Forest Hill · Lewisham · Lewisham West and East Dulwich constituency · 51.44391, -0.05368

SE23 3RL— Forest Hill, Lewisham

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

The practical family move

 

Bottom 25% LondonSchools 100%Safety 82/100Transport 47/100~1% yield · indicativeOnly 2 sales — thin data

Best for: Families

Compare areas

Balanced area — no standout strengths or weaknesses

Liveability
71
Safety
82
Schools
60
Transport
47
Environment
72
Investment
32

The bottom line

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

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Location

SE23 3RL

Area Profile & Benchmarks

Area identity and London comparisons

Area Identity

Inner city
HighYoung 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 3RL

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

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Postcode Personality

🚇 Well-Connected🎓 School Smart🔒 Very Safe

“The practical family move”

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How SE23 3RL has changed

Schools

18 Apr

Nearest schools and Ofsted ratings

60

Education score

Good for families
★ Top school within 1km
—

Primary

Fairlawn Primary School

Not yet inspected · 5 min walk

KS2: 108.5

—

Secondary

Sydenham School

Not yet inspected · 14 min walk

P8: +0.16A8: 51.4

100% of local schools rated Good or Outstanding · based on 11 schools within 1.5km

Top 10% — exceptional provision

Childcare

Childcare

Chelwood Nursery School

Not inspected · 23 min walk

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

Safety

13 Jul

Crime rates and local incidents

Low crime

58.4 incidents per 1,000 residents

Better than 56% of London
→ Stable

-23% vs borough

Crime by type

Violence & sexual offences27%
Other25%
Vehicle crime20%
Anti-social behaviour18%
Burglary6%
Drug offences2%
Theft2%
Robbery0%

Road safety

100

Road safety score

0

Accidents (5yr)

Fire risk

LOW

Risk band

0

Incidents (1yr)

0

Incidents (5yr)

Nearest station: Fire Station · 613m

Crime is 10% below London average

Property

2 Jul

Prices, sales volume and market trends

Insufficient sales data

Only 2 sales recorded in the last 24 months — too few for a reliable median price. Price figures have been withheld to avoid misleading comparisons.

Price history

Sales (24 months)2
New build0.0%
Price per m²£13,483/m²
Price per ft²£1,253/ft²
Avg floor area107.7 m²

EPC breakdown

C
1%
D
16%
E
6%
F
5%
G
1%

Based on 29 properties · Confidence: medium

Street mix

Semi 80%Detached 2%Flat 18%

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

Low

Market activity

100d

Days to sell

Energy & construction

Solar yield851 kWh/kWp/yr
Heat pump suitableNo
EPC upgrade costMinimal
Rebuild cost estimate£269,250
Rebuild cost per m²£2,500/m²

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

Construction era1900-1929
WallsSolid brick, as built, no insulation (assumed)
RoofPitched, no insulation (assumed)
Heating fuelmains gas (not community)
GlazingFully double glazed
Council tax band Band CAnnual charge £1,682
Price growth potentialModerate

Market History

Price trajectory, velocity and distribution

Price Trajectory

1995–2026 · CAGR

+10.6%

Total change

+2177%

Market Activity

Price Velocity & Acceleration

Current Velocity

-8.9%

per year

Acceleration

-14.19

change in velocity

Market State

Downturn

Velocity (%)Acceleration

Price Distribution

P25: £450k–£500k · P75: £175k–£200k · 45 sales

Property Type Mix

Total: 45 sales

Detached2.2%
Semi-detached80%
Flat/maisonette17.8%

By decade

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

Market Cycle

BullCooling bullRisingSteadyRecoveryCorrectionBear

Market Eras

EraPeriodStart priceEnd priceChangeAvg sales/yr
Late-1990s boom1995–2000£56k£140k+150%2.2
Post-dot-com plateau2002–2003£390k£375k-3.8%1
Pre-crash peak2006–2007£425k£565k+32.9%1.5
GFC & correction2008–2012£513k£794k+54.9%2.2
Help-to-Buy recovery2013–2015£893k£845k-5.3%1.7
Brexit uncertainty2017–2019£1.08m£723k-33.1%2.5
Pandemic surge2020–2021£1.51m£1.21m-19.7%1.5
Rate-rise correction2022–2022£933k£933k+0%2
Current market2024–2026£1.33m£1.27m-4.1%1

Price Trajectory by Type

Semi-detached

Per-type alpha vs district

Best performer

Semi-detached

+0% alpha

Semi-detached+0% α
Local
10.1%
District
10.1%

CAGR over 25yr data window. Alpha = local CAGR − district CAGR.

