Woolwich hotel and student housing plan at Riverside House submitted
Plans are in for the conversion of a former office block in Woolwich which would see a hotel with 265 rooms and more than 300 student rooms.
Riverside House in Woolwich was sold by Greenwich Council having been in council use for decades with HMRC also on site.
This latest plans sees the main tower enlarged to 17-floors and homes to student housing. It’s currently 14-floors though the application states when initially proposed in the late 1950s and early 1960s it was taller before reduction to its current height.
As part of conversion plans a low rise link building would be demolished alongside this external staircase.
The building was constructed during between 1962-63.
Greenwich Council recently sold it. The irony of the council selling land for what is proposed as a hotel then having to use hotels for emergency housing at extremely high cost won’t be lost on many.
As part of plans a new path would link to Woolwich High Street.
The application includes a number of interesting images of the building’s history.
I vaguely recall visiting once and heading to the top floor as a child. I think it was when a family member who worked for the council at the time took me up there.
In recent years the building has operated as artist studios.
A number of plans for conversion for residential usage were revealed under Permitted Development though went nowhere.
In terms of current plans for conversion to a hotel and student housing, this was one of the early ideas.
External design evolved into a more rigid, grid-like form seen in this application.
The top floor extension is set-back from the main structure.
The application also includes some excellent 3d renders which give glimpse into other nearby plans.
One such application is 660 homes nearby at the Royal Arsenal which was covered on this site earlier this week.
It does a nice job of showing the scale of change – as well as the failure of Greenwich Council and TfL to utilise resultant S106 and CIL income for improvements in areas such as Woolwich High Street.
Note as well the above image does not include Mortgramit Square’s latest housing plan.
If approved the intention is for student housing to be complete by 2027.
The application can be viewed here.
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My Mum worked on the top floor for an oil company (Bowker and King) We used to go to the top floor as kids during school holidays..vaguely remember looking at the river traffic through binoculars up there.
Including the company’s own small tankers.
This would have been Early 70’s.
Looking across the road it’s now dwarfed by its neighbours.
Millions spent on trying to attract nightlife and culture via Woolwich Works, meanwhile SET within this building has been the only real attraction of good nightlife and arts, attracting people from other boroughs.
I understand the need for more homes, but it can’t always be at the cost of culture… what actually makes this city worth living in for many. A lot of queer events here too, which are an endangered species as is!
What, more student accommodation?
I think Riverside House should be used for new homes including studio apartments, along with 1 2 & 3 bedroom apartments to suit all budgets and local housing allowances.
New commercial space could be created at ground level which could possibly be used for cultural events.
KM I agree. We need more new homes built urgently Since Angeka Rayner has said migrants can apply for social housing a lot sooner than they could do previously under the last Government. The wait for people on the housing waiting list will rise from an average 10 year wait to around 15 or 20 year wait as the housing waiting list will double.
If another hotel is needed in Woolwich. It would be better being built on the site of the old Waterfront Leisure Centre by the river. Alongside new homes with commercial space at ground level for cafes and restaurants. Hare Street leads down towards the Waterfront Leisure Centre and would benefit from improvements currently taking place on Powis Street and Beresford Square
A good location for student housing. Good for diversity in Woolwich centre, Private 1 person in 1 room blocks for student are currently letting a minimum of 1 year at £20,000 which only rich intetnational students will be able to afford
Student accommodation is currently being built further along the road on thr site of the old St Peters Catholic Club on Beresford Street close to Beresford Square.
We need new homes for local people born and raised in the Borough at affordable rents. Let’s also remember new social housing homes being built now are being let at rents closer to market values or local housing allowance which I believe is now something like £1000.00 in some parts of London..Local authorities local housing allowances may vary Borough to Borough. But the priority must be to house local people born and raised in the Borough..They should not be forced out of the Borough and away from family and friends and their support network.