Planning permission has been granted for a new build-to-rent (BTR) development in Kingston upon Thames, south-west London. The scheme, developed by Bywater, will deliver 150 rental homes on the site of the former Regent Wing of Kingston Hospital, a vacant brownfield site that has remained unused since the closure of the historic hospital building.
The existing four-storey hospital wing will be demolished and replaced with three six-storey residential buildings providing a mix of studio, one, two and three-bedroom homes.
Designed by architects dRMM, the development will include landscaped communal areas, cycle storage and flexible amenity spaces for residents. Rather than providing affordable housing on-site, the developer has agreed to make a £2.25m contribution to Kingston Council to support affordable housing elsewhere in the borough.
Located close to Norbiton station, the project is intended to address growing demand for high-quality housing in the area. The buildings will be constructed using modern methods of construction, featuring a lightweight timber frame supported by a concrete base and core. Bywater states that this approach will provide“cost certainty and consistent quality as well as lower carbon”.
The Kingston scheme marks Bywater’s first build-to-rent project and follows the approval of its timber-frame co-living development in Southwark. The company, founded by Iceland Foods chair Richard Walker and co-owned by Sumitomo Forestry, currently has around 900 homes across London that are approved, in planning or under development.
Commenting on the approval, Chris Riley, Development Manager at Bywater, said: “This site has sat empty since the old hospital wing closed, and we’re going to change that with homes that are genuinely well designed, responsibly built and rooted in the neighbourhood.”
He added: “Planning approval is the moment a scheme becomes real, and this one has been worth the work to get here. The council and local community have been genuine partners throughout, and that shows in what we’ve designed together.”
Looking ahead to the next stage, Riley said: “Our focus now is straightforward: progress the final detailed design, begin construction on site in 2026 and start delivering.”
