LEWISHAM'S mayor and cabinet are expected to announce AMEC and Taylor Woodrow as the developers that will transform an unpopular roundabout into a £255m development tonight.

If expert and council officer recommendations are approved, hundreds of homes, retail and leisure space, and a new site for Lewisham College will be built on the site in central Lewisham.

Confidential information passed to a News Shopper reporter shows how the roundabout and bus station in High Street, Lewisham along with Quaggy Gardens, Obelisk Gardens, Charlottenburg Gardens and the Rennel Street car park will be used to link Lewisham's core shopping area with the DLR and rail station.

Homes will be built at a cost of £109 million and will be worth £184 million, of which 25 per cent will be key worker affordable and 10 per cent will be social rented affordable.

There will also be 580 car parking spaces built underground worth £4.3 million and offices for Lewisham Primary Care Trust and a health centre.

There will be 755,000sq ft of homes, 55,000sq ft of leisure space, 55,000sq ft of restaurants and bars and 155,000sq ft of shops.

On July 16 last year, a planning brief for the area was put up for tender and four bidders were chosen from a shortlist; AMEC Woodrow, Berkley Homes, Bellway Bridewell and Vinci Plc.

All tenders were returned by February 5 and have been considered under three criteria; financial and legal proposals, design approach and environmental considerations and their project execution plan.

In marks out of 100 a team consisting of Lewisham Council, Transport for London, the Single Regeneration Board and a consultative team gave; AMEC 76 per cent, Berkley 63.5 per cent, VINCI plc 50.1 per cent and Bellway 24.4 per cent.

The report says of the AMEC plan: "The concept proposes the relocation of the bus station to the rear of the site against the railway, and the subsequent movement of the Quaggy River to a more central position within the development area.

"The concept proposes six public spaces and a new square opposite St Stephen's Church, in St Stephen's Grove, each with differing roles and characters.

"This is a strong concept that matches most of the design principles set out in the Supplementary Planning Guidance. It has clarity and consistency of thought."