70 New Flats to Replace Former Kingston Uni Halls in London

A former student housing block in South London is set to be converted into flats after plans to transform it into a luxury hotel were abandoned.

Westcombe Developments, the owner of Kingston Bridge House in Hampton Wick, had already secured Richmond Council’s approval in 2023 to redevelop the site into 70 flats. However, in April this year, the company submitted revised proposals for a smaller scheme of 22 flats—including eight affordable homes—alongside a 90-bed Hotel Indigo, to be managed by IHG Hotels and Resorts with its own bar and restaurant.

At the time, the developer argued that the original housing plan was no longer financially viable and highlighted rising demand for hotel rooms in London since the Covid-19 pandemic.

But a fresh report from council officers confirms the hotel proposal has now been withdrawn, and Westcombe Developments will revert to its original scheme of 70 flats.

Planning documents for the housing project describe Kingston Bridge House as “redundant” and “not fit for purpose,” with external cladding in poor condition and in need of replacement. The report stressed that repurposing the building into much-needed housing would better serve the borough’s priorities.

Of the 70 flats, four will be available at social rent. The development will also provide 23 car parking spaces, including accessible bays.

The property, originally built as offices in the 1960s, was later acquired by Kingston University and used as student accommodation from 1994 until 2021. After the university opened new student housing in the town centre, it sold the Hampton Wick building to Westcombe Developments.