Woolwich park is no more as work starts on development

A park in Woolwich is no more as preparations begin on 660 new homes.

Maribor Park recently saw fencing surround the space and now there’s no trace of the former green space to be seen.

The site was always intended to be a temporary park located beside Beresford Street in advance of new housing agreed as part of an area-wide masterplan over a decade ago.

However detailed plans coming forward after so long has surprised some after years of inactivity.

The park was a well-maintained patch of greenery for local residents that’ll be missed. Yet once housing is complete on a development Berkeley Homes has branded The Ropeyards, a linear stretch of green will be created running from near Beresford Square to the Thames.

Total green space at “Royal Arsenal Gardens” will be bigger than the former park as an existing car park located behind Premier Inn is incorporated.

In addition a block labelled “plot K1” is to no longer be built.

The Ropeyard will cover plots along Beresford Street with the tallest tower situated closest to the Thames opposite Riverside House and recently built Berkeley Home towers on the former Waterfront leisure centre car park.

Further blocks are proposed opposite the new park as seen below.

Meanwhile uses

This project again raises the issue of “meanwhile” or interim uses for land both planned and approved for forthcoming development.

On the one hand leaving a site vacant for years is a waste and often an eyesore, yet when something is provided be in a park, market or other uses many get used to it and oppose subsequent approved development.

It must be tempting for developers to simply close off sites for years and avoid the headache.

But that raises another issue; extremely long build out rate at many sites. As stated, this area saw outline plans approved 11 years ago. If major plots weren’t built so slowly (during a housing crises to boot) then perhaps the issue would be nullified to an extent.

Slow building

It’s now 30 years since the MOD vacated the Royal Arsenal and more than 20 since housing started to be built on the Arsenal and yet still a number of plots sit unbuilt.

It’s not just Woolwich that’s seen slow build rates. See also Kidbrooke, Greenwich Peninsula, Thamesmead and Convoys Wharf in Deptford to name just some in south east London.

Woolwich itself does have a few examples of meanwhile use aside from the Arsenal. One being a green space outside the Tesco superstore beside General Gordon Square.

Outline plans for a tower have been around for almost 20 years. It’s taken an age for anything to move forward.

A green space has been on site for years.

See also Riverside House over the road from The Ropeyards on Beresford Street. Formerly Greenwich Council-owned, they sold it in recent years with student housing and hotel plans then proposed.

It became art studios as an interim measure while plans drawn up.

It’s also notable how many sites were in public hands and could’ve helped alleviate the ever-growing housing crises in the borough and resultant financial problems now seen.

Tesco’s Superstore and forthcoming plots were built on Greenwich Council’s old Peggy Middleton House site as well as a former Post Office. Riverside House was in Greenwich Council hands until recently sold. The nearby MacBean Street site was a school.

The Arsenal site itself was formerly Ministry of Defence land of course.

All former public land. All sold. Many with meanwhile uses as development moves at a trickle.

As for the former Woolwich Maribor Park site, detailed plans aren’t even approved yet but Berkeley Homes are busy on preparations. Given outline approval exists, approval seems extremely likely.