Cameron Blackshaw

Bromley Council’s development control committee has approved plans to demolish Poverest Adult Education Centre in Orpington and build 42 affordable homes, despite the Court of Appeal having quashed the centre’s closure because disabled users were not properly consulted. The council must now conduct a legally sound consultation before it can close the facility, after which the demolition and housing scheme could proceed. Supporters cited a severe shortage of affordable housing and plans to relocate SEND services to Kentwood Adult Education Centre in Penge, while one councillor abstained, saying approval before consultation was disrespectful to users.

Bromley Council has unanimously approved a £130 million regeneration of Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, including the return of its 50-metre swimming and diving pools and facilities for more than 20 sports. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and local officials welcomed the project, which aims to restore the Grade II-listed venue and expand open space in Crystal Palace Park. The climbing community supports the investment but fears the proposed 621-square-metre facility is below the size needed to attract a commercially viable operator. Project leaders say they are committed to retaining climbing and are developing a business plan, while further partners and funding are still needed.

Berkeley Homes’ Ravensbourne Place proposal would build 2,200 homes on green belt land between Bromley and Hayes, much of it currently used for horse paddocks. Nearly 2,000 public responses have been submitted to Bromley Council, with most objecting over the loss of green space, pressure on infrastructure and the availability of unused brownfield sites. Around 80 residents support the scheme, citing Bromley’s shortage of housing and the proposal’s low-rise design and commitment to making half the homes affordable.

DARE DC has proposed a two-storey, 15,000-square-metre, 50-megawatt data centre on 10 hectares of green belt land near Orpington, Biggin Hill and the M25. More than 300 residents have objected, citing the development’s visual impact, substantial power and water requirements, noise, effects on wildlife and loss of agricultural land. Bromley Council has determined that a full environmental impact assessment is required, highlighting the facility’s electricity and cooling-water needs and its urbanising effect on the countryside. DARE DC is expected to submit a full planning application, with a grid connection targeted for 2028.

Bromley Council has applied to replace the 16-space Wharton Road car park with a four-bedroom children’s home, arguing that the central site would keep children in its care close to support networks and reduce costly private placements. More than 660 residents have signed a petition and the application has attracted nearly 100 objections, mainly because residents and nearby pubs fear the loss of parking will worsen congestion and harm local businesses. The council says the car park operates at a loss and an independent survey found nearby streets could absorb demand between midday and 2pm. Residents dispute those findings, warning that the reduction in parking would affect elderly and vulnerable people, families and the area’s economic life. Bromley’s planning department is expected to decide the application next month.

Bromley Council planning officers have recommended approval of a £130 million redevelopment of the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, led by London Mayor Sadiq Khan and the Greater London Authority. The plans have attracted 390 letters of support and 406 objections. Supporters welcome investment in the deteriorating facility, including the return of a 50-metre pool and improved athletics, volleyball, badminton and weightlifting provision. England Hockey and the Football Foundation oppose the loss of an artificial pitch, while Mount Palace says the proposed climbing facility lacks detail and could be commercially unviable if it must close during athletics events. Officers argue that the scheme improves most facilities and retains the historic racing circuit, with a final decision expected from Bromley Council's development control committee.

Bromley Council has reversed its plan to close the Spitfire Youth Centre and move its youth and family services to the Biggin Hill Children and Family Centre. Instead, it proposes closing the Sunningvale Avenue centre and relocating its services to the larger Spitfire site, which has more parking, better outdoor space and closer access to local amenities. The proposal is expected to save the council money, but requires Executive approval, consultation and a planning application for a modest extension. The Spitfire Community Project CIC welcomed the centre's retention as a community asset while seeking clarity about future public access, the effects on existing users, and the transition for staff, children and families.

The Court of Appeal has quashed Bromley Council’s decision to close Poverest Adult Education Centre in Orpington and move its services to Penge. The ruling followed a legal challenge by Jerome, an anonymised disabled man who has attended the centre four days a week for 14 years, and found that the council acted irrationally by failing to consult 99 learners with learning difficulties and disabilities and their carers. The centre must remain open unless the council conducts a proper consultation. Bromley Council said the judgment could delay plans to improve services and build 44 affordable homes on the site, while confirming that existing provision had been due to continue until summer 2027.

A High Court judge has rejected Adam Turk’s request for a judicial review of Bexley Council’s approval of Peabody’s plan to demolish the 1960s Lesnes Estate in Thamesmead. Turk’s lawyers from the Public Interest Law Centre will still present their arguments at a one-hour hearing, but he believes the challenge is unlikely to succeed. The demolition would remove 596 homes and enable construction of up to 1,950 new properties. Peabody says residents will receive compensation and support with rehousing, while Turk argues that estate regeneration represents the erosion of council housing and has raised concerns about the demolition’s greenhouse-gas emissions.

