Plans for co-living development with 1,200 beds in Woolwich

Developer Re:shape Living has purchased a site on Macbean Street in Woolwich, with plans to create a new development for co-living and student accommodation.

The site could also include a new two-storey community space and public realm, according to the developer.

Jermaine Browne, co-founder of Re:shape Living, said that the Woolwich site held the opportunity to deliver over 1,200 beds and more than 100 affordable homes in the area.

The site on Macbean Street in Woolwich, which Re:shape Living has recently acquired (Credit: Google Earth)

Mr Browne told 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 added: “The Macbean site is a strategically important development site for Woolwich, and 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.”

Plans from developer L&Q to build five blocks of flats up to 22 storeys tall on the site were refused by Greenwich Council in 2021.

The scheme would have seen 595 new flats being built on the site of the former Woolwich Polytechnic School, which has remained empty for over 20 years. The project was reportedly turned down due to the size of the proposal and lack of social housing.

Re:shape Living had previously developed proposals for the former Catholic Club on Beresford Street in Woolwich, with work due to be completed by the end of the year.

The developer is also known for its 300-bed co-living building in Brent, called ARK Wembley.

The developer announced the new project as part of its plans to build a series of co-living and purpose-built student accommodation developments across the south east, including Watford and two sites in London, Bethnal Green and Woolwich.

Re:shape Living said the company is currently asking local community groups and charities to outline which retail, cultural and community spaces are most needed in Woolwich.

Feedback will be incorporated into future proposals for the site, with the developer also hoping to form partnerships with local groups. A programme of public consultation is set to begin soon.