Hundreds of homes and leisure centre upgrades – Bromley’s biggest developments coming in 2025

A new tallest building for the borough, flats replacing a shopping centre and updates to beloved dinosaur statues are among the changes planned for Bromley in 2025. The upcoming year will see a wide variety of developments across the South London area.

Below is a list of major projects to look out for in Bromley over the next 12 months. The proposals include the delivery of schemes which have previously been approved by the council as well as other developments which are likely to progress further. Further details on the planning applications mentioned can be found on the authority’s website.

Bromley’s new tallest building at 24 storeys

A CGI of the planned development above the Waitrose store on Masons Hill
(Image: Assael/John Lewis Partnership)

A new addition to the Bromley town centre skyline is expected to appear soon, above the Waitrose supermarket on Masons Hill. The scheme will deliver a pair of tower blocks measuring at 19 and 24 storeys tall, including 353 new homes.

The council approved the scheme last July, with the project being part of a plan from John Lewis Partnership to deliver 1,000 homes in 10 years. The group has also stated that it intends to secure 40 per cent of its profits outside of retail by 2030.

Katherine Russell, director of build-to-rent at JLP, said: “This now gives us the opportunity to enhance the local area, create vital new housing for the local people of Bromley and deliver a state-of-the-art Waitrose, which sits at the heart of the community.”

Crystal Palace dinosaurs to see £24m facelift

Further plans to renovate Crystal Palace Park are set to continue in 2025 following the reopening of the restored subway station this year. The next stage of the works will see updates to the Grade I listed dinosaur statues and the surrounding Tidal Lakes.

The £24 million project will also see a new dinosaur themed play area being added alongside improvements to the Penge Gate and the walls of the Grade II listed Italian Terraces. Repair works are scheduled for the bust of Sir Joseph Paxton, the designer of the original Crystal Palace.

The council agreed to the proposed works in July 2024, alongside nearly £20m of additional funding of the scheme through sales of council-owned parkland and a National Lottery Heritage Fund grant. The park is reportedly visited by 1.4m people a year.

Leisure centre renovations including improvements to pools and gyms

A CGI of the renovated pool planned for the West Wickham Leisure Centre
(Image: Bromley Council)

Two leisure centres in the borough will see major upgrades over the next year as part of a £35m project from the council. Renovation works on the Walnuts Leisure Centre in Orpington are expected to begin in January 2025, which will bring improvements to the centre’s gym and a reconfigured competition-length swimming pool.

West Wickham Leisure Centre will also benefit from the scheme following initial enabling works in summer 2024. Refurbishment works will include the removal of asbestos found in the building, while improvements to the pool and a new café are also planned. Both centres are scheduled to reopen in early 2026.

Over 200 new flats to replace Penge shopping centre

The new Penge development will see the current shopping centre being knocked down
(Image: Facundo Arrizabalaga/MyLondon)

Work to deliver a set of five tower blocks stretching from three to 16 storeys tall is expected to move forward this year. The project will add 230 new flats to Penge High Street on the site of the Blenheim Shopping Centre, which will be knocked down to deliver the new homes.

Bromley Council approved the scheme from Hadley Property Group and Clarion Housing Group in March 2024. The controversial scheme received 1,211 objections online alongside a petition against the project accumulating over 2,500 signatures.

However, a representative from the applicant confirmed that several consultations had been held with the local community and the overall height of the project had been reduced by two storeys in response to feedback. A spokesperson for Clarion and Hadley previously told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the intention of the scheme was to invigorate and complement Penge’s much-loved high street with a range of new uses.

Plans to redevelop the Churchill Theatre

The past year has also seen the approved sale of the beloved Churchill Theatre in Bromley town centre. The authority agreed to an offer for the development last September, with the council confirming the asset would receive a fully provisioned replacement theatre.

Council documents had said the 1970s building was at the end of its natural life and ‘beyond economic repair’, with previous estimates claiming refurbishment costs could exceed £28m. The building also currently hosts Bromley Central Library, which will be moved to a unit on the high street previously occupied by Topshop.

Affordable housing throughout the borough

A CGI of the new housing block planned for the Beckenham site
(Image: Rivington Street Studio / Bromley Council)

Several new schemes specially aimed at families on Bromley’s housing waiting list are expected to progress going into the New Year following news that the number of families in temporary accommodation in the borough is nearing 2,000. Work is under way to deliver 26 socially rented flats on Glebe Way in West Wickham following council approval last July.

The project is envisioned to be completed in January with tenants due to move in the following month. A further 35 socially rented homes are planned on Beckenham road after the plans were green lit on December 12.

A council project on York Rise in Orpington will also progress after the authority agreed to spend an additional £4m on the scheme due to work stalling when the main contractor went bust. The development will provide 35 new flats to those on the council’s housing waiting list.

Furthermore, the council agreed to spend £29m on a new project in St Paul’s Cray at a council meeting on December 9 to provide 68 homes for those relying on temporary accommodation. The scheme is subject to a future planning application which is expected to be determined in May 2025.

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Image Credits and Reference: https://www.mylondon.news/news/south-london-news/bromley-orpington-housing-developments-2025-30623460