Green space in Woolwich town centre to be fenced off
The patch of greenery in front of Tesco in Woolwich town centre will be fenced off under plans before Greenwich Council’s planning board next week.
The plans state:
“The proposed hoarding would be erected through the existing kerb which
separates the grassland and the pavement along Woolwich New Road,
Thomas Street and Love Lave (on both north and west sides of the site), and
it would be of 2.4metre high.”
Developers Meyer Homes purchased the site from Tesco in 2015. They have since held consultations on building a 30-storey tower. This is despite it contravening plans in the Master Plan for the Thomas Street area Greenwich Council have spent a long time, and a fair bit of money, drawing up.
The Masterplan proposed a smaller height limit of 15 stories, as the image above taken in a 2016 draft of the Thomas Street SPD reveals. It doesn’t seem this SPD has yet been adopted despite the expense of producing and consulting upon it.
Here’s the tower Meyer Homes consulted on:
“What are we going to do about putting a building in the center of town that’s so hideous it won a national architecture award for being ugly?”
“Let’s put a massive thirty storey tower block right in front of it.”
“Genius!”
A cunning plan: hide one carbuncle behind another.
Seriously tho – much as I hate the look of Tescos, I would not want to see a tower of any height in front of it. Now, some nice trees to obscure Tescos….thats another matter. Why is the council even entertaining this nonsense?
Money!
Greed!
How awlful I agree put some trees kids like running along it make it a play area nothing surprises me with the council after all they put a giant tv up thats a complete waste of money
What’s the point in doing this if the developers haven’t even had their plans approved yet and aren’t ready to build on the site? It’ll turn into another patch of scrubland, like the old Bexleyheath Civic Offices site, sitting there neglected for years with no value to anyone. Just leave it as an open space, like it is now.
I prefer it as an open space it flows more naturally with the surroundings and is like an extension of the main square. It should be turned into a kids adventure park a bit like what they have next to the London Eye at South Bank. Shame it will be fenced off.
Worth noting they are holding community update events at the Tramshed with some updated plans:
Monday 12 June 2017, 11am – 7pm
Tuesday 13 June 2017, 12pm – 5pm
Maybe a good chance to tell them to not build a fence! Doubt they’ll listen though… I haven’t bene able to make it but would be great to hear if they’ve decided to chop 15 floors off the one outside Tesco, or improved the design of the ones behind it!
I went to this on Tuesday. I told them that I disliked and would oppose the tower as it was out of place, unnecessary and unsympathetic to the surroundings. Of course my protestations were met with statements about the outline planning permission having been given at the onset of the scheme to which I replied that even the council can be wrong. I said it was one carbuncle obscuring another. They didn’t know of Tescos dubious award. The conversation was ridiculous. When I suggested that they redistribute the 200 homes from the tower to the rear of the development which was much more apt, they stated that an earlier proposal for taller towers there was rejected as it spoilt the view of the barracks when standing in front of it! Who stands in front of the barracks to enjoy the view!? The vast majority of those green areas is private MOD property, so, apart from the public path, no one is impacted by a ‘spoilt view’. I asked the chap if he lived in Woolwich and would be affected by this eyesore. At first he said where he lived didn’t matter but then said he used the Leisure Centre. So, the answer is a big – no. Sums it all up really. Its all about money. The tower will have no affordable housing and he admitted it was the money maker to complete the towers to the rear of the development. He rambled on about the government wanting to increase housing density in urban areas – especially those with good transport links. I told him there are ways and means and other land opportunities within Woolwich. My words fell on deaf ears as I walked out vowing to object to the planning application when it goes forward. I am sick and tired of money grabbing developers riding roughshod over the community and the council doffing their cap to them.
Sadly any objection doesn’t really matter if Greenwich have just renewed a lapsed plan from 10 years ago and have not formally adopted a master plan they spent much money drawing up. Opposition counts for little now they’ve done those things. Any refusal by Greenwich would win on appeal due to those actions.
Please let us know how we can also oppose these hideous plans? Do we need to look at any postings on lamp posts around the area, ‘informing’ locals about the proposed development? How would ‘ordinary’ people even be aware of this proposal!!? I’m sure many people would be completely opposed to this but wouldn’t even know it was in the pipeline until they saw the area fenced off and even then wouldn’t be aware that the plans were to erect a ridiculously oversized (or any size building) on such a small space until building work commenced. By then it would be far too late to reverse it! It’s only through recently stumbling upon this website that I have learned about so many ridiculous things being proposed in the borough, (unless I have seen them for myself – but only AFTER the event/building/demolition has taken place!), when by then it is too late to take any action. Many people do not know about this website and would not have information at all about decisions that are being taken that could affect their lives and or enjoyment of their local community. How are people supposed to have a stake in their local area if they don’t even know what is being planned, let alone know how they could make their own opinions on any such matters be known? It does make one wonder about so called democracy. All the best. Deb
Can we please try to do something to stop this. Enough is enough.
Larry – “were met with statements about the outline planning permission having been given at the onset of the scheme to which I replied that even the council can be wrong”
They didn’t mention those 2007 plans had lapsed? It’s true that Greenwich did approve a 32-storey tower back in 2007 but so long had passed that permission expired this year. Back in March I believe the developers stated they were trying to get it renewed. So Greenwich Council must have done it very recently if they have, and why when it went against their own masterplan? These are crucial issues.
My thoughts exactly! Granted I am informed mainly by the brilliant posts on this blog but my understanding was the developers were chancing it based on them perhaps entering into an agreement with Tesco based on the old outline planning permission which lapsed this year, and they were therefore chancing it. I guess there’s now a race between adopting the masterplan or renewing the outline permission, which contradict each other. Perhaps something for a future blog post? 😉
Hi, do you know anything about the property that has been a pub previously at the top of Wellington Street, the one that is attached to Bill Walden House? And anything about planned demolitions or redevelopments at John Wilson Street? I am a resident of one of the three blocks of maisonettes and I’ve heard this area is likely to be “revamped ” too. Seems like Woolwich is really under hammer.
Havn’t heard much about John Wilson Street. I think there was some plans for the old pub – maybe a nursery? I heard that New Wine Church own it. Anyone know?
As pointed out before, the sun appears to be to the north in their diagrams…