Westfield of the 1960s Leegate falls for 500-home redevelopment

westfield once described Leegate in Lewisham is being demolished to make room for a mixed-use development with 500 homes. The bulldozers have moved in, and the car park sign is the only remnant of the old centre.

London Square is redeveloping the site with a 17-storey tower, commercial space, a new public square, a health centre and a supermarket. For people who used the centre as a daily stop, the change replaces a long-running local shopping hub with housing and new services.

Leegate in 1963

The Leegate centre officially opened in 1963 and once drew tens of thousands of shoppers every week. Peter Elliott, who has run a garage in Lee for more than 30 years, said: "When it opened it was gleaming and had everything, there was Woolworths, Boots, the lot. In a way it was the Westfield shopping centre of its day."

He also said: "You could park your car and have a lovely afternoon shopping. It really was a great experience." The centre had shops including Woolworths, Boots and Iceland, and Elliott said: "It’s such a shame but times change and hopefully this new development will give the area a lift."

Lee residents remember Leegate

By the 2000s, the centre had become a pale shadow of its former self, with crumbling buildings and empty retail units. In recent years, the remaining few shops closed and the site fell into disrepair.

Karen Howlett, a mum-of-two and local resident, said: "The Leegate was part of life here. I remember buying my first CD in Woolworths. We were always in there it was a big part of our life." She added: "As kids we would hang out there we really miss it. I just hope that what replaces it has some heart and soul because the old Leegate had bags of it."

London Square plans

Carmen Estebao, another local resident, said: "The Leegate had everything we needed. There was a Boots a Woolworths and an Iceland for a cheap food shop in the days before people were critical of frozen foods." She added: "I always bumped into neighbours and friends there. There really was a community spirit."

Estebao also said: "But the new development looks good and we have to move on." The site now points toward a housing-led rebuild rather than the retail centre that once anchored daily life in Lee.