Greenwich (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Greenwich’s largest social housing scheme has won a prestigious Housing Design Award, highlighting innovation and quality in the Royal Borough.
A renowned Housing Design Award has been given to Kidbrooke Park Road North, Greenwich, the initial phase of a 452-home social housing development.
12 of the 122 one-, two-, and three-bedroom carbon neutral flats and maisonettes in the award-winning project are wheelchair accessible.
A children’s play area, a cutting-edge sustainable energy center, a new nursery, and substantial landscaping with 69 recently planted trees are also included.
A second stage of development is presently under place to the south of the location. When finished, it will include 330 more residences, retail establishments, landscaping, and further tree plantings.
Councillor Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said:
“This prestigious award win for our largest social housing development is a fantastic endorsement of the 1,750 council homes we’re creating with the Housing Our Greenwich programme.
It also shows how effective councils can be at delivering the truly affordable, high quality homes needed to tackle the housing crisis.
We are committed to making sure that everyone in our borough has access to a safe and secure home, and Kidbrooke Park Road highlights how we are making good on that commitment, with over 450 homes for social rent to local people.
We hope this recognition by the Housing Design Awards will inspire other local authorities to follow our example, by building homes that everyone can afford.”
The Housing Design Awards are the nation’s oldest housing awards, having been established by Nye Bevan in 1948 during the same session of Parliament that established the NHS.
Blakeney Leigh served as the employer’s agent while Durkan Homes constructed Kidbrooke Park Road North, which was designed by HTA Design.
The judges of the Housing Design Awards acknowledged the 100% social housing scheme’s aspirations and the high caliber of its design, with blocks organized to optimize ventilation and daylighting and an effective layout that made building easier and cheaper.
Standardized floor layouts sped up the construction process and reduced emissions and waste.
The judges also took note of the substantial amount of effort done to prepare the site, which included clearing the entire area of dirt down to a depth of two meters before construction could start.
Kidbrooke Park Road South is scheduled to be finished in 2026, while tenants moved into Kidbrooke Park Road North in 2024.
How will the Kidbrooke scheme affect housing supply in Royal Greenwich?
The first phase alone will provide 122 new one-, two-, and three-bedroom carbon neutral apartments and maisonettes, which directly adds to the affordable housing supply in the Borough.
Overall, the development is looking to provide 452 council homes to be let at social rents. This will look to accommodate and target local people who are on the Housing Register and who are facing high demands for housing and affordability issues.
The Kidbrooke scheme, of which was part of the original available housing supply, adds to and tries to meet the acute shortage of affordable housing in the borough. The homes will be secure and with high quality, which will also help reduce the waiting list and improve community stability.