Investment Opportunities
Opportunity Areas
Area of Intensification
Central activity Zone
International or metropolitan
Major
District
Borough Boundary
Green Belt
Metropolitan open land / Other open spaces
Rail station
Railway track
Foreshore
Water
The Guildhall Complex is made up of several underutilised buildings, where the council’s main offices are currently located, within Kingston Town Centre.
This prime site, ripe for regeneration, is surrounded by a mix of predominantly commercial uses and is directly next to the new homes and the Unilever headquarters currently under construction.
Office building Guildhall 1 and office building Guildhall 2 and the surrounding area lend themselves to be redeveloped to provide new homes and spaces for business and leisure services as well as new public areas and landscaping to celebrate and respect the Hogsmill River which runs through the site and the neighbouring Grade II listed Guildhall, which is home to the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames council. With Unilever head office being completed, this is an exciting opportunity to deliver high-quality developments and strengthen a historic and vibrant town centre.
Kingston Council is looking to bring forward two of the office buildings for redevelopment and would very much welcome early discussions with potential development partners and occupiers, specifically in respect of Guildhall 2 site activation.
Location: KT1
Site area: approx 2.1 acres, currently occupied by two 1970s office buildings: Guildhall 1 - 4 storey, approximately 3,000m2; and Guildhall 2 - 5 storey, 12,300m2 GIA.
Project owner: Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Planning status: no approval to date, partially identified in AAP
Existing status: both buildings have been designated as surplus to requirements at February 2022 Corporate & Resources Committee. Guildhall 1 is currently being marketed.
The major mixed-use redevelopment of the former Surrey House site known as the ‘Eden Campus’ will deliver global blue chip company Unilever Ltd a new UK & Ireland headquarters. The scheme will provide 25,000 sqm of BREEAM Excellent floorspace and 156 new homes, and will be home to over 2,000 highly skilled marketing, sales and product development professionals. The scheme will generate over 200 construction jobs, contribute over £3m directly into the local economy during its development, and provide new energy to Kingston Town Centre.
Location: KT1
PROJECT OWNER: Cube Real Estate
PLANNING STATUS: Resolution to Approve
The 197,000 sqm Cambridge Road Estate (CRE) regeneration programme will deliver 2,170 homes including 767 social rented homes and 100 shared equity/shared ownership homes aimed at existing owner occupiers on the estate. Delivered through a joint venture between the council and Countryside Properties, the project will include major opportunities for employment, training, health and well-being for residents as well as economic opportunities for local businesses.
Location: Kingston KT1
PROJECT OWNER: The CRE (RBK) LLP (Kingston Council and Countryside Properties)
EXISTING STATUS: PLANNING STATUS: Phase One construction started on site in December 2022.
Cocks Crescent represents a key place-making opportunity with the potential to add significantly to the vitality and viability of New Malden. The Council has adopted an Strategic Planning Document (SPD)for the area (2017) which sets a vision for the future place and contains overarching principles to guide the development of the site. This includes providing a new community leisure facility, new homes and public spaces.
Location New Malden, KT3
Site area: 9.3 acres
Project owner: Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Planning Status:: Supplementary Planning Document approved
Ownership: site in Council ownership
Existing status of site: largely vacant
Transforming the existing car park on the Cattle Market site into a residential led, mixed-use development, is part of our plans to breathe new life into Kingston’s town centre.
There is a desperate need for affordable homes for local young people – to provide these on a brownfield town centre site makes sense.
The site also sits directly next to where the council has committed to build a new £40m community leisure facility. The heritage-led development will also connect to the neighbouring Carnegie museum and library, with new public spaces and play areas, providing a whole range of leisure and cultural opportunities for residents and visitors.
Location: KT1
Site area: approx 1 acre
Project owner: Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames
Planning status: no approval to date, identified in AAP
Ownership: site in council ownership
Existing status: car park, surface still in operation, two basement levels out of use. Site designated as surplus to requirements at February 2022 Corporate & Resources Committee.
Kingston upon Thames is much more than you might expect of a south west London borough: it is the highest ranked London borough for living, working and growth prospects according to the 2023 London Vitality Index, by Lambert Smith Hampton. This draws on a range of factors including ‘living’, ‘health and environment’ and ‘economy and business’.
Kingston was rated particularly high for ‘living’ factors, top in London, driven by educational achievement and house price growth. The borough was in the capital’s top 5 in terms of health & environment, with low cardiovascular mortality and crime rates, high recycling rates and a large supply of green space. In economy & business, Kingston scored well above the London average with one of the highest GVA growth forecasts. The borough is set in a prime location sitting between London’s two main airports, with easy access to central London and the Surrey countryside thanks to 10 rail stations. In addition, a recent national survey identified the borough as one of London’s ‘happiest places to live’, listed in London’s top 3.
Kingston has been a Royal Borough longer than anywhere else - where the coronation of the first kings of all England took place, including the first, King Athelstan in 925. Today's Kingston town centre is one of London’s Metropolitan Centres, one of London’s largest retail centres and regularly identified as one of the country’s most resilient, incorporating its ancient market square and riverside bars and restaurants. The centre provides an important sub-regional role, alongside its desirable local centres of Surbiton, Tolworth, New Malden and Chessington.
Kingston has always been a place of innovation and evolution, from the pioneering photography of Eadweard Muybridge and its aviation history to modern businesses and innovators such as British Aerospace, Unilever and Chessington World of Adventures. Kingston University with a 16,800-strong student base is the largest education provider in south London and is ranked one of the top 50 institutions in the country. Its new Town House building has enhanced Kingston’s reputation for cutting-edge development, winning both the RIBA Stirling Prize (2021) and the EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture (2022).
Business in the borough is characterised by its micro-enterprises that comprise 92% of its 9000-strong business base - although around one quarter of jobs are also provided by employers of 100 employees or more. Major sector strengths include retail and wholesale; education, and health and social care, while employment in arts, entertainment and recreation, financial and business services are strongly represented. Professional, scientific and technical activities, and ICT have contributed disproportionately to recent growth, with over 1000 businesses in digital and tech, employing over 3000 people.
Population projections 2021 168,063
Population projections 2050 188,043
London plan new homes (ten-year target) 9,640
Building council homes for Londoners (four-year programme) 713
Sean Gillen, Corporate Head of Employment, Skills and Economy
Email: sean.gillen@kingston.gov.uk
Chris Jones, Interim Assistant Director - Major Projects
Email: chris.jones@kingston.gov.uk
“Our new economic development strategy sets out our ambition:
Confident in Kingston - a thriving borough where everyone can succeed in a changing world.
Kingston will be increasingly recognised as a place where business flourishes; where investment is welcome and serves all parts of the borough; where all residents and businesses can benefit from good growth; and where a green economy is at the heart of our actions.
We’ll achieve this by working closely with and enabling action from partners and stakeholders, being ready for change in a fast-changing world and ensuring that no residents are excluded from the opportunities the future brings.
For more information, please peruse our Invest in Kingston Brochure.”
Our new Economic Development and Growth Strategy 2024-28 sets our direction as an ambitious, green-focussed and inclusive London borough. Our headline outcomes are:
These include key actions to:
The strategy identifies five key sectors where we anticipate that growth can or should take place:
