Thamesmead is undergoing one of London’s most extensive and ambitious regeneration programmes. Originally conceived in the 1960s as a new town for the capital, the area is defined by an ambitious modernist layout, a striking network of waterways and significant green infrastructure. Yet over time, its spatial disconnection and underinvestment led to fragmentation and isolation.
Peabody initiated a process of reimagining Thamesmead’s future as a more integrated and thriving part of southeast London. In 2014, Proctor & Matthews was appointed by Peabody, to lead an international team, including Dutch architects Mecanoo, to produce ‘Thamesmead Tomorrow’ — a strategic masterplan that would set the framework for the area’s transformation over the coming decades.
The resulting strategy, shaped through careful site analysis, historical critique, and engagement with local communities, proposed a clear structure for change: 8,000 new homes supported by commercial, civic and social infrastructure. At its heart was a set of ten guiding values, providing a shared language for stakeholders and shaping principles around connectivity, identity, stewardship and environmental responsibility.
Rather than adopt a tabula rasa approach, the masterplan sought to work with the area’s inherent qualities. It restructured fragmented neighbourhoods, clarified movement networks, and reconnected residents to the wider city. Green space, once underutilised and disconnected, is repositioned as the spine of new development — supporting active travel, healthy living, and biodiversity.
Following the strategy document, Proctor & Matthews developed a capacity study across the masterplan area. More detailed proposals were developed for several of the 27 development parcels including office buildings, commercial and community space, meanwhiles uses, private, PRS and affordable housing. The design approach prioritised a strong identity and placemaking, supported by sustained community consultation.
Now several years into delivery, the first phases of development — linking the new Elizabeth Line station at Abbey Wood to Southmere Lake — are either complete or under construction. Spanning 9.86 hectares, the South Thamesmead development area includes 1,622 homes, over 11,000 sqm of non-residential uses, and a now completed new civic square that forms a focal point for the neighbourhood. Proctor & Matthews submitted a hybrid planning application for this phase which was unanimously approved by the London Borough of Bexley in 2016 — a notable endorsement for a project of this scale and ambition.
Thamesmead continues to evolve incrementally. As new buildings, streets and spaces take shape, the long-term vision remains rooted in its original principles — creating a resilient, inclusive and distinctive place that reflects both its past and its potential.
Thamesmead has recently been identified by the Government’s New Towns Taskforce as one of twelve key locations for future development, an endorsement that reinforces confidence in the area’s long-term potential and growing national significance.
