Greenwich: Unlocking Charlton Riverside

In Greenwich, the easy sites are largely gone. In this episode of 1.5M New Homes: The Local Government Challenge, Toby Fox speaks to Emma Sweeney, Head of Regeneration at the Royal Borough of Greenwich, about what it will take to unlock Charlton Riverside — a major regeneration area with the potential to deliver around 8,000 new homes. The conversation explores:

1. Why industrial land values can exceed residential values
2. Flood defences and transport connectivity as binding constraints
3. Why private-sector delivery alone has struggled
4. The role of land assembly and long-term planning
5. Why early placemaking and meanwhile uses matter
6. Why unlocking the site requires close to £1bn of public investment

We focus on Charlton Riverside for a reason. In Greenwich, delivering the next homes depends on unlocking complex, infrastructure-led sites like this. This is what sits behind the ambition of 1.5 million new homes — not slogans, but sustained public leadership and funding. Sponsored by Red Loft and Lovell Partnerships.