Story so far

Guildmore were appointed by the London Borough of Lewisham in 2017 to bring forward proposals for the restoration of the Ladywell Playtower, which is one of Historic England’s top 10 at-risk listed buildings. Ladywell Playtower is a site of both community and historical significance.

The Playtower was built in the 19th century and was used variously as a swimming pool and public hall for activities such as dances, plays and boxing. Sadly, it fell out of use in 2004 and is now in a state of disrepair, with the cost of bringing the Playtower back into public use estimated to be in excess of £7 million.

January 2020 Consultation

Since our last consultation in January 2020, we have continued to work with the council to try and bring the restoration forward. This process was complicated by the previous cinema operator having to drop their interest in the scheme amid the pandemic. We are now delighted to be able to proceed with a new cinema operator, who will operate as “The Ladywell Cinema”. They will ensure that all employees receive the London Living Wage and that the cinema will have a strong community focus.

Some 200 people attended our January 2020 public consultation. As the following shows, the feedback we received was positive:

97% strongly support or support the restoration of the Ladywell Playtower

94% strongly support or support the principle of a mixed-use scheme to facilitate the Playtower’s restoration

92% strongly support or support the statement that proposals will successfully bring the Playtower back into use

98% state it is highly likely or likely that they will visit the Ladywell Playtower following the proposed restoration