London Borough of Lewisham | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Coat of arms  Council logo | |
| Motto: ‘’Salus populi suprema lex’’ (The health of the people is the supreme law) | |
 Lewisham shown withinGreater London | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | England |
| Region | London |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Created | 1 April 1965 |
| Admin HQ | Catford |
| Government | |
| • Type | London borough council |
| • Body | Lewisham London Borough Council |
| • London Assembly | Len Duvall AM forGreenwich and Lewisham |
| • MPs | Ellie Reeves (Labour) Vicky Foxcroft (Labour) Janet Daby (Labour) |
| Area | |
• Total | 13.57 sq mi (35.15 km2) |
| • Rank | 271st(of 296) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 301,255 |
| • Rank | 52nd(of 296) |
| • Density | 22,200/sq mi (8,571/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| Postcodes | |
| Area code | 020 |
| ISO 3166 code | GB-LEW |
| ONS code | 00AZ |
| GSS code | E09000023 |
| Police | Metropolitan Police |
| Website | Council Website |
Lewisham (/ˈluːɪʃəm/ ⓘLOO-ish-əm) is aLondon borough in south-eastLondon, England. It forms part ofInner London. The principal settlement of the borough isLewisham. The local authority isLewisham London Borough Council, based inCatford. ThePrime Meridian passes through Lewisham.Blackheath,Goldsmiths, University of London andMillwall F.C. are located within the borough.
The modern borough broadly corresponds to the area of theancient parishes ofLee andLewisham, plus the later parish ofDeptford St Paul, created in 1730 when the ancient parish ofDeptford was subdivided. (The other Deptford parish created in 1730,Deptford St Nicholas, went instead to the borough ofGreenwich.) Most of the area was historically in the county ofKent, although Deptford St Paul straddled the boundary withSurrey, with itschapelry ofHatcham (the area now known asNew Cross) being in the latter county. From 1856 the area was governed by theMetropolitan Board of Works, which was established to provide services across themetropolis of London.[1]
In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made theCounty of London. From 1856 until 1900 the lower tier of local government within the metropolis comprised variousparish vestries and district boards. In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised intometropolitan boroughs, two of which wereLewisham (covering the parishes of Lewisham and Lee) andDeptford (covering the parish of Deptford St Paul).[2]
The larger London Borough of Lewisham was created in 1965 under theLondon Government Act 1963, as an amalgamation of the former area of the metropolitan boroughs of Lewisham and Deptford.[3]
Minor boundary changes have occurred since its creation. The most significant amendments were made in 1996, when the former area of the Royal Docks inDeptford was transferred from theLondon Borough of Greenwich.[4]
The borough is surrounded by theRoyal Borough of Greenwich to the east (where the border runs betweenDeptford andHorn Park), theLondon Borough of Bromley to the south (where the border runs between Horn Park andCrystal Palace Park), and theLondon Borough of Southwark to the west (where the border runs between Crystal Palace Park andRotherhithe). TheRiver Thames forms a short section of northern boundary with theIsle of Dogs in theLondon Borough of Tower Hamlets.Deptford Creek,Pool River,River Quaggy andRiver Ravensbourne pass through the borough.Major landmarks include All Saints Church inBlackheath, the Citibank Tower inLewisham,Dietrich Bonhoeffer Church (Sydenham's German Church, technically located in Forest Hill) and theHorniman Museum inForest Hill.Millwall F.C. are based in the borough, their stadiumThe Den being located inSouth Bermondsey.
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The local authority is Lewisham Council, based atLewisham Town Hall and the adjoining Laurence House in the Catford area of the borough. Since 2002 the council has been led by the directly electedMayor of Lewisham. Aspeaker fulfils the civic and ceremonial roles previously undertaken by the (non-political) mayor prior to 2002. The current mayor,Brenda Dacres, was the first black womandirectly elected mayor in England when elected in March 2024.[5]
Since 2000, for elections to theLondon Assembly, the borough forms part of theGreenwich and Lewisham constituency.
The borough includes the constituencies ofLewisham Deptford,Lewisham West and Penge andLewisham East.
These are the MPs who have represented constituencies covered by the borough since its formation in 1964. Constituencies change their boundaries over time, even where names remain the same.
| MP | Party | Represented | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heidi Alexander | Labour | Lewisham East | 2010–2018 |
| Christopher Chataway | Conservative | Lewisham North | 1964–66 |
| Janet Daby | Labour | Lewisham East | 2018–present |
| James Dickens | Labour | Lewisham West | 1966–70 |
| Jim Dowd | Labour | Lewisham West | 1992–2017 |
| Vicky Foxcroft | Labour | Lewisham, Deptford | 2015–present |
| John Selwyn Gummer | Conservative | Lewisham West | 1970–74 (Feb) |
| Carol Johnson | Labour | Lewisham South | 1964–74 (Feb) |
| Patrick McNair-Wilson | Conservative | Lewisham West | 1964–66 |
| John Maples | Conservative | Lewisham West | 1983–92 |
| Roland Moyle | Labour | Lewisham North Lewisham East | 1966–74 (Feb) 1974 (Feb)-79 |
| Colin Moynihan | Conservative | Lewisham East | 1983–92 |
| Bridget Prentice | Labour | Lewisham East | 1992–2010 |
| Christopher Price | Labour | Lewisham West | 1974 (Feb)-79 |
| Ellie Reeves | Labour | Lewisham West | 2017–present |
| John Silkin | Labour | Deptford Lewisham, Deptford | 1964–74 (Feb) 1974 (Feb)-87 |
According to the 2011 census,[6] Lewisham has a population of 275,885, is 53% white and 47%BME, and 43% of households are owner-occupiers.
