Eltham school approved at University of Greenwich campus

Plans for a new school in Eltham have been approved tonight by Greenwich Council’s Planning Board. The school will be all-boys and see 1,150 students in total, with 900 secondary and 250 sixth form places.

Harris Academy is due to open at the site of buildings disposed by Greenwich University. Grade II listed buildings will be refurbished with new buildings located on site.

The new school will be located over the road from what is now called Stationers’ Crown Woods Academy, or simply Crown Woods school in old money.

A new entrance to the site is to be constructed. Parking concerns have been a prominent point of contention. The adjacent cycle lane is routinely blocked.

TfL objected to the Academy chains travel plans. Greenwich Council state they may act on illegal parking outside, but we know they are badly struggling as it is to enforce many areas.

The site has been in educational use since 1906 and saw Avery Hill College merge with Thames Polytechnic in the mid 1980s. That became the University of Greenwich.

Extensions to the site dating from the 1960s are to be removed for new buildings.

The meeting was held remotely via Zoom and glitches arose. One Cllr saw their connection temporarily lost. A legal advisor advised that the Cllr should not vote, which the Cllr objected to given that discussion at the time was not a material consideration. The issue went to meeting chair Cllr Stephen Brain, who allowed the vote, which was in favour.