Kidbrooke Park Road, Greenwich council housing

Kidbrooke Park Road Council Housing in Greenwich

22 October 2026

Design: HTA

Location: Kidbrooke Park Road, Greenwich Peninsula, London, England, UK

Greenwich approves HTA Design’s 100% affordable, net zero carbon development in Kidbrooke

HTA Design Completes UK’s Largest Council Housing Development For Royal Borough of Greenwich

Second phase completes landmark 452-home, 100 per cent social housing neighbourhood

Photos by Kilian O’Sullivan

London (22 October 2026) – The UK’s largest council housing development, Kidbrooke Park Road, is now complete in Royal Greenwich, setting a new benchmark for the delivery of well-designed social housing at scale.

Designed by HTA and delivered by Durkan for Royal Borough of Greenwich as part of the Greenwich Builds programme, the scheme provides 452 homes for social rent, alongside biodiverse green space and community facilities, transforming a disused site into a new, civic-led neighbourhood.

The new homes exceed London Plan space standards and are designed to be adaptable to support residents’ long-term wellbeing. Delivered in just six years from planning approval to completion, Kidbrooke Park Road demonstrates how local authorities can deliver ambitious, large-scale housing at pace while maintaining a strong focus on architecture, landscape, sustainability and community.

The completion of the second phase, Kidbrooke Park Road South, delivers 330 homes across eight residential buildings ranging from six to 15 storeys. The homes include a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments alongside family maisonettes, with generous private outdoor space and storage, and dual-aspect layouts in the majority of homes.

The development builds on the wider vision for the public realm and green infrastructure across Kidbrooke, including the award-winning Cator Park, designed by HTA’s landscape team. Central to the project is a green space connecting the two phases, while tree-lined streets, community gardens, playable landscapes and green corridors encourage social interaction and support biodiversity.

The completed neighbourhood includes 175 new trees, wildflower meadows, rain gardens, native hedgerows, green roofs and sustainable drainage systems throughout the site, helping to create a resilient and nature-rich environment.

The scheme also provides a nursery and community facilities, shaped by engagement with local residents and stakeholders. Proposals were developed in consultation with community groups, the Royal Borough of Greenwich, the Greater London Authority and Transport for London, before receiving unanimous planning approval.

The architecture combines a robust and timeless material palette with refined detailing. Predominantly brick-clad buildings draw inspiration from the surrounding context, referencing the London stock brick of nearby conservation areas and the red-brick character of south-east London’s suburban neighbourhoods, including the Paragon and Villa-style housing of nearby Blackheath. Arched entrances, patterned brickwork and exposed concrete elements create a distinctive identity, while precise massing ensures the development maintains a strong sense of place.

Sustainability has been considered throughout the scheme. The development was designed to achieve net zero carbon through a fabric-first approach and a dedicated energy centre. This comprises an all-electric system using air source heat pumps and electric boilers, with provision for future connection to a district heat network. A rooftop PV array and high-performance fabric contribute to the scheme’s net zero ambition. Together, these measures reduce operational carbon emissions while creating comfortable and energy-efficient homes for residents.

The significance of the development was recently recognised through a visit by Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Deputy Mayor for Housing Tom Copley. The visit formed part of the announcement that London has secured a record £11.7 billion affordable housing settlement over the next decade, with Kidbrooke Park Road highlighted as an example of the scale and quality of council housing delivery that investment can unlock.

Simon Bayliss, Managing Partner at HTA Design, said: “Kidbrooke Park Road demonstrates what can be achieved when local authorities take an ambitious approach to housing delivery and are supported by a shared vision between client, design team and contractor. Together, the two phases have delivered the UK’s largest council housing development and one of the most significant social housing projects completed in recent years.

The project shows that council housing can be delivered at scale without compromising on architectural ambition. From the characterful brick architecture and building forms to the generous homes, landscape and community spaces, every aspect has been designed to create a neighbourhood with a strong sense of place and identity.

We hope it serves as a benchmark for how future generations of affordable housing can be delivered across London and the UK.”

Cllr Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: “We couldn’t be prouder to be creating the homes that every generation deserves, and at a scale that sets the standard for other local authorities to follow.

Kidbrooke Park Road has transformed the lives of hundreds of families and individuals by giving them a secure home in a fantastic new community, with a nursery, retail space, play parks, hundreds of newly planted trees and an innovative sustainable energy centre.

It’s been a joy to hear the stories of how these new homes have improved the lives of the people living here, and to witness their joy at finally having a stable, affordable home to enable them to build positive, happy lives for the future.”

Ronan Murphy, CEO of Durkan Group, said: “It’s been a privilege to be a key delivery partner for Kidbrooke Park Road and to support the Royal Borough of Greenwich to deliver much needed new council homes that are warm, safe and genuinely fit for the future, through its Greenwich Builds programme.

As the largest new social housing development in the country, this is a landmark scheme that sets a benchmark for what can be achieved through ambitious council housebuilding.

