05.02.2020

Durkan lands major contract on Thamesmead regeneration programme

Durkan has been awarded a £126m contract to deliver the second phase of Southmere Village.

Awarded by Peabody, the contract is a significant step forward in the long-term vision for the wider regeneration of South Thamesmead. 

Occupying a large site on the edge of Southmere Lake, Southmere Village Phase 1B is the second phase which will see the design and construction of 404 new homes. The homes will be a mixture of dwelling types with affordable, private and shared ownership and will be set across three large blocks with ground floor level parking and communal podium gardens.

In addition to new housing, the project will deliver commercial and retail space for new offices, shops and cafes combined with landscaped public areas.  

Southmere Village is the first phase of the Abbey Wood and South Thamesmead Housing Zone which will deliver more than 1,600 homes across four sites. Durkan is already well-underway with Phase 1A of the project with the construction of 130 new homes and a striking lakeside library and community centre providing a social hub for the community.   

Jim Briggs, Managing Director Construction, Durkan said: “Southmere Village is a superb project at the heart of the wider regeneration of South Thamesmead and we’re delighted to be at the forefront of delivering it.

“It’s an ambitious project – one of the largest of its kind in Europe – but we know our vast experience, expertise and resource in the sector will deliver a project that brings much-needed top quality homes to the area whilst helping unlock the huge benefits the wider regeneration of Thamesmead will bring to the community.”

Angela Wood, Deputy Executive Director for Development and Sales, Peabody, said: “Durkan has a track record of delivering high quality, imaginative developments and are great partners. Their commitment to this major project has been commendable and we are pleased we are able to continue working with them on this new phase.”

The project is part of Peabody’s ambitious programme to regenerate the wider area of Thamesmead with 20,000 new homes as part of its 30-year plan for the district. The area will also benefit from strong transport links including a new pedestrian route from Abbey Wood Crossrail station in the south to Southmere Lake in the north.