Urban development and investment company, First Base, and the national regeneration agency, English Partnerships, have this week been awarded planning consent for a major project that will transform the site of the former Greenwich District Hospital.

The 'Heart of East Greenwich' will not only set a new benchmark in environmentally friendly development for London, but will also demonstrate how effective partnerships between the public and private sector can meet the demand for much-needed new homes in the capital.

The scheme will be delivered under the London-Wide Initiative (LWI), a programme managed by English Partnerships to provide more affordable homes for key workers throughout London.

Showcasing the latest in green building techniques, the 'Heart of East Greenwich' will be at the cutting edge of sustainable development in the capital featuring new technologies such as on-site generation of heat and power using Biomass CHP and thermal storage, supplemented during peak periods by gas boilers.

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The scheme will create a mixed-use and mixed-tenure, balanced community with 50% affordable housing to provide family, key worker and social for rent homes. Designed by Make Architects, Arup and Lovejoy, the approved plans will deliver 645 homes comprising of one, two and three bedroom apartments, maisonettes and four bedroom townhouses.

Elliot Lipton, Managing Director of First Base, comments: "The approval of plans for this major London development signals the start of a new wave of green building in the capital. As a business, we actively look for ways to push the boundaries in delivering highly sustainable and well designed homes.

"Working alongside English Partnerships on this project not only highlights the success of this type of partnership approach, but also its role as a future model to increase the delivery of new homes."

The 'Heart of East Greenwich' scheme will also create a new public square and community hub including state of the art leisure facilities with two swimming pools and fitness studios, a health centre including two doctors' surgeries, plus a library, creche, a range of shops, cafes and flexible workspace to support local creative industries.

In delivering the Heart of East Greenwich scheme First Base and English Partnerships will work in partnership with Greenwich Council and the Greenwich Teaching Primary Care Trust, who will be responsible for the public, leisure and healthcare services operating on the site.

(CD/KMcA)