Greenwich Council selling rose garden and park in Greenwich
Greenwich Council have snuck out a notice regarding the sale – or “disposal” – of rose gardens and a small park in Greenwich.
I read about an intention to sell years ago in a council report and covered it. Everything then went silent.
The site is located at the junction of Tunnel Avenue and Blackwall Lane close to the entrance slip road leading to the A102 Blackwall Tunnel approach. Recent announcements regarding the closure of another slip road to the south will pull more traffic to this point.
A large number of developments have also been built in the vicinity over the past decade – including a block directly next to the site.
Thanks to former Cllr Mary Mills who revealed the notice on Twitter. It is featured in Weekender magazine. It’s the sort of notice that would normally have been posted online, though sections of the council’s website featuring decisions and notices has not been updated since March.
This ties into other issues with their website and engagement over recent months. Greenwich refused to create a site seeking feedback about street changes and then stated to TfL it was too difficult, yet many other councils did so. They tried to keep as much information secret as possible on what they planned. Only by submitting Freedom of information requests did we see details of plans.
They also claimed in recent weeks they could not ask the public online where £618,268.55 from the Community Infrastructure Levy should be spent and so council officers would have to decide.
Greenery for new flats
The patch of green that is to be sold is a small distance from many new homes. One such site I covered earlier today, with a block of flats at the other end of Tunnel Avenue. That was approved after the authority failed to decide within legal time limits in 2017 so it went to appeal due to non-determination. The applicant won, leaving taxpayers on the hook for costs.
Many nearby developments, including that nearby block, have brought (or will) many millions to the council’s coffers, yet not enough to prevent this sale it would seem.
Questions to be asked include why give notification to sell now during a time when online notices are lacking?
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Why? Don’t act like you do not know! Or, perhaps, the question is rhetorical?
Greenwich Council would be arrested and tried as a Criminal Organisation if it weren’t covered by government immunity from prosecution.
Should have been turned in to a pocket park like Mell Street.
Spectacular example of illegal pavement parking by that delivery van outside the Mulberry building as well! Plenty of legal alternatives at the back.
The park has not been maintained in nearly 10 years, but it is a shame to get rid of even a small pocket of green in the area. Would welcome some interesting designed housing. What about using some of the CIL money to support a mural along the wall opposite – charting the history of information cables made locally to the present day? Would certainly brighten up the area! I know that Meantime has done a simar thing (mural) in Shoreditch, so they may be convinced to help in their backyard.
Why spend money creating pocket parks – when there is one right here!
There is nothing on that road – the shops in the flats were turned into flats(!) – prob advertised at a crazy price in a little read publication, got no takers then converted to flats…
There are a couple of nice trees there (preservation order possible?).
I think they are Poplar – which fight pollution.
Why not remove the sign – and make it into a proper little park for all the soulless flats that have been built around there (that pay council tax) to use?
Nice one Greenwich Council!
I’ve actually asked Greenwich for preservation orders on these trees and all the London Plane tress on Tunnel Avenue. The response was they won’t put a preservation order on a council maintained tree.
So this park is due to go as are all the old Plane trees on the road
Isnt public open space just that….public? Cant this be contested? It’s a very congested area and I would have thought a pleasant green space for people living there.
Typical that Greenwich wants it done on quiet.
John, you are spot on. RBoG spending money on ‘pocket parks’ when this little piece of park already exists. It was also outrageous that the council allowed a huge billboard to be placed there in the first place.
This is terrrible – objections can apparenlty be sent by 17 September by post to Greenwich council
Presumably the buyer of this piece of public land will be free to so whatever they please. This is another example of Greenwich council selling off land that it could use to build affordable housing.
Bexley has been selling off parks and open spaces. It’ll be the cemeteries next.
Expect a letter asking you to collect your dead relative.
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