New 20-storey tower proposed in Abbey Wood at vet surgery site

A screening opinion has been submitted to Greenwich Council to build a new residential block with 300 homes at the junction of Harrow Manorway and Eynsham Drive in Abbey Wood.

Most of the site, which comprises a car wash as well as the PDSA vets, will be around 8 floors with the tower rising to 19/20 storeys. A commercial unit would be located at street level. The vets is also included in future plans, and 100 car parking spaces are mentioned being available to the vet surgery, shoppers and disabled residents.

As it’s a screening opinion no designs are evident as yet. It’s the first stage of planning process where the developer asks Greenwich Council whether the site is suitable for what they are proposing. The developer is “Abbey Wood Property Ltd“. I think they’ll be in for a tricky time, despite a claim that “the effects of the Proposed Development on surrounding sites are not considered ‘significant’”.

It’s directly beside many low storey houses and the travellers site is adjacent. How long that remains in its current site is debatable. Having such low density sites very close to a major station when a huge housing shortage exists is perhaps unsustainable

No doubt relocation would be controversial but as London’s population rockets up (around 150k the past year alone) and is looking to reach 10 million soon (latest figures show it’s now 8.8 million) then very low density sites near major transport nodes will be in line for development. It’ll take hefty payments to get some to agree to move though, and forcibly shifting travellers will be politically more difficult than turfing people out of estates, as is happening directly over the road. By the way, Peabody have put back the start date again on their scheme.

A separate tower is proposed nearby beside Sainsbury’s. I’m really not a fan of the extremely drab cladding chosen:

The planned 20-storey site can be seen in the foreground of the proposed and really quite grim 30-storey tower here:

A £10 million road upgrade is also underway along Harrow Manorway. Unfortunately finding detailed images is near impossible despite work now underway, and the huge roundabout (seen in images above and below) directly beside this proposed development looks like staying. It makes north-south and east-west walking routes far longer than a junction would.

The increase in homes and traffic will probably see all roundabout approaches fitted with traffic lights anyway so why not turn into a junction, which would give a big net gain in usable land?

The other side of the roundabout will see Peabody’s Thamesmead development which as mentioned appears to be delayed yet again. Peabody have been extremely slow at building since taking control and this lethargy is doing nothing for the housing crises. It may however help their income with completions arriving after Crossrail completes.

The planning reference is 17/2030/EIA. Click here to search, read and comment on the plan.