What: John Lewis receives backlash from local residents in their plan to develop 10,000 homes.

Why it is important: A campaign group, Stop The Towers, expressed their opposition to the John Lewis’ proposed plans to build 20-storey buildings in an area that permits a maximum of 13 storeys.

John Lewis plans to develop and rent 10,000 homes in the next 10 years but was heavily criticised by locals due to the alleged misleading of their intentions.

The Stop The Towers group disapproved of the company’s plan to demolish a local Waitrose supermarket that is less than 18 years old, the submitting of the planning application during the summer holiday period and dedicating 20% of the new builds to affordable housing rather than the ambitious 35% if Greater London Authority Grants are not available.

John Lewis cited that the average proportion of affordable housing in new home developments was 11.4% in England in 2022.

John Lewis faces local opposition over rental homes plan