Wilko to open at Charlton retail park beside forthcoming Lidl

Plans has been submitted to open a new branch of Wilko in Charlton at the current site of Outfit.

As covered last week, Outfit are to soon close their Charlton branch.

The new Wilko is to open next to a forthcoming Lidl store. That’s due to open in February 2020. Wilko opening in Charlton is interesting as their Woolwich branch has long been the planned site of a new leisure centre in Woolwich. The scheme has been continually delayed as Wilko stated they could find no suitable alternative Woolwich site.

What this means for Woolwich remains to be seen.

Any new Woolwich lesiure centre is now expected to be around four to five years late. As the Waterfront car park was sold for Berkeley Home tower blocks and the site lack investment due to planned closure, it has seen membership numbers fall sharply.

Charlton site

Numerous complaints about car park delays in Charlton where Wilko and Lidl are opening have fallen on deaf ears for years – as have complaints about access for those on foot and using public transport.

Despite Greenwich Council receiving many millions from local developments almost nothing has been spent rectifying those issues.

Much is currently unspent and lying in council accounts. £6.1 million in Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy income was ready to spend in 2018/19 alone -yet wasn’t.

The exact totals according to a recently released Greenwich Council reports were £3,494,119.84 in CIL income received and available to spend, and £2,174,859 in Section 106. Those totals are after other commitments were already met.

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In the immediate area of Bugsby’s Way many recent developments have brought sizeable income totals:

• Brocklebank Retail Park comprising Aldi, Primark etc. This 2018 development brought £300,000 in Section 106 payment from the developer to Greenwich Council. Amount spent on Bugsby’s Way = £0

• Ikea: £1.7 million in S106 for transport in 2019. Bugsby’s Way saw just new crossings but little else. A new bus lane was however installed nearer the store.
• Sainsbury’s – £1.4 million in S106 including £512,000 for transport: £0 spent on Bugsby’s Way
• ParcelForce on Bugsby’s Way: £234,000 in S106. Amount spent locally = £0

• Greenwich Shopping Park extension with Frankie and Benny’s, Costa etc (2015/16) – £650,000 in S106 payments. Amount for Bugsby’s Way = £0
• Former Matalan (now Wickes) – £360,000: £0 for Bugsby’s Way

And it extends to housing. As I covered last week, a nearby housing development in Charlton at Victoria Way comprising 330 homes has so far seen more than £1 million received by Greenwich Council. So far not a penny spent in the local area.

Click here to view plans.

Thanks to the 20 people or so who recently helped the site after my Xmas appeal 9and all those who have before or continue to do so. Click here to become a Patron or here for a one-off donation via Paypal. Thanks