£1bn regeneration of Kidbrooke gets go-ahead
Plans for the £1bn transformation of the former Ferrier Estate and neighbouring Kidbrooke area in south-east London, have been approved by Greenwich Council and will include an array of leisure facilities.
As part of the Kidbrooke Vision masterplan, Thomas Tallis secondary school will be redeveloped to include a dual-use gymnastics centre, martial arts dojo, a flood lit all-weather sports pitch and a six-court sports hall, designed for county and regional level basketball competitions. Theatre and performing arts spaces as well as music facilities and classrooms for adult education are also included. The development is designed by architect Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands to also comprise 300,000sq ft (27,870sq m) of commercial and retail space. There are also plans for healthcare facilities and eight hectares (19.7-acres) of new public open space, designed by landscape architects Gillespies.
The scheme will be centred around a new 130m-wide park with a series of outdoor 'rooms' each with a dedicated use – such as sport, playing fields, cultural activities, bio-diverse planting and wildlife. The park will be linked with a number of existing green spaces which are currently isolated and underused. The regeneration scheme's approved phase one will include the construction of 449 residential units. Led by Berkeley Homes and the council, the project will now be delivered in partnership with Homes and Communities Agency, which has helped fund the scheme, and Southern Housing Group.
Demolition on the site has already begun and it's expected that the first few residents will be able to move in next year. The masterplan will be fully realised over the next 20 years.