Thamesmead set to expand with 15,000 new homes beside Thames

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 24 Oct, 06:09 · Archive

The Government has included Thamesmead Waterfront in a consultation on next-generation new towns, potentially adding 15,000 homes.

Thamesmead, conceived in the 1960s as an ambitious answer to London's housing needs, was built on marshland with distinctive features including lakes, canals, concrete buildings and raised pedestrian walkways designed to separate people from traffic. Its striking appearance made it notable enough for Stanley Kubrick to use it as a filming location for his 1971 film A Clockwork Orange.

Now the neighbourhood is preparing for another chapter of development. Thamesmead Waterfront was included among seven locations in a Government consultation on the next generation of new towns in March 2026. The proposed expansion could add around 15,000 homes, thousands of jobs, an expanded town centre and new outdoor spaces on a huge stretch of land beside the River Thames.

More than 50 years after the first residents arrived, reminders of the original 1960s vision remain across the neighbourhood, with lakes and waterways weaving between homes and large areas of greenery giving Thamesmead a surprisingly open feel for a part of London.

How it is being reported

• The Bexley ‘town of tomorrow’ full of lakes and no trains being built all over againMore than half a century ago, London tried to build the town of the future on marshland in Bexley and Greenwich.News Shopper · 24 Oct, 05:00
• The Bexley ‘town of tomorrow’ full of lakes and no trains being built all over againMore than half a century ago, London tried to build the town of the future on marshland in Bexley and Greenwich.This Is Local London · 24 Oct, 05:00

In this story: Thamesmead · Bexley · Greenwich · River Thames · London · Stanley Kubrick

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