Affordable housing cash provided by the developers of the old Bermondsey municipal offices in Spa Road is to be spent in Camberwell, Peckham and Dulwich following a decision of the planning committee on Tuesday night.

Around £500,000 from the Spa Road development of luxury flats (marketed as Bath House Lofts) and a smaller scheme off Bermondsey Street will be spent creating six homes in under-used space on existing estates.

Some of the money is being spent 3.5 miles from Bermondsey in the far south of the borough.

“One is perturbed that the money is not being spent closer to where the receipts are being generated in Bermondsey,” said  Nick Stanton, Lib Dem councillor for Riverside ward.

“It’s particularly ironic that the council is selling off Bermondsey town hall, didn’t get an on-site affordable housing contribution from the deal and is now spending the money away from Bermondsey.”

Planning committee chair Nick Dolezal (Labour) was unapologetic: “This is compliant with Labour group policy to provide homes using receipts in this particular way.”

The map below shows the old Bermondsey town hall and the four sites where the money will be spent.

View Bath House Lofts in a larger map