Partners joined Abri and construction partner The Hill Group on the roof this week to celebrate the ‘Topping Out’ of the first building at The Granges in Dedworth, Windsor.
Homes England, councillors from the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead (RBWM), and project managers Rund attended to mark the occasion of the building reaching its highest point.
This six storey block has a mixture of 41 one and two bedroom flats which, along with the other 20 homes being built in this first phase, will be ready in early 2027. Alongside this, the second phase of 121 homes is well underway and due to be completed by early 2028.
Abri’s Dasos Christou, Regional Managing Director (South East) said: “I’m delighted that less than a year after we started on site at The Granges, we have 61 homes out of the ground and ready to hand over to our existing residents to enjoy in 2027. I would like to thank all the partners joined us for the ‘topping out’ and who have helped make this flagship regeneration a much needed reality for the local community in Dedworth, Windsor.
“Abri has ambitious plans to deliver 20,000 new homes by 2036 and milestones like this one demonstrate our commitment to helping meet affordable housing need in the UK.”
The Granges (formerly known as Sawyers Close) is Abri’s largest ever regeneration project. Once complete, it will provide 413 brand new high quality and sustainable affordable homes for existing residents and the local community, all of which will be 100% affordable.
Francine Peck, Senior Manager- Provider Management Strategic Partnerships, Homes England, said:“The Granges is a wonderful example of partners working together to provide much needed affordable housing in an area of need in this region. The provision of new and improved community and play areas will help establish a sustainable and welcoming environment where existing and new residents can live together. I look forward to watching the development progress!”
The regeneration has been made possible by £176 million of funding made available from Abri, including £34.4 million awarded from Homes England. RBWM’s planning approval for the development, along with additional land transferred to Abri from the Council, increased the scale of the proposed site – both allowing more homes to be delivered and enabling construction to start before the need to demolish the current buildings.
Cabinet Member for Housing Delivery, Housing Services and Health, Cllr Catherine del Campo, said: “This is a significant step forward and will provide high-quality, affordable and social housing for local residents – reflecting our commitment to working with partners to support thriving communities across the borough.”
The Granges redevelopment is anticipated to complete by 2032 with almost all current residents expected to be moved into their new homes within the next three years.
The redevelopment will see the demolition of the existing worn-out buildings, comprising four tower blocks of 192 properties in total. The first existing tower block, Winwood, was demolished earlier in 2026, with the others to follow between 2027-2029.
Ryan Harris, Regional Director at The Hill Group, said: “Reaching this topping out milestone at The Granges is a significant achievement for everyone involved. In less than a year, we have made excellent progress, reshaping the first phase to advance delivery, enabling an additional 121 homes to come forward by over 15 months sooner.
“Working in partnership with Abri, Homes England, the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead and the wider project team, we are delivering high quality, sustainable homes that will have a lasting impact on the area. We look forward to continuing this momentum through the next phases of development.”
