The main contract for Phase 1, understood to be worth £100m, will see Ardmore construct 413 new homes for private sale, shared ownership and affordable rent.
Designed by the Glenn Howells Architects, the masterplan shows 619 new homes on a vacant four-acre site by Kidbrooke railway station in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.
The new homes will be built as six blocks with brick facades, reaching heights of up to 16 storeys, clustered around podium-level courtyards.
The first phase of the development includes an energy centre and provision of new public amenities, including a new public square and an improved transport hub connecting Kidbrooke Station and local bus services.
A complex civil engineering and phasing approach has been required to overcome the challenges posed by the sloping brownfield site, including significant slope retention and maintaining a public footbridge over the site.
Ardmore director James Byrne said: “This is a complex project, and we have had to call on all of our skills and experience of delivering major schemes on logistically constrained sites, next to railways and local residents, to develop a practical well-considered approach to delivery.”
Transport for London manager Emma Hatch said: “With enabling works on site close to completion, we’re excited to be starting the first phase of the main construction, working with Notting Hill Genesis and Ardmore, to deliver hundreds of new affordable homes. Our scheme will also create new and improved amenities for the community alongside new commercial and retail spaces, supporting the local economy while also generating vital revenue to reinvest into the transport network.”
Works on the Kidbrooke site started at the beginning of 2020 but stopped at the end of March with the first lockdown. In June 2020, demolition contractor John F Hunt resumed works to prepare the site ready for development. John F Hunt has undertaken a variety of tasks to prepare the site for the first stage of development. Perimeter boards and signage have been erected around the site. Ground clearance was carried out with the removal of dense vegetation and contaminates, and vehicle access routes were created. Ground improvement techniques have stabilised and improved the condition of the land. The installation of underground utility services and levelling the ground for concrete foundations has also developed well, leaving a site that will be ready and equipped for the main building works to begin soon.
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