Located in London’s only Enterprise Zone at the Royal Docks, the Silvertown site in Newham has been derelict for 40 years and is one of the largest brownfield sites in London’s historic docklands.

The major regeneration project will include infrastructure improvements around the site and support The Silvertown Partnership (TSP), a joint venture between Lendlease and Starwood Capital, to build 6,000 new homes and support the creation of 1.8 million square feet of next-generation business workspace, alongside a new space for cultural and community events and a vibrant new city center for the Royal Docks.

Housing Minister Rt Hon MP Stuart Andrew said:

This major investment will bring London’s historic docklands to life to provide vital new homes, create jobs and boost the local economy with new state-of-the-art facilities.

Our brownfields first approach is key to our leveling mission – regenerating the disused lands of our cities and towns into places people are proud to call home.

Homes England will provide loan financing to help with high initial infrastructure costs. In particular, this includes investment to support the delivery of a new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the Royal Victoria Dock, linking the site to Custom House Crossrail, the restoration of the iconic Millennium Mills and the repair of the quay walls themselves. themselves, which had previously been an obstacle to the development of the regime. At the same time, a new public realm will allow local people to access water from the Royal Docks via new bridges, wider canal walkways and jetties.

Peter Freeman, chairman of Homes England, said:

Our involvement in the Silvertown project is another example of how we can work with the private sector to advance large and complex sites and help transform them into places of the future.

This infrastructure funding will enable the Silvertown partnership to create new communities in the heart of East London and bring back to life swaths of abandoned brownfields.

Working with the Greater London Authority (GLA), TSP has pledged that 50% of housing in the area will be affordable. The homes, which include Affordable London Rent and Condominium, will be a central part of the new masterplan currently in consultation.

Work to prepare the site for the first phase of the plans has begun and construction of new homes will begin later this year.

Speaking on behalf of the Silvertown Partnership, Ed Mayes, Silvertown’s Director of Development, said:

It’s very exciting that after having been dormant for the past 40 years, Silvertown is now starting to come back to life, as a bustling city center for the Royal Docks and a new destination for Londoners. Silvertown is being relaunched and redesigned as a waterfront destination to provide much needed new housing in Newham and the rejuvenation of the historic Millennium Mills. An iconic east London neighborhood is about to wake up.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said:

I am delighted to see work starting at this historic site in east London which has vexed planners and politicians for the past 40 years.

The regeneration of this area is long overdue and I am excited about plans for Silvertown that respect its past while embracing East London’s vibrant and creative future.

Not only will this project create a vibrant new neighborhood with 50% truly affordable housing, it will also create highly skilled jobs while supporting the regeneration of the Royal Docks as we build a better, fairer and more sustainable city for all.

The infrastructure loan for Silvertown is funded by the Housing Construction Fund, which provides infrastructure loans to help unlock and accelerate the development of land for housing development.

ENDS

Notes to editors

• Silvertown, based in the London Borough of Newham, is one of the largest brownfield development sites in London’s Docklands (approximately 61 acres) with extensive water frontage. The site is owned by GLA and The Silvertown Partnership are parties to a development agreement to reduce the land and gradually develop it.
• In 2024, the new pedestrian and cycle bridge will connect Silvertown to the Custom House Crossrail station, helping to unlock the site for new residents and visitors.
• More information on infrastructure funding available for the Home Building Fund can be found on gov.uk.