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Cube Real Estate wants 255 co-living flats and 27 social rent homes on a plot where a 16-storey block was approved in 2021.
Key facts
- Two blocks of 18 and eight storeys proposed at Eden Campus, Kingston town centre
- 282 homes in total: 255 co-living flats and 27 homes for social rent
- Replaces a 2021 outline permission for a 16-storey block with 115 homes
- Unilever's UK and Ireland base opened next door in July for 1,200 staff
A developer has asked Kingston Council to approve two blocks of flats, the taller one 18 storeys high, next to Unilever’s new UK offices at Eden Campus in Kingston town centre. Together the buildings would hold 282 homes.
Cube Real Estate’s revised application replaces a scheme the council had already approved for the same plot: a single 16-storey block. That version won outline permission in 2021 and would have provided 115 homes and a café after the demolition of Lever House, a former office building. Lever House would still come down under the new plans.
What the Eden Campus plans include
The 18-storey tower would contain 255 co-living flats and a café. Each resident would have a studio of their own. The block would also have shared space for cooking and eating, somewhere to work, a gym and an area outside.
The second block, at eight storeys, would provide 27 homes for social rent. The developer says the co-living studios are aimed at people who want to live near their work and near public transport, particularly staff at Eden Campus. The plans also include four Blue Badge parking bays.
In documents submitted to the council, Cube Real Estate said the scheme would make “effective use of land to provide much-needed homes” and help Kingston meet its housing targets. Earlier this year the developer said in consultation papers that it had changed the design so that it fitted Kingston better.
Unilever’s Kingston headquarters
The homes form the second phase of Eden Campus. The first phase cleared disused buildings to make way for two office blocks, one of 10 storeys and one of eight, and a multi-storey car park.
Unilever had been expected to use the whole site as its global headquarters. After a review, the company confirmed it would take only the eight-storey building, which is now its base for the UK and Ireland. That building opened in July for 1,200 staff, and the other office block is being sublet.
Kingston Council has yet to decide the application, and no date has been set for a ruling.
Key questions
How many homes are planned next to Unilever in Kingston?
282 homes: 255 co-living flats in an 18-storey tower and 27 social rent homes in an eight-storey block.
Who is behind the Eden Campus tower plans?
The developer Cube Real Estate, which has submitted revised plans to Kingston Council.
Which building would be demolished?
Lever House, a former office building on the site.
When will Kingston Council decide?
The application is still waiting for a decision. No date for it has been announced.
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