Forest Hill · Lewisham · Lewisham West and East Dulwich constituency · 51.44510, -0.05740

SE23 3BL— Forest Hill, Lewisham

Location and area intelligence for SE23 3BL, Forest Hill, Lewisham

The practical family move

 

Schools 100%Safety 80/100Transport 45/100

Best for: Families, Owner-occupiers

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Balanced area — no standout strengths or weaknesses

Liveability
65
Safety
80
Schools
60
Transport
45
Environment
54
Investment
57

The bottom line

SE23 3BL offers exceptional schools (100% Good/Outstanding) and low crime — a strong choice for Families and Owner-occupiers.

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Location

SE23 3BL

Area Profile & Benchmarks

Area identity and London comparisons

Area Identity

Inner city
MediumYoung professionals
Buyer fit: ExcellentInvestment outlook: CautiousRisk: Low

London Benchmarks

vs London income+19.8% vs London avg
vs London crime+10.0% vs London avg

Deep-dive guides for SE23 3BL

🛡️Crime & SafetyCrime rate, trends & breakdown by type🎓SchoolsOfsted ratings, exam scores & distances🏠Rental MarketAverage rents, demand & void risk

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🚇 Well-Connected🎓 School Smart🔒 Very Safe

“The practical family move”

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How SE23 3BL has changed

Schools

18 Apr

Nearest schools and Ofsted ratings

60

Education score

Good for families
★ Top school within 1km
—

Primary

Horniman Primary School

Not yet inspected · 2 min walk

KS2: 107.5

—

Secondary

Sydenham School

Not yet inspected · 15 min walk

P8: +0.16A8: 51.4

100% of local schools rated Good or Outstanding · based on 10 schools within 1.5km

Top 10% — exceptional provision

Childcare

Childcare

Chelwood Nursery School

Not inspected · 23 min walk

6 primaries · 0 secondaries · 0 childcare — within 1km

Safety

13 Jul

Crime rates and local incidents

Low crime

71.6 incidents per 1,000 residents

Higher crime than 55% of London
→ Stable

-6% vs borough

Crime by type

Other27%
Violence & sexual offences25%
Vehicle crime20%
Anti-social behaviour16%
Burglary9%
Drug offences1%
Theft1%
Robbery1%

Road safety

100

Road safety score

0

Accidents (5yr)

1

Serious within 200m

Fire risk

LOW

Risk band

0

Incidents (1yr)

0

Incidents (5yr)

Nearest station: Fire Station · 896m

Crime is +10% above London average

Property

Prices, sales volume and market trends

Avg floor area155.7 m²

EPC breakdown

C
1%
D
1%
F
1%

Based on 3 properties · Confidence: low

LHA rates — Inner South East London

Shared room£650/mo
1 bedroom£1296/mo
2 bedrooms£1550/mo
3 bedrooms£1950/mo
4 bedrooms£2625/mo

Current mortgage rates

2-year fixed4.58%
5-year fixed4.32%
SVR7.25%

Bank of England (monthly average)

Affordability

Energy & construction

Solar yield851 kWh/kWp/yr
Heat pump suitableNo
EPC upgrade costMinimal
Rebuild cost estimate£389,250
Rebuild cost per m²£2,500/m²

BCIS London average 2024. Excludes land value. Use for building insurance sum insured guidance only.

Construction era1930-1949
WallsSolid brick, as built, no insulation (assumed)
RoofPitched, 100 mm loft insulation
Heating fuelmains gas (not community)
GlazingMostly double glazing
Council tax band Band EAnnual charge £2,312
Price growth potentialLow

Market History

Price trajectory, velocity and distribution

Price Trajectory

1996–2019 · CAGR

+9.5%

Total change

+700%

Market Activity

Price Velocity & Acceleration

Current Velocity

+30.9%

per year

Acceleration

-480.20

change in velocity

Market State

Strong growth

Velocity (%)Acceleration

Price Distribution

P25: £125k–£150k · P75: £700k+ · 3 sales

Property Type Mix

Total: 3 sales

Detached100%

By decade

1990s

2010s

Market Cycle

BullCooling bullRisingSteadyRecoveryCorrectionBear

Market Eras

EraPeriodStart priceEnd priceChangeAvg sales/yr
Late-1990s boom1996–1996£135k£135k+0%1
Help-to-Buy recovery2013–2013£825k£825k+0%1
Brexit uncertainty2019–2019£1.08m£1.08m+0%1

