Development of London South East Colleges’ Greenwich campus begins

London South East Colleges and L&Q have completed an exciting deal to deliver new homes and a new campus building at the College’s Greenwich Campus in Plumstead, south east London.

The scheme, originally permitted in 2021, will deliver 294 new homes, half of which will be affordable with a mix of Shared Ownership and London Affordable Rent.

The development also responds to considerable local need for family housing, providing 63 three-bed homes for families. The innovative proposals include delivery of a cutting edge, sustainable building on the existing campus. The College offers high-quality, career-focused education for young people and adults, including apprenticeships, traineeships and vocational qualifications, through to degree-level and professional courses.

The new building will enable the college to provide a modern, flexible and inspiring teaching and learning environment, better meeting the skills needs of employers. More opportunities will be available for local people to develop their skills via great training, enabling them to access fulfilling employment opportunities.

Significant improvements to public areas for residents and the wider community are also integral to the scheme. There will be a specific focus on reactivating the local streets as well as providing a new street to improve connectivity and access. L&Q already has considerable stock in the Greenwich, with a total of almost 6,000 homes across several estates and developments. Several hundred new homes are also in the pipeline further west, at Greenwich Peninsula.

Dr Sam Parrett CBE, Group Principal and CEO of London & South East Education Group, says:

“This project is extremely good news for future students, local residents, employers and the wider community. Our partnership with L&Q will ensure that we can support education, housing and skills needs in the area, to secure and sustain a successful, thriving economy and community over the coming years.

“We are grateful to the Mayor of London for his £10m investment in this project from the Skills for Londoners capital fund. This has been key to the delivery of the project. We would also like to thank the leaders of the Royal Borough of Greenwich since we took the college on in 2016. Both past and present leadership teams have offered us much needed support on our journey to improve FE provision in the region – strengthening the positive impact we have been able to have.

“We very much look forward to seeing the exciting vision and plans realised for our ‘Future Greenwich’ project and the legacy it will leave.”

Angie Hooper, New Business Director at L&Q, said: “We are very excited to be taking forward these proposals for the future of London South East Colleges’ Greenwich Campus and providing better opportunities for local residents – through new homes, education, training and employment opportunities.

“Greenwich has always been a key area of focus for L&Q and we have been working closely with London South East Colleges as well as the Royal Borough to ensure that this new development will bring real value to the local community.”

Demolition of part of the existing college building on site has now started, with construction and piling set to commence in the summer. The College will remain fully operational during this period of construction, with temporary accommodation being set up on site for learners.

The first phase of the project is expected for completion by the summer 2026, which also coincides with the moment when the first residents will be able to move into the new homes. The new college building will welcome its first students in 2025.