Peabody's housing plans for West Thamesmead revealed

Much publicity over recent months about Thamesmead’s planned Housing Zones has focused on South Thamesmead and it’s famous estate, where 1661 new homes are planned. Up to now, plans for other areas Peabody intend to develop have been thin on the ground. That’s now changed as plans for 66 homes at a patch of land close to Plumstead are revealed. This patch of land is by the Princess Alice pub, the small parade of shops and over the road from Belmarsh Prison’s main entrance.

Peabody have appointed Pitman Tozer architects to work on The Reach site. Previous work includes the award-winning Peabody development in Bethnal Green on Mint Street.

Unlike South Thamesmead’s Housing Zone of 1661 homes, which is located in Bexley borough, this site is in Greenwich’s zone and is the first stage of 1500+ homes planned there. Other larger housing sites are at the Moorings Estate (which would make an ideal London Overground station on an extension from Barking Riverside to Abbey Wood Crossrail station), a patch of land by the one-way system near Plumstead bus garage plus an area by the Thames and the Broadwater Canal. Whether the dried-out, rubbish-strewn canal is built upon remains to be seen.

It could be a great feature. Houses lining one side turn their back to it. Homes and commercial space to be built on the other should make a virtue of it.

Lifschutz Davison Sandilands architects are leading design work on sites in Plumstead and West Thamesmead. Previous work includes the very good ‘Kidbrooke Village’ development, which bodes well.

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