Tenants are moving into new council homes on one of the largest 100 per cent social housing developments in the country.
The homes are the latest to be completed as part of the 452-unit Kidbrooke Park Road scheme, under the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s 1,750 home Greenwich Builds programme, a key part of its Housing Our Greenwich initiative.
Comprised of 156 one, two and three bedroom apartments, 12 of which are wheelchair adapted, the latest phase of the development also includes a retail unit.
Tenants moving in to the development were visited by Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich Cllr Anthony Okereke and Cabinet Member for Housing Management, Neighbourhoods and Homelessness Cllr Pat Slattery.
One new tenant described her new home as "my dream", while another said the view from her balcony was "amazing", and that the location was convenient for her journey to her job in central London thanks to the nearby train station.
Cllr Anthony Okereke said:
“Truly affordable and secure homes build strong, resilient communities, and we are so proud to be showing what local authorities can do when enabled to create new council homes at a scale not seen in a generation.
The development at Kidbrooke Park Road, one of the largest in the country, is a dream come true for the hundreds of families and individuals that are moving here. It’s truly heartwarming to meet those arriving at their new homes today and experience the joy and relief they feel at finally having a stable, affordable place to call their own.
We wish them all the best in their new lives here and look forward to the final phase of this scheme being completed later in the year.”
Cllr Pat Slattery said:
“Social housing is a crucial part of tackling the accommodation crisis across the country, helping people escape the trap of poverty by giving them the solid foundation of a secure home.
We are leading a revival of council home-building and Kidbrooke Park Road highlights the fantastic strides that have been made towards achieving our goal of 1,750 new council homes across the borough.
This one development offers over 450 homes for social rent to local people, alongside a nursery, retail space, play spaces, landscaping and over 200 newly planted trees creating a fantastic new neighbourhood.”
The first phase of the development, made up of 122 homes, a nursery and play spaces opened in 2024, and the whole scheme is set for completion by late 2026.
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.
Kidbrooke Park Road is the largest scheme in the council’s Greenwich Builds programme. Of the 1,750 homes the council has committed to create, 591 are now complete, with a further 528 under construction. Other sites are awaiting planning approval or assessment for viability.