Buyer vs Seller Score

Composite market conditions index 0–100

0out of 100SellerBuyer

Market condition

Strong Seller's Market

Favours sellers

Higher score = better conditions for buyers

Score breakdown

Price Velocity0

Transport

1 Jul

Public transport accessibility and links

PTAL 3

Moderate

1a
1b
2
3
4
5
6a
6b
Below London average
Forest Hill→ London Bridge· 6 tph
17 min

Nearby stations

Forest Hill Rail StationSouthern · Windrush
9 min walk
Forest HillNational Rail
9 min walk
Honor Oak Park Rail StationSouthern · Windrush
12 min walk
Sydenham Rail StationWindrush · Southern
25 min walk
Brockley Rail StationSouthern · Windrush
32 min walk
No bus stops within 400m

30

Walkability score

18

Footpaths (500m)

0

Santander docks (800m)

3.0 km

Nearest cycle dock

Central London commute times

London Bridge ★33 min
Victoria49 min ↑
Waterloo47 min ↑
Canary Wharf40 min ↓
City44 min ↑

▎ marker = outer-London average per hub. ↓ green = below average. ↑ orange = above average. ≈ grey = at average. · Source: TfL Journey Planner (sampled)

Find areas within a set commute time of your workplace →

Parking & EV

Car parks, spaces and charging points

5

Car parks (800m)

0

EV chargers (800m)

Nearest car park443m
Santander docks (800m)0
Nearest cycle dock3.0 km

Nearby car parks

🅿️
Forest Hill Station Carpark· yes
688m

Environment

2 Jul

Flood risk, air quality and noise

Flood riskLOW
Low
Minimal flood risk
Surface waterNONE
No assessed surface water flood risk
Air qualityLOW
NO₂: 30.0 µg/m³ · PM2.5: 15.0 µg/m³
Better than 75% of London
NoiseLOW
none
Quieter than 70% of London
Radon riskLOW
0.5% of local properties affected
ULEZ zone · £12.50/dayCCZ: 5.8 km away✗ Not Green Belt✗ Not AONB12% green spaceTree canopy: 52%
Above average green space

Nearest SSSI: Croham Hurst SSSI — 10.5 km

Energy

Solar: 851 kWh/kWp/yrHeat pump: Not suitableEPC upgrade: Minimal

Ground stability

Geology: SAND AND GRAVEL

Subsidence risk: Low

Shrink-swell: Low

Running sand risk: Medium

Landslide records (2km): 2

Landslide susceptibility: Medium

Insurance risk

Standard

Cost band

Low

Flood risk

Low

Subsidence risk

0.5%

Flood claim prob.

Climate

Local weather conditions and energy potential

1,520 hrs/yr

Sunshine

608 mm/yr

Rainfall

22.5°C

Summer avg

3.2°C

Winter avg

Solar yield850.6 kWh/kWp/yr
Heat pump suitableNo
EPC upgrade costMinimal

Source: Met Office UK Climate Averages 1991-2020

Health

GP, dental and hospital access

VESTA ROAD SURGERY

58 VESTA ROAD, SE4 2NH

36 min walk

63%

Recommend GP

63%

Overall GP experience

0

GPs within 1km

2

Dentists within 1km

1

Care homes (1km)

Nearest hospitalTessa Jowell Health Centre · 2.3 km
Nearest A&EKING'S COLLEGE HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST · 3.6 km
A&E 4hr targetNHS target: 95% · London avg: ~68%59.4%

Amenities

Shops, restaurants, parks and more

29

Parks (1km)

10

Restaurants (800m)

10

Cafes (800m)

0

Pubs (400m)

0

Pharmacies (800m)

1

Gyms (1km)

3

Sports (1km)

0

Convenience

No pubs within 400m — nearest: The Signal (660 m)

Nearest supermarketForest Hill Supermarket · 755 m
2 swimming pools

Nightlife (500m)

0

Nightclubs

0

Late-night venues

E
866 licensed premises in borough229 late-night refreshment licencesHome Office 2023/24

0

Libraries (1km)

0

Cinemas (2km)

2.2km

Post office

Nearby shops

AM Super Market676 m
One Stop791 m

Nearby cafes

Dutch Barn391 m
The Horniman Cafe513 m
The Teapot580 m
The Lodge624 m

Nearby restaurants

Tze's584 m
KFC588 m
Matoom599 m
The India Gate609 m

Nearby pubs

The Signal660 m
JK Banquets732 m
Dartmouth Arms757 m
Watson's General Telegraph760 m

