Plans for New Student Accommodation in Woolwich

An attractive site in Greenwich has been reserved for a new development for co-living and student accommodation with over 1,200 beds.

The provider, Re:shape Living, has acquired a plot of land on Woolwich’s Macbean Street with the intention of establishing new co-living and student accommodation. It’s envisioned that the property will have a brand-new, two-story community centre and public area.

Jaime Browne, co-founder of Re:shape Living, announced that the Woolwich site has the potential to offer and provide the neighbourhood with more than 100 affordable homes and over 1,200 beds.

Mr. Browne stated to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “We are excited to start to engage with local community groups, charities, small and medium-sized enterprises, and social enterprises over the coming months, so they not only have a genuine opportunity to co-design and inform the proposed uses of the buildings and the wider offering at the Macbean development site, but also become actual stakeholders and direct beneficiaries of the development proposals.”

He continued, “The Macbean site is a strategically important development site for Woolwich. It is important that we deliver a neighbourhood where local people feel welcome, and the proposed uses complement and enrich the vibrancy of the town centre.”

Greenwich Council in 2021 refused previous plans from the developer L&Q to build five blocks of flats up to 22 storeys tall on the site. The initial plan was for the construction of 595 new apartments on the site of the defunct Woolwich Polytechnic School, which has been vacant for more than 20 years. According to the reports, the project’s scale and lack of social housing were the main reasons for the rejection of the project. 

The developer, Re:shape Living, is also known for other successful projects like its 300-bed co-living building in Brent named ARK Wembley. In addition to that, they have already created proposals for the old Woolwich Catholic Club on Beresford Street, and the renovation is set to be completed by the end of the year. 

The Woolwich project is part of a huge plan for the developer to create a series of co-living and purpose-built student accommodation options all across the southeast, including Watford and two sites in London, Bthanel, and Woolwich.

The developer is also hoping to build and create partnerships with local groups, as they announced earlier that the company is currently requesting that charities and local community groups identify which retail, cultural, and community facilities are most needed in Woolwich.