A roof-level ‘topping out’ event marked a high point for a 1,500-home regeneration programme in Woolwich, south-east London.
During the ceremony, councillor Denise Hyland, leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, completed the structure of the first apartment block to be built by trowelling the very last piece of concrete.
Representatives from the Royal Borough, partnership housing developer Lovell and asra Housing Group gathered to mark the key stage for the Trinity Walk development — a new neighbourhood of 684 high-quality, contemporary homes close to the centre of Woolwich.
The rooftop celebration enabled guests to take a closer look at the new community under construction and admire the views towards the Thames available from the development’s higher levels.
The Trinity Walk homes are the first to be built through the scheme which will transform three former council estates in the borough. Work began in June 2016 at Trinity Walk which will create 684 energy-efficient new homes including 239 affordable properties. The development will offer one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and three- and four-bedroom houses.
Trinity Walk’s first new affordable homes are due to be completed in late Spring 2017 with the first completed housing for sale expected to be finished later the same year.
Councillor Denise Hyland, leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: “I’m delighted to be here to mark the topping out of the Trinity Walk project. Woolwich is currently undergoing massive regeneration at the moment, to provide new homes, infrastructure as well as town centre improvements. This development sits right at the heart of Woolwich and I am doubly delighted that so many local people are being employed here on the site — a project with longevity and the local community at its heart. I’m looking forward to coming back again to see these homes as they are built.”
Lovell managing director Jonathan Goring says: “It was fantastic to take a close-up look at progress on Trinity Walk and join with our partners to celebrate the superb new homes being created through this impressive community.” The development will feature a ‘linear park’ at its heart while attractive tree-lined streets will connect the new homes with Woolwich town centre. Apartments with balconies will enjoy views over the linear park and longer vistas towards the River Thames. The scheme is also creating significant jobs and training opportunities locally with over 90 apprentices set to be trained over the course of the 12-year regeneration programme.
Matt Cooney, chief executive at asra Housing Group, the provider of almost 15,000 affordable homes in the Midlands and London, comments: “I’m extremely pleased that with this topping out ceremony we have marked the completion of a key milestone in this ambitious project to meet the housing needs of the local community.”
Around 1,500 new homes will be built in total through the overall Trinity scheme, which will see 1,064 homes on the Connaught, Morris Walk and Maryon Road/Grove estates demolished and replaced. The programme will create around 1,000 homes for open market sale and more than 500 affordable homes.
The new homes will be highly energy-efficient, meeting the equivalent of Level 4 of the Code for Sustainable Homes. They will also be built to the Lifetime Homes Standard, ensuring they can be adapted as residents’ needs change.
