Lidl in Woolwich to become mixed-use housing site?
In recent days this site has been looking at various possible development sites contained within a future strategic plan being drawn up by Greenwich Council.
One plot contained witihin that I’ll cover today is Lidl in Woolwich. The store was recently refurbished yet there’s little doubt much money could be made by rebuilding the single-storey structure with many homes above new retail space and parking.
The document states: “The single storey Lidl makes inefficient use this accessible town centre site. It also presents large inactive frontages”.
Oddly however, a single storey Lidl in Abbey Wood close to nearby station – with forthcoming Elizabeth Line services – was deemed unworthy of inclusion in this site allocations plan. Bizarre given housing targets and location. The report contains a number of apparent contradictions such as this.
Back to Woolwich Lidl and the site also includes a gym operated by Greenwich Council’s GLL off-shoot.
The plot is surrounded either by high density housing already built or set to be approved.
Riverside House
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Greenwich council’s planning document combines the site with adjacent Riverside House.
Perhaps as a result of over two year’s delay in progressing this plan, events may have overtaken the council with plans to convert Riverside House into 199 flats being approved in February this year. This was the original timescale for drawing up and adopting the Site Allocations Strategy:
As can be seen, spring 2017 has turned into late summer 2019. I also noted in a previous post some errors such as in Abbey Wood where it stated that Cross Quarter (comprising Sainsbury’s) was complete, when in reality less than half the site has been built with a fraction of planned homes so far completed.
Also in Abbey Wood some have questioned how feasible knocking down Abbey Wood telephone exchange is despite the document claiming it will be vacant in late 2019.
Given how important this is for determining future homes, shops, factories and more, errors and apparently contradictory choice of designating land plots could have long-term repercussions.
It does seem a shame that the newly refurbished Lidl store in Woolwich may be demolished. However, I agree with mixed retail/housing developments and they can work well in Town Centres.
I do wonder why Lidl went ahead with the refurbishment at their Woolwich Store if they were made aware by Grrenwich Council that this site was planned for mixed retail/housing development. They could have saved the cost of the refurbishment to invest in the new store on the current site when the new development completed.