Buyer vs Seller Score

Composite market conditions index 0–100

63out of 100SellerBuyer

Market condition

Buyer's Market

Neutral conditions

Higher score = better conditions for buyers

Score breakdown

Price Velocity100
Seasonal Timing14
Trend Position75

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
6 min walk
Forest HillNational Rail
6 min walk
Honor Oak Park Rail StationSouthern · Windrush
11 min walk
Sydenham Rail StationWindrush · Southern
23 min walk
Brockley Rail StationSouthern · Windrush
32 min walk
No bus stops within 400m

34

Walkability score

30

Footpaths (500m)

0

Santander docks (800m)

3.1 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

6

Car parks (800m)

0

EV chargers (800m)

Nearest car park258m
Santander docks (800m)0
Nearest cycle dock3.1 km

Nearby car parks

🅿️
Forest Hill Station Carpark· yes
497m
🅿️
Perry Vale Car Park
687m

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: 15.0 µg/m³ · PM2.5: 8.0 µg/m³
Better than 95% of London
NoiseLOW
none
Quieter than 70% of London
Radon riskLOW
0.5% of local properties affected
ULEZ zone · £12.50/dayCCZ: 6.1 km away✗ Not Green Belt✗ Not AONB15% green spaceTree canopy: 40%
Above average green space

Nearest SSSI: Croham Hurst SSSI — 10.4 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

3

Dentists within 1km

Nearest hospitalTessa Jowell Health Centre · 2.5 km
Nearest A&EKING'S COLLEGE HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUST · 3.9 km
A&E 4hr targetNHS target: 95% · London avg: ~68%59.4%

Amenities

Shops, restaurants, parks and more

25

Parks (1km)

21

Restaurants (800m)

9

Cafes (800m)

0

Pubs (400m)

0

Pharmacies (800m)

2

Gyms (1km)

5

Sports (1km)

0

Convenience

No pubs within 400m — nearest: Railway Telegraph (471 m)

Nearest supermarketForest Hill Supermarket · 551 m
2 swimming pools1 sports halls

Nightlife (500m)

0

Nightclubs

0

Late-night venues

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

1

Libraries (1km)

0

Cinemas (2km)

2.0km

Post office

Nearby shops

Wine Merchant553 m
One Stop638 m
Sainsbury's Local878 m

Nearby cafes

St David Coffee House462 m
The Teapot471 m
Lazy Chef483 m
The Guava Kitchen500 m

Nearby restaurants

New Island469 m
Tze's471 m
D&D471 m
KFC473 m

Nearby pubs

Railway Telegraph471 m
The Signal484 m
JK Banquets509 m
Dartmouth Arms581 m

Nearby gyms

Energie486 m
Forest Hill Pools863 m
Club House997 m

Nearby health

London Dental Arts558 m
Dental Beauty Forest Hill614 m
Honor Oak Dentistry886 m
Food hygiene (5-star)46% of 89

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

32

Investment score

Weak

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

Low gross yield (1.3%) makes this better for owner-occupiers than buy-to-let investors. Capital growth outlook is moderate.

Avg monthly rent
£1,425London avg: £1,950/mo
Gross yield
1.3% (low)London avg: 3.8%Low yield — bottom 25% of London
Gentrification score21/100
Right-to-buy sales (5yr)Above average for outer London — neighbourhood in transition270
Sales last 12 months1

Rental market

High

Demand

Low

Void risk

Young professional

Tenant profile

+8.4%

Rent growth (1yr)

Market liquidity

Low

Market activity

100d

Est. days to sell

8/100

Velocity score

Future outlook

53.1

Price growth score

C
Low

New supply risk

Infrastructure pipeline

Infrastructure score13/100
Bakerloo Extension route2,348m
Crossrail 2 route8,214m

Demographics

16 Jun

Population, deprivation and income

Decile 6/10

Around average

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Average deprivation level

Rank: 17,407 nationally

1,524

Est. population

14,137/km²

71%

Employed

62%

Degree educated

£50,300

Median income

3.7%

Claimant rate

Inner cityHigh densityYoung professionals

40

Community stability

Age profile

22%
30%
25%
16%
Under 1822%
18–3430%
35–4925%
50–6416%
65+7%

Tenure

15%
30%
33%
22%
Own outright15%
Own (mortgage)30%
Private rent33%
Social rent22%
Shared ownership0%
Rent free0%

Ethnicity

49%
16%
17%
White British49%
White Other16%
Asian6%
Black17%
Mixed10%
Other3%

Employment & lifestyle

Managerial / professional54%
Routine / semi-routine13%
No car household45%
Unemployed5%
No qualifications9%

Housing tenure (Census 2021)

Private rent33%
Social rent22%

vs. London

Income vs London+19.8%

Planning

Conservation areas and development

Conservation area
Yes
Article 4 area
Yes
Listed buildings (800m)
14
Planning apps (12 months)
1
Local approval rate
100%
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)
61
Largest scheme
27 homes · FAIRWAY HOUSE, REAR OF 53, FAIRWAY HOUSE, REAR OF 53, DARTMOUTH ROAD, SE23 3HN
Pipeline pressure
NONE

Named schemes (500m)

LAND AT WALDRAM CRESCENT TO THE REAR OF 1-17 STANSTEAD RD LONDON, SE2322 homes
completed
30-40, 30-40, London Road, SE23 3HF15 homes
completed
THE MANOR, THE MANOR, CANONBIE ROAD, SE23 3AQ15 homes
completed
16-18, 16-18, DEVONSHIRE ROAD, SE2313 homes
completed
174, 174, DEVONSHIRE ROAD, SE2312 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 3RL

Full postcodeSE23 3RL
Postcode districtSE23
BoroughLondon Borough of Lewisham
WardForest Hill
Latitude51.443909
Longitude-0.053680
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