Plans have been submitted to split the current Currys outlet into two shops with M&S Food Hall taking over part of the existing store at Bell Green Retail Park.

https://www.fromthemurkydepths.co.uk/202...-sydenham/

The nearest M&S Food Halls are currently in Lordship Lane, East Dulwich and Lewisham.

There were clear restrictions placed on food retail for this area of Bell Green to avoid increased damage to local high streets. Lewisham council ignored this with permission for the Aldi application in 2017, and will probably ignore it again with this application.

While chains are moving out of the town centre (Boots being the most recent closure at a time when the government are claiming to offer more choice to collect prescriptions), retail appears to be thriving in out of town centres in Lewisham - exactly what was predicted by the Sydenham Society in the early years of the 21st Century when Bell Green plan beyond 'Savacentre' was given permission.

I continue to believe that Bell Green would make a great location for a cinema and is not such a great location for a third major food retailer.

M&S. yes please.

Michael is quite right - there were clear restrictions on the quantum of square metres placed on food retail for this area of Bell Green to avoid increased damage to local high streets and this provision dated back to the mid 1990's approximately when Savacentre development commenced.
However, once Savacentre began trading, damage to local retail and its diminution became evident fairly quickly and effectiveness of the restriction measures was questionable.
When the abortive Kier development reached the stage of appeal (subsequently withdrawn) and then onward to the evaluation of the Local Draft Plan, Lewisham received advice that it's estimations and distribution of retail space provision were out of date.
It is believed these figures have been recast across the borough and an increase in retail floor space in Bell Green could be anticipated (revised figures not reviewed here).
In the main it could be foreseen that an M&S food hall presence in the retail park will be welcome by both locals and those who travel to Bell Green to shop.
My BH is happy about it and it could be viewed as an improvement in the mix of retailers who have presence there.