Our beautiful shopping centre is being DESTROYED to put up ‘massive splodge’ tower – it’ll leave us living in darkness
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FURIOUS locals say their "beautiful" shopping centre will be ruined by a 16-storey "massive splodge" tower block being built on their high street. Bustling Penge High Street in South London will be in the "shadow of darkness" according to concerned residents.
![[Lee Knights ( 70) left, and Mike Payne, ( 63) right, who are angry that, The Hadley Property Group has been granted planning permission by Bromley Council to demolish the Blenheim Centre, at .140 High St, London SE20 7EU; .and replace it with a massive, super dense housing development which includes a 16 storey tower block....]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/RCS_Blenheim_shopping_centre02JPG-JS961980268.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
They're fighting back against the developers and council who have given permission for the build to go ahead. Locals Mike Payne, 63, and Lee Knight, 70, claim thousands of people will be negatively affected by the tower. Mr Payne said they'd be forced to live in "perpetual darkness", while Ms Knight said homeowners would be left with "worthless flats".
![[Illustration of a planned 16-story tower block replacing a shopping center.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/jb_10_01_blenheim-square_graphic-v2_5e4806.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Ms Knight said: "Everybody wants housing but we don't want this. “It’s a complete eyesore. It’s completely inappropriate.”. Mr Payne added: “It’s just a massive splodge of a building.”. Lee explained: “Everybody wants housing but we don't want this.
![[The Hadley Property Group has been granted planning permission by Bromley Council to demolish the Blenheim Centre, at .140 High St, London SE20 7EU; .and replace it with a massive, super dense housing development which includes a 16 storey tower block. The Sun went to investigate..A protest poster to save Penge High Street...]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/RCS_Blenheim_shopping_centre13JPG-JS961980231.jpg?strip=all&w=687)
Mike added: “It’s just a massive splodge of a building.”. But it's not just residents who have voiced their concerns, with the fire brigade issuing a nine point objection deeming the plan “ethically unjustifiable”. Lee, who took it upon herself to investigate the fire safety plan for the building found it to have “breached planning guidelines”.
![[(TAKEN WITHOUT PERMISSION), SITE FOR SORE EYES Our beautiful shopping centre is being DESTROYED to put up 'massive splodge' tower - it'll leave us living in darkness, Pictured: Blenheim Square - Penge High Street - Bromley, Credit: hadleypropertygroup]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Blenheim_sq_-_Hadley_grp_4jpg-JS962547161.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
She said the report focused on the “central red flags” such as not including enough evacuation stairs or lifts. Both Lee and Mike warned it's a ticking “death trap”. Lee said: “What happens if we’ve got Grenfell number two?”. “What’s going to happen? They're all sloping shoulders making decisions that could cost people their lives and at least their health.”.
![[(TAKEN WITHOUT PERMISSION), SITE FOR SORE EYES Our beautiful shopping centre is being DESTROYED to put up 'massive splodge' tower - it'll leave us living in darkness, Pictured: Blenheim Square - Penge High Street - Bromley, Credit: hadleypropertygroup]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Blenheim_sq_-_Hadley_grp_1jpg-JS962547159.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
