Talking about Thamesmead
12 February 2025
There is already a lot to learn in how they’ve built trust with the community and put Thamesmead on the map as a place.
I went to Thamesmead in London last week to see the regeneration that is taking place there led by Peabody.
As has become common on PlaceShaping visits, I met Catherine Ryder at the local train station and we walked to The Nest, a community facility and library built as part of the first phase of the ambitious regeneration of the Thamesmead area, which also includes 600 new homes.
There we met Ian McDermott, John Lewis and Ben Blades, who took us through the challenges the area has had, and how since Gallions Housing Association joined Peabody in 2014, that challenge is now one faced by Peabody.
Thamesmead was built in the late 1960s, specifically for people to move out of central London, and is now home to 47,000 people. Peabody is working with local people and partners to regenerate the town, and the plan is that by 2050, 100,000 people will be proud to call Thamesmead home.
Ian commented that he was not sure the Board at the time of the transfer had fully appreciated both the scale of the challenge and potential for the area, but went on to say it is clear that everyone both understands that now and is fully committed to making this whole area a thriving community.
The regeneration project, if something on this scale can still be called a project, will include up to 20,000 additional homes and the infrastructure to go with that scale of regeneration, including retail and commercial development and lots of green space. The Elizabeth Line means it is just a 13 minute train ride to Canary Wharf from Thamesmead. But the final phase of the project, the planned new homes on a site right by the Thames, are contingent on an extension to the DSR rail line into the area – making the commute to the City of London a 30 minute journey. Currently the postcode SE28, where the proposed station would be built, is the only postcode in London without a train or Tube station.
It was fascinating to hear Ian and John talk about how they have gone about starting the regeneration of something so significant. They talked about cultural regeneration, aimed at connecting with the whole community. Amongst many activities and events, Peabody facilitated putting on the play ‘Beautiful Thing’’ within a part demolished building. It was aimed at drawing attention to what this area had to offer (the play had a particular link to Thamesmead) and in so doing restoring some of the community pride this area had lost over time.
Pictured: Matthew Walker, John Lewis and Catherine Ryder
As you would anticipate, the costs involved in regeneration of this scale, are stratospheric, and clearly beyond any one organisation’s ability to deliver on their own, so there are already and undoubtedly will be more partnership arrangements in place as things develop.
What’s interesting is that whilst I imagine it would be easy to be fixated on the big picture and cost of something like this, Ian and John kept talking about the community and wanting to do the right thing. The Lakeside building is one such example of a landmark site which could have been demolished but instead was developed as a resource for artists to use. It was a risky step, as the area was not known as an artist’s hub. It has subsequently proved very successful, being fully let and acting as another community focal point for the area.
Embedding nature, green space and water is also central to the long-term development of Thamesmead. The River Thames runs along it's border, and there is a lot of green space across the area, including multiple lakes. However, these spaces don’t seem to be utilised in a way which can most benefit the community, so Ian and John talked about how their plans will make better use of that space and increase access to it for local residents.
Pictured: The River Thames
Having visited a number of members over the last couple of years, it is clear that the examples of the physical, social and economic challenges faced within Thamesmead are replicated across the country, and PlaceShapers members are addressing many of those same challenges in similar ways to the approach being taken by Peabody.
While Peabody are still at an early stage in the regeneration of Thamesmead, there is already a lot to learn in how they’ve built trust with the community and put Thamesmead on the map as a place. It is also clear that Peabody are keen to embed that learning when looking at the other homes and estates they own across London and beyond.
As well as talking at the Nest, we had a tour round Thamesmead in a minibus. Hearing about an organisation’s plans is great. Seeing it on a map makes it much clearer. But seeing in person the actual buildings going up and the space where so much more is envisaged is both inspiring and a little daunting. We sometimes look at what is happening in the areas we work and wonder if we’ll still be in post when a particular project is completed. As far as Thamesmead is concerned, given it is a 30 year project, I’d be wondering if I’ll still be alive to see it. I once read that ‘society grows when men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.’ I think society is growing in Thamesmead.