A 2017 report byTrust for London and theNew Policy Institute found that Lewisham has a poverty rate of 26%, close to the London-wide figure of 27%.[7]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1801 | 16,640 | — |
| 1811 | 19,728 | +18.6% |
| 1821 | 24,474 | +24.1% |
| 1831 | 27,329 | +11.7% |
| 1841 | 32,589 | +19.2% |
| 1851 | 41,593 | +27.6% |
| 1861 | 76,958 | +85.0% |
| 1871 | 112,324 | +46.0% |
| 1881 | 147,689 | +31.5% |
| 1891 | 173,229 | +17.3% |
| 1901 | 217,295 | +25.4% |
| 1911 | 272,600 | +25.5% |
| 1921 | 299,022 | +9.7% |
| 1931 | 328,010 | +9.7% |
| 1941 | 314,953 | −4.0% |
| 1951 | 302,420 | −4.0% |
| 1961 | 285,431 | −5.6% |
| 1971 | 269,401 | −5.6% |
| 1981 | 230,504 | −14.4% |
| 1991 | 240,649 | +4.4% |
| 2001 | 248,924 | +3.4% |
| 2011 | 275,885 | +10.8% |
| 2015 | 297,325 | +7.8% |
| Note:[8] | ||
| Ethnic Group | Year | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 estimations[9] | 1981 estimations[10] | 1991 census[11] | 2001 census[12] | 2011 census[13] | 2021 census[14] | |||||||
| Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
| White: Total | – | 91.9% | 193,492 | 84.9% | 180,234 | 78% | 164,098 | 65.8% | 147,686 | 53.6% | 154,749 | 51.5% |
| White:British | – | – | – | – | – | – | 141,814 | 56.9% | 114,446 | 41.5% | 111,726 | 37.2% |
| White:Irish | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5,206 | 1.9% | 6,990 | 2.8% | 5,055 | 1.7% |
| White:Gypsy or Irish Traveller | – | – | – | – | – | – | 208 | 0.1% | 116 | 0.0% | ||
| White: Roma | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,033 | 0.3% |
| White:Other | – | – | – | – | – | – | 15,294 | 6.1% | 27,826 | 10.1% | 36,819 | 12.3% |
| Asian or Asian British: Total | – | – | – | – | 9,576 | 4.1% | 12,881 | 5.2% | 25,534 | 9.3% | 26,927 | 9% |
| Asian or Asian British:Indian | – | – | – | – | 2,790 | 3,487 | 1.4% | 4,600 | 1.7% | 5,046 | 1.7% | |
| Asian or Asian British:Pakistani | – | – | – | – | 739 | 1,090 | 0.4% | 1,596 | 0.6% | 2,361 | 0.8% | |
| Asian or Asian British:Bangladeshi | – | – | – | – | 636 | 1,229 | 0.5% | 1,388 | 0.5% | 1,826 | 0.6% | |
| Asian or Asian British:Chinese | – | – | – | – | 2,380 | 3,431 | 1.4% | 6,164 | 2.2% | 6,296 | 2.1% | |
| Asian or Asian British: Other Asian | – | – | – | – | 3,031 | 3,644 | 1.4% | 11,786 | 4.3% | 11,398 | 3.8% | |
| Black or Black British: Total | – | – | – | – | 37,524 | 16.2% | 58,260 | 23.4% | 74,942 | 27.2% | 80,473 | 26.8% |
| Black or Black British:African | – | – | – | – | 8,554 | 22,571 | 9.0% | 32,025 | 11.6% | 37,834 | 12.6% | |
| Black or Black British:Caribbean | – | – | – | – | 23,229 | 10% | 30,543 | 12.3% | 30,854 | 11.2% | 31,883 | 10.6% |
| Black or Black British:Other Black | – | – | – | – | 5,741 | 5,146 | 2.1% | 12,063 | 4.4% | 10,756 | 3.6% | |
| Mixed or British Mixed: Total | – | – | – | – | – | – | 10,399 | 4.1% | 20,472 | 7.4% | 24,253 | 8.2% |
| Mixed: White and Black Caribbean | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4,760 | 1.9% | 8,539 | 3.1% | 8,726 | 2.9% |
| Mixed: White and Black African | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,599 | 0.6% | 3,559 | 1.3% | 3,774 | 1.3% |
| Mixed: White and Asian | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,565 | 0.6% | 3,045 | 1.1% | 4,359 | 1.5% |
| Mixed: Other Mixed | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2,475 | 1.0% | 5,329 | 1.9% | 7,394 | 2.5% |
| Other: Total | – | – | – | – | 3,649 | 1.5% | 3,284 | 1.3% | 7,341 | 2.6% | 14,151 | 4.8% |
| Other: Arab | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1,456 | 0.5% | 1671 | 0.6% |
| Other: Any other ethnic group | – | – | – | – | 3,649 | 1.5% | 3,284 | 1.3% | 5,795 | 2.1% | 12,480 | 4.2% |
| Ethnic minority: Total | – | 8.9% | 34,463 | 15.1% | 50,749 | 21.8% | 84,824 | 34.2% | 128,289 | 46.4% | 145,804 | 48.5% |
| Total | – | 100% | 227,955 | 100% | 230,983 | 100% | 248,922 | 100.00% | 275,885 | 100.00% | 300,553 | 100% |
