Bexley Council and Peabody launch plan to build on Abbey Wood car park
Plans for high density housing development by Abbey Wood station at Felixstowe Road car park have been announced today.
The site abuts Harrow Manorway flyover and much like the new station will integrate buildings onto the road allowing possible active building frontages.
The plans are a joint venture between Peabody and Bexley Council’s arms-length developer BexleyCo.
BexleyCo is the recently formed version of Greenwich’s Meridian Homes. Central Government hampers public authorities from building sizeable numbers of homes so an arms-length company is often the only solution.
Whilst BexleyCo was only formed in 2017 verses Meridian Home Start back in 2011, it has already stolen a march.
Poor starts
Neither council have covered themselves in glory. BexleyCo have begun with plans to build on parks whilst Greenwich have been very lethargic at using this crucial tool to increase new homes, and where they have built have tended to look at bungalows and very low density housing even beside stations which does little to solve the housing shortage.
Now we have Bexley Council looking to build high density next to a station (which makes sense) yet still permit private developments with no housing in town centres, such as Lidl and Aldi stores in Bexleyheath, Welling and Crayford town centres.
And Greenwich are generally pushing mid to high density in town centres (again this makes sense in many instances) yet low densities when Meridian are involved.
The announcement has been made on the day consultation begins on another Peabody housing development in Abbey Wood.
That is underway this afternoon and covers the former Harrow Inn pub site.
Update March 2025: Seven years later and Bexley Council havn’t built any homes on their plot. It’s partly back to being a car park while the rest is an eyesore and dumping ground.
Peabody submitted an application for their site which was approved but did nothing. It recently lapsed five years after approval given.
Meaning the Elizabeth line was delayed but is now approaching its third anniversary.
As it’s currently in use as the site offices for the Abbey Wood station rebuild and associated Crossrail works, it seems like building housing on it is the logical conclusion once that’s out of the way. The station car park is (AFAIK) being restored to where the temporary entrance was established beside the Abbey Arms pub; there’s currently parking available under the flyover on Gayton Road.