A flurry of smaller new development proposals in East Greenwich
A number of plans for smaller buildings across east Greenwich are either approved or under consideration. Most are pretty small scale and I never really felt warranted a dedicated post, so here’s a little round-up. Firstly, the small apartment block seen above is going before the Greenwich planning board next week. Twelve flats are located above a ground floor retail unit. The site is currently a single story unit used as a cycle shop.
The building beside the cycle shop was itself rebuilt over the past year or two. The former two-storey building became four with flats above two shop units. Over the other side of the junction is another proposal at the site of Greenwich social club. Plans here see a replacement social club at street level and 18 flats above.
These developments follow others in the vicinity of a major junction, including the large Greenwich Centre and The Peltons. Despite all this little effort has been made to improve the junction, pedestrian safety nor improve the attractiveness of the area. A bit of creativity and modest investment could produce some real short term improvements whilst long term plans are drawn up.
Also planned for East Greenwich are 33 student flats behind the old library site on Denham Street, as seen here:
This is separate to plans for students flats behind the old fire station. The fire station building was recently renovated.
And still the dreary Iceland building hangs on in there. Hopefully this is next for demolition and rebuilding.
What is with the weird triangular windows on the new development above the old cycle shop? Can’t they just put normal traditional windows in? It’s looks so cheap.
That whole intersection is a mess. But if the council can’t even sort out the Market Gyratory and pavement widening in the centre of Greenwich, there isn’t much hope out here further East.
I think the triangular windows is to give flats dual aspect, as permission can be refused due to having single aspect units.
Really? The triangular windows don’t let any more light in, the hole in the wall is the same size, the window just protrudes further. Unless you’re sticking your head in to the window triangle itself of course.
They need to widen the junction outside the old cycle shop befor any plans for new builds are granted. Single lane all the way to greenwhich is mad with the amount of traffic on the roads theses days.
I’m not sure if the junction signals timings could be tweaked, as when heading west once you get past the old arches leisure centre and the petrol station the traffic seems to speed up again just slightly. Two lanes coming from Blackwall Lane and 2 lanes from Woolwich Road east of the junction down to 1 lane is just a tough thing to solve in that junction, it’s a very painful corner to drive through.
That part of Trafalgar road is only capable of fitting a total of 3 lanes, so it’s really 1 lane each way and a bus lane alternating sides every few hundred metres to allow for a bus stop that doesn’t bring traffic to a standstill.
But the idea of widening breaks my heart, as it really only attracts further traffic again. A better solution would be trying to solve the problem of the wider area being so ‘car dependant’.
What is the experience of standing on any corner of this intersection as a pedestrian? Do you feel safe? Do you feel at home, protected? Like it’s a place to linger and enjoy just being? Would you sit on a bench and enjoy watching the world go by?
What about moving through this junction as a cyclist? Do you feel safe, protected?
It’s just so car dominated. Transforming this intersection could really start to transform East Greenwich.
(Apologies for two further replies, I enjoy this forum.)
The problem with the A206/Trafalgar Road is that it’s now being used as a rat run for cars from outside the area who just want to bypass the A2 and even the A102.
I used to live just off Trafalgar Road and it’s horrific in the morning and evening rush hours (never mind a “a place to linger and enjoy”, it’s a place to “develop lung cancer if you linger”…)
The only way really to tackle it is to pedestrianise the town centre from say King William Walk on the western side to Park Row on the eastern side (or maybe even as far as Maize Hill). That would cut off the rat run, still allow car access for the vast majority of local residents and make the whole area more pleasant to live in
It would make a huge difference to turn the bulk of the town centre in to single lane, but mainly pedestrianised, returning the space to people. I’m tempted to go down, take some photographs and get in photoshop to mock up a vision. It wouldn’t take more than a few hours of playing around.
In a few years when the success of Aldgate work going on now, and the new segregated cycleways along the bulk of embankment are visible to all, potentially the councils further out will understand what’s possible.
I just think it’s a total lack of vision for what’s possible: the complete built environment is up to our choices and our design – we can define it and build it.
Total pedestrianisation of a chunk of Trafalgar road feels like a step too far – delivery vans, buses, and businesses would suffer.
Would be good to see it if you’ve got the time / skills. You never know, you may even convince Mr. Murky Depths to post an article about it 🙂
As for the lack of vision, don’t get me started… It’s the biggest issue holding back the borough. Greenwich has so much unrealised potential – it has all the right ingredients in terms of location, historical buildings, parks etc to genuinely be one of the most pleasant places to live in London. All it would take is a bit of vision and a council that gives a s***
Even basic stuff like repairing broken paving, cleaning the streets and replacing / removing crap street furniture would have a big impact.
And it’s not about a lack of money either – you only have to look at the vanity projects (tall ships) and the amount of money wasted on botched public works (e.g. the foot tunnel renovation) to realise that there’s plenty of money sloshing about
Esskay, While I’m not a professional, I’m not afraid to try. I’ll have a go and if the artefacts produced aren’t an embarrassment, I’ll share.
This Blackwall Lane/Trafalgar Road/ Vanbrugh Hill and Woolwich Road junction is a real issue tall sided vehicles get themselves stuck on the perdestain crossing and I dare not cross as I cant see the green man letting you know you can cross, these lights need upgrading so that when you press the button to on the panel to cross the green man comes up on the push button display at eye level. I also stand at bus stop (D) and the lights change 15-20 times before the bus can get through as this junction is being blocked. I have noticed that these coach buses that come in from the Medway towns are increasingly using Westcombe Hill as a rat run and rejoining the A2 at the bottom of the Woolwich flyover. I wish the surface of the cycling Thames path were smoother from Greenwich to woolwich. Whoever is responsible needs to address the issues of where the two bus stops are outside the closed Sainsbury’s in Greenwich the surface level rain water become a lake on the road causing the bus drivers more stress as they try not to slash people waiting at these bus stops.
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