We’re proud not only of the 452 homes delivered, but also of the wider neighbourhood created, including new public spaces, community infrastructure and the lasting social value generated through our work with local communities.”

The wider Kidbrooke Park Road development has already received industry recognition, with the northern phase winning both a Housing Design Award and an Inside Housing Development Award for Best Affordable Housing Development over £20m.

Kidbrooke Masterplan in Greenwich, London – Building Information

Project team:

Client: Royal Borough of Greenwich and Greenwich Builds
Architect: HTA Design
Landscape Architect: HTA Design
Main Contractor: Durkan
Structural Engineer: OCSC
Services Engineer: WSP

HTA Design

HTA Design is an interdisciplinary practice renowned for designing some of the most influential housing projects and best places to live in the UK and internationally.

Key projects include large-scale regeneration at Greenford Quay in Ealing, estate renewal at the Aylesbury Estate in Southwark, the UK’s first major zero-carbon community at Hanham Hall in Bristol, and two of the world’s tallest modular towers – Ten Degrees and College Road – in Croydon. HTA also led the greening of the Canary Wharf masterplan, including the award-winning Eden Dock.

With around 250 professionals working across architecture, planning, masterplanning, landscape design, sustainability and building physics, interior design, wayfinding, and communications and engagement, HTA has been at the forefront of housing innovation and sustainability for over 50 years.

HTA’s expertise in volumetric construction has led to advisory roles with developers in the UK and globally. The practice operates from studios in London, Bristol, Edinburgh, Manchester, and a newly established studio in Sydney.

HTA is recognised as a leading employer, winning AJ100 Employer of the Year in 2018, 2022, 2023, and 2024, and AJ100 Practice of the Year in 2025. HTA is a certified B Corporation, reflecting the practice’s long-term commitment to maintaining high standards of social and environmental performance, accountability and transparency.
https://www.hta.co.uk/

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Previously on e-architect:

10 Dec 2020

Kidbrooke Masterplan

Design: HTA

Location: Greenwich Peninsula, London, England, UK

Greenwich approves HTA Design’s 100% affordable, net zero carbon development in Kidbrooke

The Royal Borough of Greenwich’s planning committee has unanimously approved plans for a new housing development designed by HTA Design at Kidbrooke Park Road.

Located to the north of Kidbrooke Station, Kidbrooke Park Road proposes a new residential scheme providing a new nursery and 117 homes, all of which will be affordable, comprising larger family maisonettes through to one-bedroom apartments.

The scheme is designed to achieve net zero carbon, incorporating air source heat pumps and will use solar panels across the roofs of the buildings. An efficient ventilation system, mechanical ventilation and heat recovery (MVHR), and dual aspect design will help reduce the risk of overheating.

The scheme has been designed to be delivered using modular construction. Earlier this year, HTA produced a new report calling for the building of 75,000 new modular homes a year to create 50,000 new jobs, reduce carbon emissions by 40% and deliver Government’s levelling up agenda.

The proposed development allows for the creation of a green corridor making provision for a tree-lined pedestrian and cycle routes along Kidbrooke Park Road, which has been enabled through remedial work to eradicate ground contamination caused by the previous uses of the site.

This builds on the recent work by HTA Design with the London Wildlife Trust at the adjacent Cator Park, an eight-hectare park that includes lakes, wetlands, meadows, an outdoor children’s playground and wild spaces. The park recently won the Sir David Attenborough Award for Enhancing Biodiversity and The President’s Award in The Landscape Institute Awards – the most prestigious landscape award in the UK.

Simon Bayliss, HTA Design managing partner, said: “This fantastic scheme sets a useful template for the future of local authority housing delivery. Designed to be built by modular construction, to be environmentally friendly, and to be affordable, Kidbrooke Park Road is another exemplary addition to the Kidbrooke area that comfortably fits into its surroundings whilst providing the homes that local people want to live in.”

Kidbrooke Masterplan in Greenwich, London – Building Information

Architects: HTA

– 117 new Council homes
– Nursery
– Open space
– Net zero carbon through use of solar panels and heat pumps
– Designed for modular construction

About HTA Design LLP
HTA Design LLP is an award-winning collaborative design studio, with offices in London, Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh. The firm employs 200 staff across architecture, landscape design, planning, urban design, sustainability and communications. The practice was established in 1969 and transferred to HTA Design LLP in 2013.

An experienced industry leader, HTA delivers high quality homes across all tenures and housing types, unlocking value through innovation to create great places and sustainable communities where people choose to live.

The practice is currently working on a number of major schemes across the country, including 101 George Street, a residential tower in Croydon that, on completion, will be the world’s tallest modular building. Other projects include Hanham Hall, a highly sustainable development of 186 homes in Gloucestershire; and Greenford, one of the UK’s largest purpose-designed ‘Build to Rent’ schemes to date, providing 1,965 new homes in Ealing, West London.

As a business, HTA’s partnership model and outstanding everyday practice has made it UK architecture’s number one employer, as chosen by the AJ100.