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Bromley Palace, a grand Grade II-listed manor house in south London, is to be converted into 11 flats under new plans approved by Bromley Council.
Once a bishops’ residence, the palace (also known as Bishop’s Palace) was home to the Bishops of Rochester from the 12th century until 1845. It then had a stint as a girls’ finishing school, among other things, before it was acquired by the London Borough of Bromley in the 1980s. It was extended and became the borough’s Civic Centre until 2024, when it was bought by developers Galliard Homes.
Now, the majority of the former Civic Centre is going to be demolished to build new apartment blocks, while the historic palace will be refurbished for residential use. The council voted unanimously in favour of the developers’ proposals at a meeting on Monday June 1. However, the plans to build 222 new homes, 10 percent of which (22) will be affordable, aren’t so popular with the locals. The plans for the old Civic Centre received received 138 objections and three letters of support, the BBC reported.
The new development will comprise a range of one bed, two bed, three bed and studio homes and will include 25 wheelchair units, 38 parking spaces and 37 later living properties. The ground floor of the old palace will have commercial space which will include a new café, co-working areas or community spaces.
Councillor Alexa Michael, chair of the Development Control Committee, said: ‘This is a carefully planned proposal for this historic site, including the welcome restoration of the adjacent park’s heritage. It is a notable improvement on the previous application, which we rightly rejected. While the Committee had concerns, mainly around parking and the proportion of affordable housing, we should not let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
‘The regional and national planning policy requirements set around these areas are disadvantageous for Bromley. Sadly, they continue to work against the preferred outcomes of our local residents and councillors alike.’
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