London South East Colleges celebrated a significant milestone today with a special ‘topping out’ ceremony for its transformational Greenwich Campus re-development.
The event brought together key stakeholders including the GLA, Royal Borough of Greenwich and developers Kier Construction, to mark progress on this pioneering £45m project. It will deliver cutting-edge educational facilities alongside 294 new homes, in partnership with L&Q.
Special guests included Tom Copley, London Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, and the Mayor and Mayoress of Greenwich, Cllr Jit Ranabhat and Mrs. Gaumaya Gurung Ranabhat.
‘Topping Out’ refers to the point at which a development reaches its pinnacle height. The new building will open its doors to students next year, providing them with an exceptional new learning environment.
In alignment with the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s Inclusive Economy Strategy, the new campus will play a pivotal role in supporting local economic growth and community development – by equipping students with the skills needed by employers.
Speaking at the event, The Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, Tom Copley, said:
“I was delighted to attend the topping out of London South East Colleges’ new campus building in Greenwich and see the progress being made to deliver new and improved educational facilities to the local community.
“Supported by £14m funding from the Mayor of London, this impressive development will enable Londoners to access high-quality training, helping them to gain new skills and secure good jobs, and will deliver nearly 300 new, high-quality homes – 70 per cent of which are genuinely affordable. This supports our central mission to create a fairer, more prosperous London for everyone.”
Group Principal and CEO of London South East Colleges, Dr Sam Parrett CBE, welcomed guests to the event. She spoke about the journey that began in 2016, when Greenwich Community College merged with Bromley and Bexley Colleges to form London South East Colleges:
"At the time of the merger, this college was facing significant challenges. Today’s event is a testament to the promise LSEC made to the community—to not only transform further education in Greenwich but to ensure access to life-changing skills and opportunities for generations to come."
"This is about much more than buildings, it’s about investing in the lives and futures of people living here. From affordable housing to high-quality education, this development catalyses social mobility and community prosperity.
“We are extremely grateful to all our partners – particularly the GLA, Royal Borough of Greenwich and Kier Construction. This project is an exceptional example of collaboration, to benefit the community and the economy. We look forward to the work here continuing – and to opening the doors of our new campus to students.”
The project has already earned national recognition, with the partnership between the College and Kier Construction receiving the National Project Excellence Award in the category of Social Value Initiative of the Year [Future Greenwich development recognised for its outstanding commitment to Social Value]
Regional Director for Kier, John Bolton, added:
“We’re delighted to be collaborating with College once again on its Greenwich campus to replace the existing campus buildings with a new, state-of-the-art, sustainable educational facility.
“We have been awarded a Procure Partnership Framework award for Social Value Initiative of the Year and have been voted by the students as Employer of the Year at the College's Student Awards - reminding us just how important this building is to the local community. We look forward to providing them with a brand-new campus that will support learning for local students and inspire future generations for years to come.”