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust plans to close the 12-bed Chartwell Ward at Princess Royal University Hospital in Orpington and consolidate inpatient blood cancer care at its Denmark Hill hospital in Camberwell. The ward will become a five-day haematology day unit, with space for Macmillan Cancer Support and psychological services. Expected annual savings have been cut from £700,000 to £400,000 because of planned investment in the new unit. Patients and residents, including stage-four lymphoma patient Matthew Venner, oppose the move, citing travel difficulties and concerns about replacing inpatient beds. The new model is expected to launch in autumn 2026, with eight additional beds planned at Denmark Hill.

Tap, a bar in Blackfen Road, Sidcup, will retain its premises licence despite allegations of after-hours illegal gambling, drug use, violence and suspected underage drinking. Bexley Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee declined to revoke the licence after officials and police accepted that new owner Daniel Carr had no connection to the alleged misconduct by the previous owners. Carr bought the venue for £40,000 shortly before learning of the licence review and plans to temporarily close it for refurbishment.

The Environment Agency is investigating the deaths of large numbers of fish and critically endangered European eels along a three-kilometre stretch of the River Pool in Bromley. Thames Water is urgently testing its wastewater network to identify the pollution source and has deployed aeration equipment to increase oxygen levels. The public and their animals have been advised to avoid the affected river stretch, although drinking water supplies have not been affected.

McDonald’s has applied to extend opening hours at its Market Square restaurant in Bromley from 3am to 5am on weekends and reduce required night-time security staff from two to one. The proposal has prompted objections from residents and local councillors who argue it will worsen noise, litter and anti-social behaviour in the town centre. The Metropolitan Police has agreed to revised licence conditions, and the local authority’s licensing sub-committee will review the application on July 9.

A licensing sub-committee revoked Hayat Restaurant’s premises licence after Home Office enforcement visits in 2025 found three illegal workers. Current owner Mehmet Celik argued the first visit occurred before he took over and sought a lesser penalty, but officials cited inadequate right-to-work checks and unpaid civil penalties issued to the previous ownership. The Home Office said compliance measures were insufficient, while Celik said he lacked time to implement checks immediately after acquiring the business. Former co-owner Alexandra Paiu emphasised that illegal workers had not been exploited and criticised the public backlash that followed earlier reporting.

TLK Apartments in St Mary Cray has stopped housing asylum seekers after three years and has reopened to the public. Bromley Council welcomed the decision and said none of the former residents would be rehoused through its housing register. The Home Office said the closure was one of 20 asylum-hotel closures in England, part of a wider programme that has reduced the number of hotels and asylum seekers accommodated in them by more than half. The report also recalls earlier local concerns, official assurances that the site housed women, children and families, and racist graffiti near the property.

Berkeley Homes has submitted a planning application to Bromley Council for the first phase of Ravensbourne Place, a proposed 2,200-home development around Norman Park and Bromley Football Club. The wider scheme would include 50% affordable housing, a health centre, new pedestrian and cycle routes, community green spaces, allotments and improvements to Norman Park. Residents, politicians and horse owners have opposed building on the green belt and raised concerns about traffic and infrastructure pressures. The first phase, Hayes Mead, would contain 578 homes, with construction potentially beginning in 2028 and continuing through 2049. A council decision is expected in September.

Walnuts Leisure Centre in Orpington will reopen on July 2 after a £17 million refurbishment funded and delivered by Bromley Council. Improvements include competition and training pools, a children’s splash wall, expanded gym facilities, upgraded sports areas, new reception and café spaces, sauna and steam rooms, and a new energy-efficient heating system. The reopening will be marked by a ceremony hosted by Bromley Mayor Christine Harris, with sports activities, stalls, refreshments and entertainment. Mytime Active, the council’s leisure provider, will manage bookings and position the centre as a community hub focused on health, wellbeing and social activities.

A Home Office investigation found three immigration offenders working at Hayat Restaurant in Sidcup during visits in April and August 2025. The restaurant’s owner, The Oval Sidcup Ltd, was issued civil penalties totalling £135,000, which remain unpaid. The Home Office has asked Bexley Council to revoke the premises licence, potentially preventing the restaurant from selling alcohol or serving food after 11pm. The council’s licensing sub-committee is reviewing the case.

An Ofsted inspection of Twinnie Day Nursery in Belvedere found that four of six assessed areas required attention, including unsafe food preparation that could expose babies to choking hazards, unsafe lifting practices, inconsistent curriculum delivery and insufficient monitoring by leaders. The nursery said no child was harmed, challenged aspects of the inspection, and immediately introduced additional training, monitoring and quality-assurance measures. Ofsted also found effective safeguarding, progress in children’s development and an inclusive environment for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

David Lloyd has applied to add 133 parking bays at its Beckenham health club, expanding capacity from 298 to 420 spaces after accounting for spaces lost during construction. The proposal would remove grassland designated as Urban Open Space and has divided residents and club members, with about 600 objections and more than 500 supporting comments. Bromley Council planning officers recommend refusal, citing harm to the site’s appearance, nearby residents and green space, while supporters say the expansion would reduce parking on residential roads and provide more disabled spaces. The council’s plans sub-committee is due to consider the application on June 18.