New Lidl opens in Charlton today
A new Lidl store has opened in Charlton today.
The Charlton branch is located at Millennium Retail Park in a former unit occupied by River Island.
There are frequent complaints of long queues leaving the adjacent car park. How it copes with additional traffic remains to be seen. Lidl will see far higher footfall compared to River Island.
Wilko will be moving into a nearby unit later this year and closing their Woolwich branch. That in turn will become a new leisure centre in years to come.
With Lidl now based here, and Wilko soon to follow, it is about time that TfL found a way of linking the Royal Standard & Charlton slopes areas with this shopping area by bus. The 335 would have been ideal but this proposal wasn’t followed through. It is a far more awkward journey than it should be. The hopper fare is useful as far as it goes, but crossing roads laden with shopping to change buses will not reduce car use to the shopping park.
Tbe new Lidl store looked busy when i went passed yesterday. I think both the Lidl and Wilikinson’s Store (Wilko’s) when it opens later this year will be very popular.
I totally agree with Ned that there needs to be a bus route from Blackheath Royal Standard and Charlton slopes to the retail parks on Bugsby Way .
Your absolutely right the hopper fare is good as far as it goes but not suitable having to change buses and crossing roads with heavy shopping, children.and waiting for another bus in bad weather.
Route 335 Kidbrooke to North Greenwich Station via Blackheath Royal Standard would have been an ideal route to run via Charlton Retails Parks. A lot of people requested this at the consultation stage but the views were not taken in to account.
I cannot see a reduction in car usage anytime soon until public transport in the area as seen some major improvements.
The opening of Lidl as the fifth supermarket within touching distance of one another (Sainsburys, M&S, Asda, Aldi) does appear to be a strange choice, but given the size of the unit I’m not surprised. Fashion retail sheds have been declining for years now, so no surprise H&M, River Island have gone. Has Outfit gone too?
If you’re a car owner, be prepared to be stuck in traffic jam for an eternity. You’d be be better off parking at Sainsburys and walking, or even using the Makro car park. If you’re a pedestrian, welcome to running the gauntlet. Good luck to you!
20k new homes are planned just north and west and 9k to the east within just a couple of miles radius which will bring extra custom. At least 1-2k of those will finish and see residents this year. There’s GMV, Victoria Way, Greenwich Square (the old hospital site), Valley House, River Gardens and some I’ve forgotten no doubt. That’ll help sustain them all – perhaps one will close due to additional factors such as Asda with the shed now being tired and 30 years old. If a developer came along and offered them the chance to join a mixed use scheme they’d probably take it – perhaps with a smaller store.
Not so sure about Asda, it always seems to be busier than M&S or Sainsbury’s in my experience. Had the merger gone ahead though I have no doubt they’d have moved into the Sainsbury’s site.
The Stone Lake retail park is one I could see disappearing as the wider Charlton redevelopment goes ahead. It’s badly laid out and there’s little there that would be difficult to relocate.
I think if a new mixed retail.housing development was built in the area then Asda may move to the new location. As the current store now over 30 years old is in need of internal and external refurbishment.
The current location of the Asda store is not suitable to be converted in to a mixed retail/housing development due to the amount of traffiic currently using the Greenwich Retail Park so would be dangerous for residents especially if they have children.
With Lidl now based here, and Wilko soon to follow, it is about time that TfL found a way of linking the Royal Standard & Charlton slopes areas with this shopping area by bus
Ned I have been thinking about this. I think there could be a new single decker bus route from Blackheath Village/Blackheath Royal Standard via route 380 through Charlton to Francis Street then instead of turning right in Francis Street towards the Barracks.
The new route could turn left in Francis Street and go along Woolwich Road to Bugbsy Way (Greenwich Retail Parks), Millennuim Village (New Developments) then on Greenwich Town Centre via Blackwall Lane and Trafalgar Road. Like Blackheath and Charlton some of the new developments on the Greenwich Peninsula do not have a direct bus route to the Retail Parks on Bugsby Way.
This new route would also support route 177 between Woolwich (Francis Street) and Greenwich Town Centre when route 180 is re-routed to North Greenwich Station and will no longer serve Greenwich Town Centre or Lewisham as part of the Elizabeth Line bus changes that are due to go ahead in line with the new Elizabeth Line station opening.
Graham, I think your idea of a new bus route between Blackheath Village/Blackheath Royal Standard to Greenwich via Charlton and route 380 as far as Francis Street would work well. Morris Walk Estate is starting to be redeveloped bringing many more new homes to Charlton.
As Ned said it is not easy for people to reach the shops and retail parks along Bugsby Way
from Blackheath Royal Standard and Charlton Slopes.
I think if 8.9 metre or 9.6 metre single decker buses were used these buses would get around the suggested route well.
This would provide a new bus link for many many people to the Greenwich Retail Park and Sainsbury’s M&S stores on Gallions Road and Asda Aldi and Lidl on Bugsby Way.
This would mean however, buses would still need to use Charlton Church Lane when Charlton are playing at home. Which would mean more supporters could reach the ground by bus. It would also ease parking problems for Charlton residents on match days.