Another look at new Woolwich towers

The first two of five eventual towers to rise at the Waterfront car park site in Woolwich have now topped out. The blocks will bring over 760 flats when complete.

These new blocks are just west of recently completed towers on the Arsenal site – as can be seen above. I took a look in July and progress has been swift.

A gap between recently completed towers and this new pair will see landscaped greenery and fountains installed, alongside a water feature. The green strip will run from near Dial Arch square. The existing Maribor Park will be built over in places:

Work is also underway on changes to the road layout alongside the towers, with a mini-roundabout removed.

There’s very little information in the public domain as to what is coming. Retail units will face onto this stretch and they’ll be far more pedestrians in the area.

This is one of the few images out there though from a separate application regarding cladding changes. It appears a new roundabout will be installed if accurate:

Plans show new greenery including on a mini roundabout – if accurate. If it is, will those areas be maintained? In recent weeks another area greenery on a nearby section of central reservation just to the east was paved over continuing a recent pattern.

Install, ignore, remove. Do the same just west; install, ignore remove. It’s happened three separate times on a mile-long stretch all the way from near Plumstead bus garage:

It appears that a little area by Callis Yard is also going the same way. It’s already strewn with litter – and is quite possibly one of the saddest bits of public realm in the capital:

But don’t fear as plenty of bollards are in place:

Grenwich Council and TfL were due to consult this month on a cycle lane from Greenwich to Woolwich this month, though the forthcoming general election has put that on hold.

In central Woolwich a new lane will likely have to avoid this stretch or end before it. Too many new-builds have been permitted right up to the edge of respective plots ensuring little space for new lanes in places such as along Beresford Street.

That looks set to continue with new development plans recently submitted for approval.

Despite a large plot and a clean slate, no protected cycle lane is included in any render of the completed scheme.

Back to the waterfront towers, and work on the following four towers is yet to commence. With the London property downturn whether Berkeley Homes pushes on remains to be seen.