Looking at the site where Woolwich restaurant plan shelved
Last week I covered how Greenwich planners had blocked plans for a restaurant on Woolwich’s pedestrianised main hopping street. Powis Street isn’t exactly chock full of good places to eat nor much to do in the evenings. One reason given was outside seating.
I took some photos of the area to show what a nonsense that is given there’s plenty of paving. On one side of the planned restaurant location are shops with outside displays:
On the other is Starbucks with outside seating:
The biggest issue here in relation to impeding pedestrians is Greenwich Council street clutter and obstacles. Why are there such large raised areas around trees? Reduce these in size to increase walking space.
As for the street as a whole, there’s too many obstacles for a pedestrianised street that sees deliveries at very irregular times. Whilst there I saw a cleaning mini truck failing to get by a bollard in the middle of the paving.
Here’s just one example of better design taken a couple of weeks ago in Darlington of all places:
This is used for deliveries and access too, hence the subtle change in paving material, but there’s no unnecessary obstacles. Compare this to Powis Street where Greenwich Highways Department went on a sign and bollard frenzy.
Powis Street could still already easily accommodate a restaurant or cafe with outside seating as things stand now, but this kind of improvement would lessen the clutter Greenwich Highways have installed over the years.
Incidentally, Darlington was another of those towns that are visited with limited expectations (probably unfairly) and end up being really quite nice, with good modern design on show in many areas. Here’s Hull too:
There’s great design everywhere in the UK which can act as inspiration.
EDIT: The plan has been re-submitted. Click here and search for 17/2403/F to comment on the application.
I have lived in the area most of my life. In the last 10-20 years it appears to me that successive planning departments want to ‘make their mark’. Sadly, this rarely means removing or rationalizing things, but rather adding more clutter and compounding earlier bad design decisions. Maybe its time to rethink the whole thing, be brave and honest. But then again, this is Greenwich…
There’s a lamppost at the top of Powis St that is constantly damaged by vans delivering to Greggs. RBG council don’t seem to have the common sense to resite the street light.
I think some of the bollards are there to stop Powis St turning into a car park at night. Where the bollards stop i.e from Jennings Bet to Snappy Snaps always has cars parked there at night.
I expect that’s the reason but clear solutions to that seen in many other places. Have retractable bollards at either end (or a gate as at present) with nothing in between. And have more parking staff to ticket poor parking. So many places manage it. RBG seem unwilling to address issues with a minority of people and make everyone pay.
do we know what the Resturaunt was to be? if it was another fast food place or chicken shop there its probably not a bad thing planning has been refused.
They were in discussions for a good quality mid-market restaurant. The site owner is Mansford Group who own many shop units in Woolwich after purchasing from Powis St estates a couple of years ago, and want to improve the offerings.
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