Plans for Catford have moved on. The Compulsory Purchase Order proposed by Transport for London has been dropped and Government – Department for Transport – funding has been cancelled.
In February 2025 Transport for London Board were given this Commissioner’s report:
Catford Town gyratory scheme
On 13 December 2023, the Board approved
in principle a Compulsory Purchase Order
(CPO) being made for the land required to
deliver the Catford Town gyratory highway
scheme. TfL made the CPO on 15 January
2024 and the public inquiry had been set
for 21 and 22 January 2025. We will always
seek to resolve such matters by agreement
and have continued to work in parallel with
affected landowners. Those discussions
have concluded positively and, on that
basis, as well as the fact that discussions
with the local planning authority about the
scheme are still continuing, the decision
has been made to withdraw the CPO.
On 13 November 2025 Lewisham Council reported that TfL had been progressing their application for Major Road Network (MRN) funding with the Department for Transport (DfT), with support from Lewisham officers. However, in July 2025 TfL received correspondence from the Minister for Future of Roads stating that the Catford A205 scheme would no longer be taken forward as part of the MRN process. TfL have since met with DfT who have confirmed the Catford scheme will no longer be taken through the MRN process.
Now, the Government have confirmed that TfL will have to consider any future plans themselves.
This leaves a significant funding gap.
It also leaves Lewisham Council with a need to develop a new plan. Or, as many commentators have said, plans for Catford’s South Circular Road and regeneration date back decades. So, there is the need for an old plan to be revisited.
It should be noted that Lewisham Council submitted a planning application to itself, that was unanimously agreed on 9th September 2025 around the A205 (South Circular) including Catford Road, Brownhill Road, Plassy Road, Sangley Road and A21 including Rushey Green and Bromley Road. The purpose of this planning application was stated to be:
“Realignment of the A205 highway across the St Dunstan’s Jubilee Ground to Canadian Avenue and through the current parking to the
south of Laurence House to Bromley Road at a point opposite Sangley Road, removal of the one-way system around Plassy Island converting the road system to two-way operation….”
Interestingly, local residents have raised the matter of local flooding and the protection of London Squares along Rushey Green.
Of course, the local elections caused a political change in May 2026 however, the plans for Catford edge forward with a new declaration:
“A fresh plan for Catford” – Lewisham Council state that the ‘fresh plan’ brings forward visible improvements to make Catford safer, cleaner and easier to get around, while also supporting local businesses, improving public spaces and continue delivering major projects already underway.
Only time will tell if this fresh plan for Catford will breathe new life into, or resuscitate, decades of aspirations and bold statements made by successive local politicians.
The Broadway Theatre, Catford is a Grade II listed building