The following table shows the religious identity of residents residing in Lewisham according to 2021 census results
| Religion | 2021[15] | |
|---|---|---|
| Number | % | |
| Christian | 131,706 | 43.8 |
| Muslim | 22,264 | 7.4 |
| Jewish | 826 | 0.3 |
| Hindu | 6,459 | 2.1 |
| Sikh | 720 | 0.2 |
| Buddhism | 3,270 | 1.1 |
| Other religion | 2,269 | 0.8 |
| No religion | 110,379 | 36.7 |
| Religion not stated | 22,660 | 7.5 |
| Total | 300,553 | 100.0 |
The male population in Lewisham is 157,820, and the female population is 142,733. The average age of people living in Lewisham is 37 years old.[16]
The following table shows the age distributions of residents residing in Lewisham according to 2021 census results.
| Age | 2021[15] | |
|---|---|---|
| Number | % | |
| Below 14 | 54,877 | 18.26 |
| Between 15 and 24 | 34,479 | 11.47 |
| Between 25 and 34 | 58,434 | 19.44 |
| Between 35 and 44 | 51,254 | 17.05 |
| Between 45 and 54 | 40,770 | 13.56 |
| Between 55 and 64 | 32,091 | 10.68 |
| Between 65 and 74 | 16,092 | 5.35 |
| Between 75 and 100 | 12,557 | 4.18 |
| Total | 300,553 | 100.0 |
The London's Poverty Profile, a report by Trust for London and the New Policy Institute, found that 42% of 19-year-olds in Lewisham lack level 3 qualifications. This is the 3rd worst rate out of 32 boroughs.[17]
In 2018, Lewisham had the third highest rate of exclusions of pupils from secondary schools of any area in England.[18]
Lewisham station, once known as Lewisham Junction, is located at the junction of the lines toDartford andHayes, and is also the terminus of the southern branch of theDocklands Light Railway.
TheEast London Line (on theLondon Underground network) terminated atNew Cross andNew Cross Gate until December 2007. An extension to this line opened on 23 May 2010, servingBrockley,Honor Oak Park,Forest Hill, andSydenham. This forms part of theLondon Overground network.
TheSouth London Line runs along the extreme North West of the borough, at present there are no stations that are within the borough. There is a proposal for a new station atNew Bermondsey providing a link toClapham Junction.
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There are no Tube stations currently in the borough, as theEast London Line has been part of London Overground since 2006. However, anextension of the Bakerloo line beyondElephant & Castle to Lewisham and Hayes has been proposed.[19]
The following designatedCycleways are available in Lewisham:
In addition to these designated routes, theWaterlink Way (to be upgraded to Cycleway 18) runs from north to south along theRavensbourne andPool rivers.
In March 2011, the main forms of transport that residents used to travel to work were: train, 18.6% of all residents aged 16–74; driving a car or van, 11.2%; bus, minibus or coach, 11.2%; underground, metro, light rail, tram, 9.7%; on foot, 4.3%; work mainly at or from home, 2.8%; bicycle, 2.6%.[20]
48% of households in the borough arecar free, compared to 42% across Greater London.[21]
Millwall Football Club was originally formed in 1885, inMillwall on theIsle of Dogs,East London. They retained the name, even though they moved across the river toNew Cross,South London in 1910. In 1993 they moved to their current stadium,The Den which is inBermondsey, but falls under the Borough of Lewisham. The Borough has aNon-League football clubLewisham Borough Football Club, who play at theLadywell Arena,Catford.
The motto of the borough is "Salus Populi Suprema Lex", which means (roughly translated) "The welfare of the people [is] the highest law."
The borough istwinned with the following towns:
The borough has also signed a "friendship link" withEkurhuleni, nearJohannesburg, South Africa.
The honour ofFreedom of the Borough has been awarded to:
51°25′N0°02′W / 51.417°N 0.033°W /51.417; -0.033
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