The Royal Borough of Greenwich on Tuesday 2nd December 2025 unanimously voted to approve Re:shape’s 1,448 home Electric Works redevelopment. The decision paves the way for the revival of a central Woolwich block that has remained closed off for more than two decades and will now form a significant new mixed-tenure neighbourhood.

The approval clears the way for the long-derelict town centre block that spans Powis Street, Macbean Street and Beresford Street to be transformed into a high-density, multi-tenure urban quarter centred on a major heritage refurbishment and a large-scale alternative living offer.

The approved masterplan, co-designed by Re:shape and DLA Architecture, delivers one of the most diversified housing mixes to come forward in the borough in recent years, comprising:

  • 930 purpose-built student beds (PBSA)
  • 425 co-living studios
  • 93 residential homes, with 40% affordable weighted heavily towards social rent
  • A fully restored historic Electric Works building retained as a civic anchor
  • New public realm, active ground-floor uses, community space and commercial floorspace

The scheme unlocks a strategically important site that has been fenced off for more than 20 years. Previously hampered by viability constraints and a failed 2021 application from Legal & General due to affordable housing shortfalls and heritage concerns, Re:shape’s proposal was assessed as policy-compliant, deliverable and materially beneficial to Woolwich’s housing pipeline — resulting in unanimous councillor support.

Located moments from Woolwich Arsenal station and the Elizabeth line interchange, Electric Works arrives at a time when demand for high-quality rental accommodation is surging. Students, young professionals and key workers increasingly priced out of central London are turning to well-connected growth hubs like Woolwich.

The approval brings meaningful supply to a borough facing sustained housing pressure and cements Woolwich as one of London’s emerging hotspots for PBSA and co-living – two asset classes continuing to draw significant institutional capital due to chronic undersupply and resilient performance.

The consented plans include a stepped family of 6 buildings rising up to 23 storeys, with new pedestrian routes reinstating long-lost links between Powis Street, Royal Arsenal and the wider town centre.

Jermaine Browne, Co-Founder of Re:shape, said: “Electric Works is a milestone not just for Re:shape but for Woolwich. This unanimous approval sends a clear message that ambitious regeneration, social value and meaningful housing delivery can sit together – and that SMEs have a decisive role in shaping the future of London.

Our commitment is simple. Bring long-stalled sites back to life, create genuine mixed-living options for real people, and demonstrate that the next era of urban regeneration will be driven by innovation, inclusion and long-term thinking.”

For Re:shape, the team behind the 1,000-bed ARK Co-living platform and a growing ground up development pipeline of 3,565 next-generation rental homes – Electric Works is its largest and most strategically significant secured resolution to date.

The approval underlines the business’s acceleration into large-scale, beds-led regeneration and positions Re:shape as one of the most dynamic emerging operators in London’s alternative living market. Against a backdrop of heightened investor interest in high-impact, socially aligned urban schemes, Electric Works is expected to become a case study in how multi-tenure models can unlock complex brownfield land and drive local economic renewal.

With the resolution to grant now achieved, Re:shape will move into detailed design and procurement. A start on site is targeted for 2027, subject to the discharge of pre-commencement conditions and successful Gateway Two approval.