Tenants, councillors, MPs and Members of the Greater London Authority gathered today to celebrate the completion of Kidbrooke Park Road, the largest new 100% social housing development in the country.
Part of the Greenwich Builds programme, which is delivering 1,750 new council homes across Royal Greenwich, Kidbrooke Park Road is comprised of 452 one to four-bedroom homes for local people on the council’s housing register.
Cllr Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said:
“We couldn’t be prouder to be creating the homes that every generation deserves, and at a scale that sets the standard for other local authorities to follow.
Kidbrooke Park Road has transformed the lives of hundreds of families and individuals by giving them a secure home in a fantastic new community, with a nursery, retail space, play parks, hundreds of newly planted trees and an innovative sustainable energy centre.
It’s been a joy to hear the stories of how these new homes have improved the lives of the people living here, and to witness their joy at finally having a stable, affordable home to enable them to build positive, happy lives for the future.”
Cllr Jackie Smith, Deputy Leader and Member for Housing, Greenwich Builds & Estate Regeneration, said:
“This flagship council home development shows how we are leading a revival of council home-building after many decades of restrictions on new housing creation by local authorities.
Kidbrooke Park Road highlights the fantastic strides that have been made towards achieving our goal of 1,750 new council homes across the borough, and is a dream come true for the hundreds of families and individuals that are moving here. We wish them all the best in their new homes and look forward to the thousands more we are committed to building across Royal Greenwich.”
Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Residential Development, said: "London is leading the way nationally on council home building, with half of all new council homes in England built in the capital last year, and more new council homes underway than at any time since the 1970s.
The new development at Kidbrooke Park Road is the perfect example of what we're achieving, with 452 council homes forming the largest single entirely new-build council housing development in the country. We recently announced that 60% of the funding from the first round of the Mayor’s new Social and Affordable Homes Programme will go to London boroughs, and we look forward to that decision delivering even more new council homes in future."
Ronan Murphy, CEO of Durkan Group, said: “It’s been a privilege to be a key delivery partner for Kidbrooke Park Road and to support the Royal Borough of Greenwich to deliver much needed new council homes that are warm, safe and genuinely fit for the future, through its Greenwich Builds programme.
We're proud not only of the 452 homes delivered, but also of the wider neighbourhood created, including new public spaces, community infrastructure and the lasting social value generated through our work with local communities."
Simon Bayliss, Managing Partner at HTA Design, said: “Kidbrooke Park Road demonstrates what can be achieved when local authorities take an ambitious approach to housing delivery and are supported by a shared vision between client, design team and contractor. Together, the two phases have delivered the UK's largest council housing development and one of the most significant social housing projects completed in recent years.
The project shows that council housing can be delivered at scale without compromising on architectural ambition. From the characterful brick architecture and building forms to the generous homes, landscape and community spaces, every aspect has been designed to create a neighbourhood with a strong sense of place and identity."
Part-funded by the Greater London Authority, Kidbrooke Park Road has attracted significant awards recognition with several wins including a Housing Design Award and the New London Architecture Mayor’s Prize, as well as currently being in the running for a prestigious Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) prize.
As well as 452 council homes, the development features a nursery, retail space, multiple play areas and landscaping, including 200 newly planted trees.
One in ten homes of the scheme are wheelchair accessible for tenants with physical disabilities, and all homes benefit from an innovative sustainable energy centre which provides heat and hot water across the development.
The 1,750 home Greenwich Builds programme, of which Kidbrooke Park Road is a part, has now delivered over 1,000 new council homes across Royal Greenwich, with hundreds more under construction.
Greenwich Builds is one part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s multi-strand approach to maximising the creation of new housing across the borough, alongside delivery of reduced rent homes through Meridian Home Start, community-led housing through Community Land Trusts, and other affordable housing through partnerships with housing associations and private developers.
Together these strategies have resulted in Royal Greenwich having the highest number of new affordable homes started of any London borough for three consecutive years from 2022 to 2025, as well as a 42% reduction in the number of wheelchair users on our housing waiting list and an 84% reduction in hotel use for temporary accommodation.