A huge development of 619 new homes on land next to Kidbrooke station is set to be signed off despite conflicting with a council masterplan.

Transport for London has partnered up with the housing association Notting Hill Genesis under the Kidbrooke Partnership for the major regeneration project, dubbed Kidbrooke Station Square.

The developers propose 619 homes in what would be phase three of the Kidbrooke Village development, which is currently under construction. Together, the Village and Station Square development would form the “Kidbrooke Hub”.

The developers have earmarked 50 per cent of the development as “affordable”. Of this, 152 would be set at London Affordable Rent – roughly £150/week for a one-bedroom flat – and 157 shared ownership.

The homes would be spread across eight new buildings, from nine to 20 storeys high, towering over a new square and shop space below.

The site is currently north of the station, and with planning officers saying it is currently “underutilised” and mostly scrubland.

Officers have recommended that councillors approve the development at a planning meeting next week, despite the tall buildings conflicting with a masterplan for the area.

Planners have also identified  a “shortfall” in community space in the “hub”, with the proposals stopping short of what the council expected.

However, in a new report, council planners said: “The proposed development also brings forth a number of public benefits.

“It is considered that these benefits further add weight in support for the proposed development when considered on balance against the harm created by the high density of the proposal.

“It is acknowledged that some aspects of the scheme are not entirely in accordance with the form of development envisaged by the Kidbrooke Development Area supplementary planning document, for example taller buildings beyond the indicative height ranges identified for certain parts of the site. Densities are also greater than specified.”

The plans do feature a nursery, which officers say falls into a similar “community” category, with health facilities planned as part of the wider project.

The scheme is to be debated next Tuesday, July 16, at Woolwich Town Hall.

Last year, Greenwich Council suggested it could build 400 new homes opposite the Kidbrooke Station Square site, on land where Thomas Tallis School once sat.

Tom Bull is the Local Democracy Reporter for Greenwich. The Local Democracy Reporter Service is a BBC-funded initiative to ensure councils are covered properly in local media.
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