Powis Street to see “Woolwich Front Room” open this year as part of £3.8m town centre regeneration
An empty shop unit on Powis Street in Woolwich will become an event space as part of a multi-million pound project to increase the town’s appeal.
The council are seeking groups looking to utilise the unit located near Hare Street.
The project is part of Woolwich’s £3.8 million High Streets Heritage Action Zone programme.
This being Greenwich Council, the thought of actually telling us exactly what unit to gauge the size didn’t seem to appear and isn’t in the online news story.
Woolwich is seeing a number of other projects including a scheme to renovate Powis Street and Beresford Square from the Future High Streets fund which is seeing £17.2 million spent.
Click here to view details on that. There’s some great ideas including a new café and event space by the Royal Arsenal Gatehouse which has never been utilised to its full potential since it ceased to be the main Arsenal entrance.
Beresford Square never really worked out after it’s last multimillion upgrade, in contrast to General Gordon Square which has generally proved a popular space.
The idea of an area for night entertainment never panned out.
A new leisure centre is also on the way, and the Woolwich Works creative district is due to open in September, though a council regeneration scrutiny meeting this week appeared to confirm substantial cost increases are likely.
It was budgeted at £32 million though figures as high as £50 million were mentioned. We won’t discover the total increase until late September.
There is also no confirmed plan to return the borough’s archives and Heritage Centre after it was evicted to make way for the creative district.
Greenwich Council have been contacted for comment regarding exactly which unit is planned for the space.
Possibly the Argos now it has vacated and moved?
It’d help if the council told us it was a big unit or a tiny little shop as that’s pretty crucial to any group looking to use the shop.
Overall a nice idea yet it would take much more to get many people to go Woolwich who have ditched it given the image it now has. It’s too dodgy and feels dangerous at times in certain areas. The council also permit people and businesses to get away with things you just don’t see in other areas so they can spend all they want but really need to get a grip.
Woolwich Town Centre is in need a major upgtade. As we are unsure which empty shop unit the event space will be located in. Also will they lay on events for children as well as adults?
I like the idea of Powis street Beresford Square being upgraded I also like the idea of the new cafe and event space at the old the Royal Arsenal Gate House along with an improved market, street lighting etc. As some events canntake place in the evenings.
However, the improvements to Powis Street and Bresford Square will leave Hare Street rather run down and neglected. Hare Street is in urgent need of regeneration with existing buildings and shops refurbished and upgraded to attract new businesses to the area. Woolwich could do with an Aldi Store just for example. As many people are on low to moderate incomes.
Woolwich Town Centre is in need of regeneration as sadly Greenwich Council allowed the town centre to fall in to decline over the last couple of decades. Anti social behaviour around the Town Centre was also allowed to get out of hand and not tackled by the Council or Police.
Allowing Woolwich Town Centre to become a no go area. especially at night and as BoIb rightly says areas of Woolwich can be very dangerous at times.
So although I welcome the regeneration plans for Powis Street and Beresford Square I agree that Hare Street should also be included in the regeneration plans.
But before the regneration of Woolwich starts all the anti social behaviour blighting the area has to be dealt with. Otherwise it will remain a no go area for many people.
They keep saying these stuff and nothing ever gets done!
That old market hall building in front of M&S and Barclays still had nothing done to it!
Sadly blackxino you are right there is often a lot of talk but nothing ever gets done.
Graham is right in what he says however, Woolwich town centre was left to go in decline Woolwich could be a great town centre again with the right investment and management and issues that affect the area like anti social behaviour dealt with properly.
Then Woolwich can also be a great place to visit in the evenings and at weekends again. Rather than the no go area it currently is today.
I also like the idea of an Aldi Store opening in Woolwich Town Centre as many people are on lower to medium incomes or benefits and need to budget to make ends meet. Also Aldi do a great range of products and good value for money prices.
I think an Aldi Store would be a great success in Woolwich and could occupy existing empty shop units or new commercial space in the town centre.
I too also hope Hare Street will be included in the Woolwich Town Centre regeneration scheme.