Amendment to affordable housing provision at Clarion’s south-east London development green-lit by local authority

Clarion Housing Group’s submission to deliver 100% social rent homes at Penge’s Blenheim Centre development has been approved by the London Borough of Bromley.

It means all 228 new homes will now be social rent affordable housing – rising from the 35% provision for social housing in the original plans.

The development will also include new ground-floor commercial units, including a proposed food store, a new public square and a new pocket park in the heart of Penge High Street.

Clarion Housing Group acquired the site from the Latimer Hadley joint venture in February 2026, having submitted a Section 73 application to boost social rent provision at the site.

An application made under section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 can be used to make a material amendment by varying or removing conditions associated with a planning permission.

The revised scheme also delivers more family-sized homes than the original permission, providing larger properties catering to meet local housing need.

The scheme is supported by grant funding from the Greater London Authority (GLA), which Clarion says has been key in enabling the partnership to deliver all homes as social rent.

Richard Cook, Chief Development Officer at Clarion Housing Group, said: “This is a landmark outcome for Penge and for the families on Bromley’s housing waiting list who desperately need a genuinely affordable home.

“By working closely with the London Borough of Bromley and the GLA, we have gone significantly further than the original permission, taking a scheme where only 35% of homes would have been affordable and making every single one social rent affordable housing.

“With more family-sized homes included, we are responding directly to local need, and we look forward to getting on site and delivering these much-needed homes for the community.”

Demolition of the existing building is expected to commence this year, with building works to begin in summer 2027. The scheme is expected to be fully complete by Autumn 2029.