Nearby gyms

Energie634 m
Club House922 m
Forest Hill Pools992 m
Homestall Road Sports Ground1.1 km

Nearby health

London Dental Arts727 m
Food hygiene (5-star)55% of 40

Business

Local businesses registered here

Active businesses
0
New (last 12 months)
0
Dissolved (last 12 months)
0
Industry diversity
0
3yr survival rate
100.0%
Right-to-buy sales (5yr)
270

High street

E

High street health

Investment

Investment grade, yield and market outlook

57

Investment score

Good

Score reflects rental yield, demand & liquidity — not capital appreciation. See Price growth potential below.

Avg monthly rent
£1,425London avg: £1,950/mo
Gentrification score20/100
Right-to-buy sales (5yr)Above average for outer London — neighbourhood in transition270

Rental market

Medium

Demand

Medium

Void risk

Young professional

Tenant profile

+8.4%

Rent growth (1yr)

Market liquidity

Future outlook

40.1

Price growth score

D
Low

New supply risk

Infrastructure pipeline

Infrastructure score13/100
Bakerloo Extension route2,614m
Crossrail 2 route7,923m

Demographics

16 Jun

Population, deprivation and income

Decile 6/10

Around average

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Average deprivation level

Rank: 20,123 nationally

1,438

Est. population

5,518/km²

66%

Employed

66%

Degree educated

£50,300

Median income

2.9%

Claimant rate

Inner cityMedium densityYoung professionals

53

Community stability

Age profile

23%
16%
25%
19%
16%
Under 1823%
18–3416%
35–4925%
50–6419%
65+16%

Tenure

31%
35%
17%
16%
Own outright31%
Own (mortgage)35%
Private rent17%
Social rent16%
Shared ownership0%
Rent free0%

Ethnicity

57%
15%
14%
White British57%
White Other15%
Asian5%
Black14%
Mixed6%
Other2%

Employment & lifestyle

Managerial / professional58%
Routine / semi-routine9%
No car household34%
Unemployed5%
No qualifications10%

Housing tenure (Census 2021)

Private rent17%
Social rent16%

vs. London

Income vs London+19.8%

Planning

Conservation areas and development

Conservation area
No
Article 4 area
Yes
Listed buildings (800m)
25
Planning apps (12 months)
5
Local approval rate
80%
Borough approval rate
61%
Opportunity area
No
CIL rate (residential)
£150/m²
Coal mining risk area
No
Japanese knotweed sites (400m)
0

Housing pipeline (800m)

Homes approved
0
Under construction
0
Completed (3yr)
57
Largest scheme
22 homes · LAND AT WALDRAM CRESCENT TO THE REAR OF 1-17 STANSTEAD RD LONDON, SE23
Pipeline pressure
NONE

Named schemes (500m)

288, 288, WOOD VALE, SE23 3EQ17 homes
completed
THE MANOR, THE MANOR, CANONBIE ROAD, SE23 3AQ15 homes
completed
DERELICT GARAGES, REAR OF, 124-148, DERELICT GARAGES, REAR OF, 124-148, WOOD VALE, SE2311 homes
completed
4-6, 4-6, MANOR MOUNT, SE23 3PZ9 homes
completed
3 WALDENSHAW ROAD, LONDON, SE23 3XP8 homes
completed

Politics

Local councillors and MP

Ward majority
Labour and Co-operative Party
Ward majority vote
20.5%
Election year
2022
MP
Ellie Reeves (Labour)
MP majority
18,397
Constituency
Lewisham West and East Dulwich

Councillors

Sophie DavisLabour and Co-operative Party
Peter BernardsLabour and Co-operative Party
Billy HardingLabour and Co-operative Party

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Key facts for SE23 3BL

Full postcodeSE23 3BL
Postcode districtSE23
BoroughLondon Borough of Lewisham
WardForest Hill
Latitude51.445104
Longitude-0.057399
Parliamentary constituencyLewisham West and East Dulwich
CountryEngland
RegionGreater London

Trusted official data sources

Office for
National Statistics
LONDONDATASTORE
Ofsted
HM LAND
REGISTRY
Environment
Agency
DATA.POLICE.UK
GOV.UK
TfL
Transport
for London
NHS
Digital
Companies
House
Royal
Mail
Food Standards
Agency
Ofcom
Met
Office
Ordnance
Survey