Developers Countryside Properties and Taylor Woodrow aim to increase the millennium village from 1377 houses to 2500. This would be a fillip for the scheme after the protracted negotiations over planning gain in the late 1990s and, more recently, a messy court case with one of the project's former architects, HTA.
Alan Cherry, chairman of Countryside Properties, said the proposal was at an early stage. He said: "A consultant told us we could comfortably increase the capacity of the scheme.
"Whatever we do is subject to agreement with English Partnerships and … the London Borough of Greenwich."
Cherry added that the developers can increase the housing density by following government guidance on land use, which has been drawn up since work on the first two phases started.
A spokesperson for Greenwich council said: "We are aware the developers are looking at a scheme that might increase capacity of the development. We expect this would form part of their submission of detailed planning consent for phases three and four."
The original project team, which included lead architect Ralph Erskine, will be retained. HTA, which was sacked in June 1999, will not work on the development. HTA settled its legal dispute over the sacking with Countryside and Taywood earlier this year.
In many cases the Housing Corporation will now fund only new-build social housing units if they are additional to those on a site. If they replace homes earmarked for demolition, it may no longer hand over a grant.
The masterplan for the 288-acre Kidbrooke area may have to be changed because of this. A Greenwich council spokesperson said: "We are aware of the proposals. There are several major regeneration plans proposed for Greenwich and we are talking to the Housing Corporation about them."
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