Convoys Wharf: Consultation soon on next phase
Deptford’s forthcoming (and vast) 3,500 home Convoys Wharf development will see consultation on Phase 2 next week.
This stage will include 123 more homes – all of which will be “affordable” though as we know that has a very wide definition these days.
Phase 1 was submitted last summer and consists of 456 homes. It was covered here.
The entire site is vast and formally home to News International. It’s located five minutes walk north of Deptford High Street and currently a mostly-derelict brownfield site with almost half a kilometre of riverside frontage.
As ever with big plots, progress is very slow when in the hand of one developer – and Hutchison asked Boris Johnson to take the planning decision out of Lewisham Council’s hands and approve outline plans almost five years ago as apparently they were so eager to get going. As yet, nothing has been built.
In 2015 when approving outline plans Boris Johnson said:
“We need to build thousands of new homes in the capital and proposals to do that at Convoys Wharf have stalled for far too long. I am pleased that we have been able to work on a scheme that will have enormous social and economic benefits for local people while preserving the heritage aspects of the site.”
Local groups campaigned to save buildings of historic merit and appear to have won that battle (if incorrect do please leave a comment and I will amend).
Transport
TfL have applied for funds to add a second entrance to Surrey Quays station and work on Canada Water bus station which are a couple of miles west – yet finances mean any additional bus routes are unlikely soon and the Jubilee Line upgrade scrapped. TfL will attempt to ring out a couple more services an hour in the peaks using existing trains.
By far the nearest station is actually Deptford just to the south with six trains an hour to London Bridge taking just six minutes. There are no plans to upgrade that station however (which is mostly unstaffed) nor increase train lengths running through. The continual delays to Southeastern’s next franchise is hampering any future planning.
Thameslink use their shorter 8-car trains on the Deptford line rather than 12-car elsewhere.
Blocking TfL taking over the line has also left future planning lacking. They were looking to staff the station from first to last train given vast housing growth in the area. It currently has no barriers nor, as mentioned, staffing for much of the day.
