Woolwich town centre development submitted for former school site
Plans have been submitted for a major development in Woolwich town centre on the former site of Woolwich Polytechnic school on MacBean Street.
Revised plans from developer Re:Shape now see mostly student and co-living units across a number of blocks and the retention of a former electricity works.
The former electricity works is now in a sorry state.
As part of the complex it also included a showroom on Powis Street, which is now a JD Sports with the building’s frontage in good condition at upper levels.
Most of the proposed development site has been vacant for 25 years and another site that ideally should have been developed long before now as housing pressures grew.
It’s also yet another site of former or current public land in Woolwich that could has seen glacial progress.
See also Woolwich DLR sites (empty for 15 years and counting), Riverside House (sold around 2019), Greenwich Council’s former HQ at Peggy Middleton House behind the Tesco superstore (vacant for 10+ years) etc etc.
Instead it was sold and presented an eyesore for many years with plans for temporary car parks or car washes over 15 years after the school’s closure. A former plan from L&G was rejected in 2021, no revisions or appeal was made and then the site sold.
Now it could see 918 student rooms and 409 co-living rooms if approved. Both of those tenures see lower Community Infrastructure Levy rates paid to the authority than standard housing per square metre.
Greenwich Council recently revised residential rates – six years later than planned – but didn’t alter student rates and specially set a lower co-living rate in contrast to many other London boroughs.
They also failed to set varying rates for co-living dependent on local context such as whether a site is near to excellent transport links which elevate land vales – such as Woolwich Elizabeth line station as this site is or Greenwich peninsula near North Greenwich tube station.
This was a key error in their 2015 CIL rates which reduced income. It’s a mistake now being repeated with growing this type of residential development which is set to cost the borough and its residents income for improved facilities.
The above image shows the site in current context, though not as it will appear when built. The greenery on the left is already gone with 660 homes at a forthcoming development named Ropeyards from Berkeley Homes recently approved.
Meanwhile Riverside House on the right is to be converted and extended into further student housing. Two further student blocks will be located behind the Premier Inn hotel to the left.
Market Pound
Woolwich market pound close to Beresford Square is also included in plans.
It’s currently used for storage by market traders though many are temporarily moved away from General Gordon Square as part of a revamp.
The market pound area of the development is set for 62 social rent flats. A new market pound site is also proposed.
The below image gives an overview of where each type of tenure would be located.
As with previous plans an area off Powis Street named Murray’s Yard will be opened up to permit a new through-route on foot from both the new development as well as nearby hotel and Royal Arsenal towards Powis Street shops and the DLR.
It’s something I’ve long highlighted as this route will greatly increase footfall to this part of Powis Street and why the issue of excessive street furniture installed under a current revamp now underway could be a cause for concern.
Currently no one gives Murray’s Yard a second look and it’s used for parking as shown above or sees dumped rubbish, but this little stretch will become far busier.
To be fair after initial consultation some street clutter plans were removed but there’s still concerns what is going in will hamper and restrict pedestrian space along what is already a busy shopping street even before many more people begin to access the area via this passage.
This site plan shows a central public space named Electric Square with improved links extending west to MacBean Street.
Block E is the former Electricity Works.
Design and massing
The previous proposal from L&G saw tall towers along Beresford Street and councillors complained they should be set back when it came before the Planning Board.
Revised plans now see the tallest blocks further back from Beresford Street though design and massing leave something to be desired.
Blocks appear lumpen and chunky; not helped by horizontal bands across the facade. There’s no tacked-on balconies at least and it’s not plain boxes.
Plus, the view above won’t even be possible when Ropeyard’s and 660 homes are built.
Development of the site along with many others in the area such as Ropeyards, Riverside House, student blocks and Berkeley towers beside the Thames now completing raises a big question.
Just how long until the low rise Lidl is rebuilt?
Architecturally it’s of little merit and a mixed-use site with housing above a new Lidl wouldn’t be entirety unlikely to see in coming years.
It’s also not within the Woolwich Conservation Zone and there’s not many sites left without plans not aren’t.
Calderwood Street car park is another but Greenwich now look to spend £8 million on extending its life for up to 15 years.
If numerous plots are built out soon it will be surrounded by far taller blocks on either side.
Transport
The site is of course excellently located for transport and a mere stroll from Elizabeth line services alongside Woolwich Arsenal with DLR services as well as Thameslink and Southeastern.
Destinations run from the City via all forms of rail heading to Cannon Street, Liverpool Street, City Thameslink and Bank. There’s also services to Stratford, Greenwich, Lewisham, as well as the West End, Paddington, Heathrow, City Airport, Luton Airport, St Pancras International and many, many more.
It’s that sheer choice that makes such a slow Community Infrastructure Rate so eye opening. Greenwich claimed they couldn’t go for more without evidence of higher rates in the borough. However in the recent past Bromley achieved higher CIL student rates without direct local precedent but based on regional London averages.
Developers have got a steal here with low rates in such a well connected area.
As well as rail numerous bus routes pass the site and in future a dedicated cycle lane. In total 1061 cycle parking spaces are proposed with 1170 long-stay spaces and 49 short-stay spaces.
In future a continuous cycle lane will exist all the way to central London bypassing numerous places of leisure, retail and employment. If there’s one demographic likely to use it, it’s students and there’s plenty of them set to be in this vicinity.
Benefits from this scheme include extra footfall for Woolwich town centre shops and nightlife.
The town has lacked much variation or appeal when it comes to evening entertainment for some years though it’s better than the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Yet it’s still not great, but thousands of new residents should certainly help on that front as well as support improvements to Woolwich’s shops.
As ever Woolwich remains a fascinating place to watch as it continues to change. Let’s just hope the site doesn’t now sit empty for another decade or two.
The full planning application can be viewed here.
Yet more student and co-living accommodation when family homes are really what is needed. I hope this plan is tossed out.
I can’t help but feel these places will become giant HMOs in the near future with self evident crises in housing for councils and the Home Office as homeless people and asylum seekers are being placed in hotels and anywhere they can find it seems clear these blocks are to become the rooms for them. The developer will make hay and the taxpayers pay big bucks to house many people in them. Just you watch. I give it two years until news stories emerge that’s what’s happening to the massive amount of student housing and co-living. Once again a huge money sink for the taxpayer and a boon to private developers.
The timeliness are shocking. Stick a deadline for build start and completion and wack a whopping fine for each week over due as part of any permissions.
Through in a compulsory purchase if vacany for another 12 months. This plan is probably a diversion for doing nothing for another 20 years given construction companies can’t raise the finance and loan costs are sky high.