Charlton Riverside: 8,000 Homes Planned for South London 2026

Key Points

• Greenwich Council, the Greater London Authority (GLA) and Transport for London (TfL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly regenerate Charlton Riverside in south-east London.
• The long-term vision includes around 8,000 new homes and 1,000 new jobs over the next 20 years.
• The partnership aims to unlock investment, improve transport links and guide long-term transformation of the largely industrial riverside site.
• Plans also include new schools, community facilities, green spaces and better access to the River Thames.
• The agreement is not planning permission; future planning applications will follow the normal process.
• The council says the area will remain a mixed-use neighbourhood, with industry and creative jobs alongside housing.
• The vision is set out in Greenwich’s Draft Local Plan, which is currently out for consultation.
• No detailed funding arrangements for the public investment have been published.

Charlton (South London News) August 5, 2026 – The Royal Borough of Greenwich, the Greater London Authority (GLA) and Transport for London (TfL) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work together on the long-term regeneration of Charlton Riverside, a stretch of the Thames between the Greenwich Peninsula and Woolwich.

The three public bodies say the ambition is to deliver around 8,000 new homes and 1,000 new jobs over the next 20 years, creating what they describe as a “vibrant new neighbourhood” where people can live, work and access the river. The MoU commits them to coordinate planning, transport and regeneration functions, align major public landholdings and develop a shared strategy to attract investment and improve infrastructure in the area.

Officials stress that the agreement is not a planning application or planning permission. Instead, it sets out how the partners will work together to bring forward future development in the usual way, with individual planning applications to be submitted and assessed under normal procedures.

What is the vision for Charlton Riverside?

The long-term vision for Charlton Riverside, as outlined by Greenwich Council and its partners, includes around 8,000 new homes, around 1,000 new jobs, new schools and community facilities, expanded public open space, improved walking and cycling routes, better public transport connections and enhanced access to the River Thames.

The council says a key aim is to create a mixed-use neighbourhood where homes, jobs and industry sit alongside one another. It states that the regeneration will continue to support Charlton’s role as one of London’s important industrial locations, including its growing creative industries, rather than replacing industry with housing.

Alongside the long-term development plans, the council is developing proposals for “meanwhile” or temporary uses to activate sites, build confidence and create a sense of place as investment comes forward across the area.

How will the partnership work?

Under the MoU, Greenwich Council, the GLA and TfL will establish a strategic partnership board to bring together planning, transport and regeneration functions. The council will also bring forward plans for its own sites within the area.

The partnership is intended to align major public landholdings to help unlock investment and improve infrastructure. By coordinating planning, transport and regeneration, the three bodies say they can better support large-scale development while ensuring that infrastructure such as roads, public transport, schools and open spaces is planned in tandem with new homes and jobs.

Greenwich Council has further detailed its vision for Charlton Riverside in its Draft Local Plan, which is currently out for consultation. The plan sets out the council’s strategic approach to housing, employment, infrastructure and place-making across the borough, including the riverside area.

What has been built so far?

Plans to redevelop Charlton Riverside with thousands of new homes were first announced in 2012, but progress has been slow. Since those early plans were unveiled, only two blocks of flats have been built and occupied in the area.

More recently, outline permission has been granted for major housing-led schemes. One developer has been given approval to build 718 homes along with commercial units close to the Thames Barrier, in blocks of up to 10 storeys, with the first residents potentially moving in by 2026. Outline permission has also been granted for a further 494 homes at the same site, with more detailed plans to follow.

Of the first phase of that scheme, 263 homes are designated for London Affordable Rent, about half of which will be market rent and available to people on housing waiting lists, making up 37% of the total number of homes. Another 133 homes, or 18%, will be for shared ownership, with the remainder going on private sale. Later stages are expected to include more private homes, taking the proportion of “affordable” housing across the site to around 40%.

What infrastructure and design standards are proposed?

The Charlton Riverside masterplan, adopted by Greenwich Council in 2012 and updated in 2017, envisages a series of new neighbourhoods with medium-rise housing and a significant proportion of family homes.

Future housing developments are expected to be low to medium rise, typically between three and six storeys, with a maximum of 10 storeys along the riverfront and near to Charlton station. The council has stated a commitment to delivering 50% family housing in a low-to-medium rise, high-density form.

Infrastructure improvements outlined in earlier masterplan documents include a new major east–west road link extending Bugsby’s Way in Charlton, plus a new primary school and two new through-schools. Upgraded street networks, open spaces and better connections between the riverside, Charlton, Woolwich and the rest of London are also part of the long-term vision.

How is the project funded?

While the three public bodies have committed to working together to unlock investment in Charlton Riverside, no detailed information has been released about how this major public investment project will be funded.

The MoU itself does not allocate specific budgets. Instead, it sets out a framework for joint working, with the expectation that coordinated planning and infrastructure delivery will help attract private investment and enable large-scale development over time.

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Background: How did the Charlton Riverside regeneration plan develop?

Charlton Riverside has been identified as an Opportunity Area in the Mayor’s London Plan since 2008, with strategic targets of up to 8,000 new homes and 1,000 new jobs by 2041. The area forms part of the Thames Estuary Growth Corridor and is one of London’s largest brownfield development opportunities, covering around 302 acres along the river.

In 2012, Greenwich Council formally adopted a masterplan for Charlton Riverside, setting out a vision for a new mixed-use urban district with high-quality, mixed-tenure residential development integrated with employment uses, new community facilities, upgraded infrastructure and improved connections to surrounding areas. The masterplan was updated in 2017 through a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), which refined housing capacity estimates to between 5,000 and 7,500 new homes, alongside thousands of additional jobs.

Over the following decade, progress was limited. Only two blocks of flats were completed and occupied, despite early ambitions for large-scale transformation. In recent years, outline planning permissions have been granted for substantial housing-led schemes, including the Hyde-led development near the Thames Barrier, marking the first major built phase of the wider regeneration.

The 2026 MoU between Greenwich Council, the GLA and TfL represents a renewed push to coordinate public action and accelerate delivery. It sits alongside the council’s Draft Local Plan, which is currently out for consultation and further embeds the Charlton Riverside vision within the borough’s wider planning strategy.

Prediction: How could this development affect local residents and the wider south-east London community?

If delivered as envisaged, the Charlton Riverside regeneration could significantly reshape housing supply, employment opportunities and local infrastructure in south-east London. The addition of up to 8,000 new homes over 20 years would increase the housing stock in Greenwich, potentially easing some pressure on local waiting lists if a substantial share is affordable or social rented housing, as indicated in early phases.

New schools, community facilities and green spaces could improve amenities for both new and existing residents, while better walking, cycling and public transport links may enhance connectivity to central London, the Greenwich Peninsula, Woolwich and beyond. Improved access to the river could also support leisure, tourism and local businesses.

At the same time, large-scale development may raise concerns about pressure on existing services, transport capacity and the character of local neighbourhoods. The council’s emphasis on maintaining industrial and creative employment uses alongside housing suggests an attempt to avoid a purely residential enclave and to protect jobs in the area.

The ultimate impact will depend on how quickly and consistently the partnership can move from the MoU to concrete planning approvals, funding commitments and infrastructure delivery. If investment and infrastructure keep pace with housing growth, the area could evolve into a more balanced, mixed-use neighbourhood. If delivery is fragmented or underfunded, there is a risk that new homes arrive without adequate schools, transport capacity or community facilities, placing strain on local services and residents.