Pre-development works start on Pier Road and Ferndale Gardens

Planning permission has been granted for two new neighbourhoods in the Docklands – Pier Road, North Woolwich, and Ferndale Gardens, Cyprus, with the completion of the S106 documents over the summer. 

The London Borough of Newham and the GLA are funding and driving the development of the sites on land primarily in the council’s ownership, with development management services provided by Populo Living, its wholly owned housing development company, and Hill Partnerships appointed as the main contractor on both.

The developments align with council’s Opportunity Newham approach that ensures growth is inclusive and sustainable, creating new homes, jobs and green spaces that everyone benefits from. 

The projects are part of Newham’s vision for the wider regeneration of the Royal Docks, bringing much-needed investment and new homes to the south of the borough. Newham council’s investment in the sites will also see wider benefits for the local communities by activating street frontages, providing new public realm and facilities in addition to the much-needed new homes.  

Both developments were approved by the Newham Strategic Development Committee in December 2023 and utilise funding from One Public Estate’s Brownfield Land Release Fund and the GLA’s Affordable Homes Programme. 

Pier Road

This new development will bring welcome homes to North Woolwich on a 1 hectare brownfield site, with 350 apartments set across five blocks of between eight to thirteen storeys, alongside c.800sqm of affordable makerspace studios and a cafe. Public realm improvements will be delivered in partnership with TFL and include improvements to the bus and ferry infrastructure to improve the resilience of public transport in the area. 

The buildings include 74 x three-bedroom apartments for families, 39 of which are affordable, in line with Newham’s ambition to build 43,000 new homes by 2033. Overall, there will be 127 social rent homes (36%), providing accommodation for families on Newham’s housing list. The c.800 square meters of affordable makerspace studios will support Newham’s creative ecosystem, while the cafe will be a welcome neighbourhood hub.

Supporting the aims of Newham’s Cultural strategy and the Newham Growth Plan. 
The development directly faces the Grade II listed Woolwich Pedestrian Tunnel, and residents will benefit from the adjacent Thames and the Royal Victoria Gardens, with easy access to the Woolwich Ferry and King George V DLR station. 

Ferndale Gardens

This 1.4hectare brownfield site in close to Cyprus DLR station will see the creation of 215 new homes set over six buildings of between 5 to 9 stories, along with 5,500 sqm of accessible green space. 
The development includes 84 three-bedroom apartments for families, 25 of which are affordable. Overall the development offers 38% of the homes at social rent, up from the original 25% (subject to a planning amendment).

Works on both projects are expected to commence in Spring of 2026 (with Pier Road needing to progress through the Building Safety Regulator first), and the first residents expected to move in in early 2028. 
Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, said: “I’m proud to see these planning permissions unlocking new homes for Newham, delivering on our commitment to create better and more inclusive growth with more homes that Newham residents can genuinely afford. We have a pipeline of 8,000 new homes on council owned land. 

Mayor of Newham, Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, said: “These two sites are pivotal in our vision for the wider revival of the Royal Docks and surrounding areas, including parts of the borough long left behind. With a pipeline of 8,000 new homes on council owned land, I am pleased that we are turbocharging Council-led housing delivery and showcasing how Newham is growing London.

"As well as supporting the government’s mission to build 1.5 million homes, we are delivering opportunities for our people at a time when the housing crisis is skyrocketing. By creating high quality, genuinely affordable homes, we are also opening new opportunities for small businesses and entrepreneurs as part of our dynamic Newham Growth Plan.”

Deborah Heenan, CEO of Populo Living, said: “Pier Road and Ferndale Gardens mark a major milestone for Populo Living, as they take the number of homes delivered to well over 1,000 on behalf of the borough, with several thousand homes in Newham’s pipeline.

2The Council’s inclusive growth ambitions are central to our plans as we put Community Wealth Building at the heart of all our work to deliver a raft of social value outcomes for local people, as well as much-needed new homes. This means residents get a fairer and better deal from the development.”

Community Wealth Building is at the heart of all our work, meaning that we deliver a better outcome for local Newham communities in parallel with much-needed new homes, meaning that residents get a fairer deal from the development.”