Major Woolwich retail unit to become jobcentre
One of the largest shop spaces in Woolwich town centre is set to become a Jobcentre.
The large unit at 71-77 Powis Street has been vacant for some time since New Look closed.
Before New Look it was home to Littlewoods and Index
Woolwich already has an existing jobcentre located on Wellington Street. I’m not sure if that is closing. Greenwich Council did state some years ago they sought to purchase that site.
Then again there are now two Jobcentres in Bexleyheath with a second opened in a former Argos store. That’s part of over 190 temporary Jobcentres announced by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Universal Credit claims increased substantially since 2020 and still remain far above pre-pandemic levels.
Wide ranging
The catchment area for the new jobcentre seems large with Lewisham East MP Janet Daby stating claimants from SE12 will be sent there That’s areas such as Lee.
The building is one of the largest commercial spaces yet hardly a looker. It may seem an obvious location for redevelopment long term, but it straddles the railway line between Woolwich Arsenal and Woolwich Dockyard.
If this is a temporary site, any long term future remains unknown.
Many lament Wilko leaving the town after Greenwich Council decided to build a major development including a leisure centre. The New Look site appeared an ideal alternative site but it never came to pass
People living in SE9 and SE12 already attend Woolwich Job Centre since Eltham and Lewisham Job Centres closed which was before Janet Darby time as an MP. That said no local MP’s at the time did anything to save local job Centres from Closure.
When I walked past last week and saw the Jobcentre signage up, my heart sank. Is the whole building becoming a JC? It seems almost too big to be a JC?
Over the past few weeks I saw contractors doing a lot of internal refurbishment and was wondering if they’ve split the building into several units (there are three different entrances)?
Another keystone retail space lost for forever.
Yeah seems a waste we need Wilko’s and more shops alike down in Woolwich a larger fancier Primark, h&m perhaps it even an adventure place like gambardos which closed in Beckenham since the pandemic. Something fun or exciting to draw a run down Woolwich up. The whole place these days looks exhausted.
All that time referbing the building for a job centre. Such disappointment.