Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development ,Tom Copley, Royal Borough of Greenwich Leader, Cllr Anthony Okereke, and Homes England’s Director of Infrastructure Funding, Pauline Schaffer, recently met with our Deputy Executive Director of Development Angela Wood and Berkeley Group Executive Chair Rob Perrins to see how things are taking shape.
During the visit, guests buried a time capsule in the central park, toured the recently completed homes and heard from new residents about what life is like at Lombard Square.
Lombard Square has delivered 733 homes out of 1,964 so far, including 381 affordable homes. The Royal Borough of Greenwich is allocating affordable homes for rent to support local people in housing need, including those currently living in temporary accommodation.
The entire masterplan for Lombard Square, which sits on 17-acres of former Peabody industrial estate land, will provide a mix of homes (39% affordable) once complete. It will also provide 47,000 sq ft of light industrial, commercial and employment space, which is expected to create more than 180 permanent jobs.
The scheme includes around three acres of welcoming public open space, featuring a playspace, amenity parkland, seasonal wildflowers, a sustainable urban drainage pond and other biodiverse habitats for wildlife and people to enjoy. The low-carbon development will also feature a ground source heat pump, solar panels, and electric vehicle charging.
Peabody and Berkeley have prioritised sustainable modes of transport throughout the scheme, with new pedestrian and cycle links across the site connecting Thamesmead, Plumstead and Broadwater Green. The development also has easy access to local public transport, including nearby Plumstead Station.
Angela Wood, Peabody’s Deputy Executive Director of Development, said: “Lombard Square is a prime example of a welcoming, sustainable and well-connected neighbourhood. It’s hugely exciting to see it taking shape, with hundreds of homes already completed and a beautiful new park for local people to enjoy. We’re really pleased to welcome residents into their new homes, and wish them well as they settle in.”
Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, Tom Copley, said: "I'm delighted to mark the completion of 733 much needed homes at Lombard Square, alongside this fantastic new park for the whole community to enjoy. This development represents placemaking and partnership working at its best, with Berkeley, Peabody, Greenwich, the GLA and Homes England all working together to unlock a complex brownfield site and create a sustainable new neighbourhood."
Councillor Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: "Seeing these homes delivered so quickly is a fantastic achievement and a testament to the strong partnership between Berkeley Homes, Peabody, the Greater London Authority, Homes England and the Council. But what is most important is seeing people move into these homes. Meeting residents who have previously lived in Abbey Wood and Eltham and are now starting a new chapter at Lombard Square shows that the work we are doing to tackle the housing crisis is making a real difference to local people.”
Rob Perrins, Berkeley Group Executive Chairman, said: “Very few projects in London have delivered this many private and affordable homes over the last year, and this beautiful new park shows what ambitious placemaking and regeneration are all about. Projects like Lombard Square are not easy, but once up and running they are a real force for good - driving the growth, jobs and homes London desperately need.”
