on our local community. Sign the petition to have your say…

Did you know that multiple height residential tower blocks are being proposed for Penge high street. The tallest block we believe will be approx an 18 storey height block. These mid to high rise buildings (if they get the go ahead) could create a precedent for many more high rise blocks like Croydon/Lewisham and open up the flood gates for future high rise building in our area.

The current proposed development will house approx 900 additional people. But….. and get this there will be NO extra police, NO additional GPs, NO further transportation and on top of all that the developers are almost completely removing the Blenheim Centres parking which means Penge will have the smallest amount of parking you can imagine! This will repel people from outside of the area coming to our high street which will inevitably lead to shop closures!

As we know the Blenheim centre is at the heart of Penge and is a vital source of shops and parking for all sectors of the community but especially those who are elderly or have mobility issues. No one is saying the centre could not do with a revamp but not to this extent and to the detriment of our local community. Many are in danger of being priced out and many of our most used shops (Wilkos, Peacocks, Card Factory and Iceland) could disappear from the high street as we know it.

There is a meeting this coming Wednesday (19th) in Melvin Hall Penge from 5.30pm . Please if you have any interest at all in saving and bettering Penge high street attend attend attend! Even if your not sure of what is going on and don’t understand planning jargon and don’t want to speak up just come and listen-see the plans. Hear from the other residents who do understand the proposals and the impact that if they are passed they can and will have.

The steps we make and actions we take now could change the face of our high street FOREVER and I urge you to PLEASE attend if at all possible! You could be the person who brings a fresh perspective or who thinks outside of the box and changes Penge’s fate.

We all need to pull together on this and ensure we the people of Penge and surrounding areas are getting the best deal not just for ourselves but for our future generations! The power is in our hands and the time is now!