Lewisham Council has established a new leadership team for its Design Review Panel, bringing together three co-chairs to oversee the evaluation of major development projects across the south London borough. The refreshed panel comes as the area experiences growing demand for high-quality housing, retail, community facilities, transportation infrastructure, and public space developments.
The panel will be co-chaired by three industry experts: Dominique Oliver, managing partner at Pollard Thomas Edwards; Graciela Moreno, masterplanning director at More; and Hilary Satchwell, a director at Tibbalds. This new leadership structure replaces Keith Williams, who served as the panel's chair from 2013. While Moreno joins as a new member, both Satchwell and Oliver previously served on the panel under Williams' leadership.
The Lewisham Design Review Panel has been operating for a full decade and has reviewed more than 150 projects during that time. The advisory body does not have decision-making authority but plays a crucial role in identifying potential issues during the pre-application stage, helping to minimize risks before projects advance through the formal planning process. The panel consists of 37 industry professionals who were selected based on their design expertise, critical thinking abilities, and understanding of the development challenges facing the local area.
"I'm really pleased to be appointed as one of the co-chairs of Lewisham's new Design Review Panel and to be working with Domi and Graciela," Satchwell said. "Lewisham is a borough with great opportunities and somewhere that we can add value through focusing constructively on inclusive growth, good design and lasting value for Lewisham's communities."
The panel members conduct monthly meetings that follow site visits to the relevant development locations. While the panel reviews borough-wide developments, several major projects including Convoys Wharf, Surrey Canal Triangle, and Lewisham Gateway regeneration have their own dedicated design panels due to their scale and complexity.
James-J Walsh, Lewisham Council's cabinet member for Inclusive Regeneration and Planning, emphasized the council's long-standing commitment to design quality. "Ten years ago, Lewisham's planning authority was one of the first to adopt a Design Review Panel and today we're proud to renew that commitment," Walsh said. "By putting people, place and design quality at the center of regeneration, we can deliver growth that is fair, sustainable and delivers for our community."
The complete roster of the Lewisham Design Review Panel includes 37 members representing diverse expertise across architecture, planning, engineering, and community advocacy. Notable members include Alisha Morẹnikẹ Fisher from Migrants Bureau, Amy Waite from Mikhail Riches, Angeli Ganoo-Fletcher from PRP Architects, David Storring from MorrisCompany, and Gavin Finnan from Maccreanor Lavington Architects. The panel also features representatives from established firms such as Assemble Studio, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, Levitt Bernstein, WilkinsonEyre, Haworth Tompkins, and HTA Design, among others.
This renewal of the Design Review Panel reflects Lewisham's ongoing commitment to maintaining high design standards while managing increasing development pressure. The three-chair leadership model represents an innovative approach that brings together different perspectives and expertise areas to guide the borough's urban development in the coming years.
