New Woolwich leisure centre construction sees progress
Work on a new leisure centre in Woolwich town centre continues with external materials now starting to be applied.
Columns facing General Gordon Square now show what will be the predominant external material across the façade.
I have to confess at first – and for some days after – I thought these were protective pieces of wood surrounding columns but on closer inspection that was a mistake.
A better view of what the building will look like can be seen in this render submitted within the planning application.
It’s quite an austere, angular and even severe façade with columns facing the square.
The project hasn’t been mentioned for some months in council meetings so exact details of whether it’s on track either financially or timewise are a bit unclear.
Upon completion it will feature pools, a gym, sports halls, a café and more.
Housing
I also feel duty bound to state that social housing levels are very low at the residential element of this development which has also yet to start despite businesses being evicted such as those running the Bull Tavern pub.
It’s just 10 per cent of the total and if we include those being demolished it’s a net gain of just five per cent (24 homes out of nearly 500). I mention that again as on surrounding hoardings Greenwich Council make a prominent statement of providing social homes.
It’s also worth mentioning as the Shadow Housing Minister and local MP for Woolwich and Greenwich Matt Pennycook last week stated a development including 300 homes for those on the council waiting list (21 per cent of total homes at said development) was not social housing.
Yet his party developing housing on their own site manage far less. With Labour stating in their manifesto they will not spend more on new council or social homes compared to the Conservative’s how do they expect to begin to make a dent in an ever increasing backlog?
The leisure centre is due to open in October 2025 according to trade magazines such as this, when the existing Waterfront centre will be closed and demolished.
Running a site alone takes time and a fair bit of money. Adverts are far from enough to cover it and my living costs as a private renter.
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I can’t help noticing that the heavily used stops outside the site have disappeared.
2 stops became 1 to allow for the site hoarding.
Now there will be none (if the render is accurate).
It looks corporate rather than community focused. Hope it doesn’t prove to be another winner of the Carbuncle Cup, like the wildly inappropriate Tesco.