Developer pushes for delays on providing new Greenwich bus station and school
Greenwich peninsula is set to see improved public services delayed as the developer of much of the area looks to push back the construction of a new school and bus station.
An application from Knight Dragon seeks to amend prior Section 106 agreements that would ensure a new bus station is built after 3,000 homes complete and instead push that to 6,000 homes.
A letter to Greenwich Council states: “It has been agreed that the trigger should be amended to 6,000 homes following an assessment undertaken by our consultant team and confirmed by TfL.
“The Royal Borough of Greenwich (RBG) Highways team have also confirmed that they agree this amendment.”
While the area is set to see higher levels of traffic from the Silvertown Tunnel, agreeing would mean bus improvements are being put back. We already know that public realm improvements for cyclists and pedestrians are not expected until the of 2030s in some of the worst areas.
Knight Dragon also seek to alter an improved cycle facilities trigger point from 3,000 to 6,000 homes.
Aside from transport the developer wants to delay a two-form entry primary school from 2,500 to 5,000 homes.
That is being put down to low birth rates.
Slow progress
Developer Knight Dragon have owned much land across Greenwich peninsula for more than ten years now as revised masterplans incrementally increased overall homes to the latest level of 17,500 while build-out rates remain low.
Vast amounts of vacant land remain as either car parks or neglected plots of fenced-off land.
What they have done is build a “temporary” double-storey car park then pushed to have it remain for another decade – which was recently approved.
You may remember they revealed a rebuilt transport hub in a blaze of publicity some years ago. That was quietly dropped with no application submitted. A large number of plots have also seen detailed planning applications approved with no building then conducted for many years.
Site history
Greenwich peninsula remains the poster child and a fine an example of how not to redevelop substantial areas of post-industrial London. Large amounts of public funds (a total of £225 million) were spent after the late 1990s by English Partnerships clearing land with an expectation the private sector would build housing.
25 years later and little has been built relative to the size of land despite additional substantial public transport investment such as the Jubilee line extension.
The National Audit Office criticised the process back in the 2000s. Many years later and much needed housing on vacant plots often remains little more than a vague hope, and public service improvements could now be pushed back further.
It’s a snapshot into how the current government’s planning and housing hopes could falter. Extensive public funds spent on land remediation and transport improvements before a private developer who single-handedly owns acres of land builds slowly despite a severe housing demand.
Planning permission isn’t the problem with successive masterplans approved. Reserved matters on various plots have been approved. Very little has actually been built, be it housing or public services. This attempt to change trigger points will make that worse.
