Plans for holiday flats in Woolwich Equitable building approved

Plans to incorporate holiday flats on upper floors of the Woolwich Equitable building have been approved.

The plan was for “change of use of 3rd and 4th floors from offices (Use Class B1) to 9-self contained holiday lets”.

Office use seemed optimistic. For many years attempts to entice business to use office space in Woolwich havn’t really worked.

Woolwich Equitable building after recent spruce up

My last post looked at plans in the 1960s and 1970s to create offices in Woolwich to rival areas such as Croydon. Major projects were lined up that saw large areas of Woolwich bulldozed. One such plan was for the area directly opposite Woolwich Equitable that is now General Gordon Square. Office blocks were planned alongside shops, a civic centre and library.

Post war plans beside Equitable House

Maritime House – then called Churchill House – was another attempt to create a major office location away from central London.

Maritime House above shops was originally designed as an office block

They all pretty much failed – and attempts for far smaller office space provision have also met with limited success.

Long running battle

Numerous plans for the upper floors of Equitable House have been rebuffed over the years.

Approval was given for flats in 2015. Short term lets were then blocked.

The application also states that the third floor was in unauthorised D1 use. D1 usage is clinics, health centres, crèches, day nurseries, day centres, schools or places of worship.

D1 classification usage was eliminated on 1st September 2020.

Whether they will have much luck with holiday lets remains to be seen.

 

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I've lived in south east London most of my life growing up in Greenwich borough and working in the area for many years. The site has contributors on occasion and we cover many different topics. Living and working in the area offers an insight into what is happening locally.

12 thoughts on “Plans for holiday flats in Woolwich Equitable building approved

    • I was just thinking exact same thing.

      Reply
  • Agreed who would want to holiday in Woolwich. We have new Hotels being built or planned in the Borough.

    Flats would be a much better use of the old Equitable Building over looking General Gordon Square.

    Greenwich Council should be looking more at the long term use of the building.

    Reply
  • Permanent flats would be far better than holiday flats at Equitable Hose.

    They could be let out at local affordable rents to Key Workers or the many construction workers working on the new developmebts in and around Woolwich and Charlton.

    This would secure rents for sometime to come.

    Reply
    • ‘Permanent flats would be far better than holiday flats at Equitable Hose.

      They could be let out at local affordable rents to Key Workers …’

      You hopeless Utopian dreamer.

      Reply
  • Who the hell wants holiday flats in Woolwich no one !! What the hell was Greenwich Council planners thinking of.granting this application.

    CDT was only making a suggestion for a very worth while group of people which we would could not have done with out during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    anonymous201481 your dream is to convert empty shops on Woolwich main shopping streets in to housing that is not going to happen either.

    Well done CDT for thinking of others and not just yourself.

    Reply
    • You didn’t understand my reference, so the point is entirely lost on you. And yes, I do think that converting shop units that have stood empty for years into accommodation is the way to go. The phones4u unit has stood empty ever since the company collapsed and nobody wants to take over the unit. Perhaps you would prefer to see a high street peppered with empty shops.

      Reply
  • Well said Graham !! I agree with CDT letting the flats to Key Workers or even the many construction workers working in the area. It will provide the owner with steady rental income each month.

    We do not want holiday flats in the Woolwich Equitable building we need homes and at affordable rents. Rents are far too high in the Borough and out of the reach of many working people who cannot claim housing benefit.

    Reply
  • No not all anoymous201481.

    I have actively written to Greenwich Council, local MP’s Shopping Centre Managers and several businesses about encouraging more retailers to come to the Borough and our High Streets several times.

    I also fully support mixed retail/housing developments.with retail premises on the ground level and flats above and think this could be the way forward for our High Streets.

    I am also very proud of the Borough I have lived in all my life. So make no apologises.

    Reply
    • Which retailers are going to be attracted to Woolwich? Even value retailer Card factory upped and left. The shops in Woolwich suit the working class and ethnic demographic. Those living behind the wall are happy to take their spending power elsewhere.

      Reply
  • That is very true anonymous201481 I do agree with you.

    However, we need to do whatever we can to try and stop this great Borough of ours from going in to even further decline as it has been allowed to do for so many years now.

    Reply
  • @ Graham. Something has to be done to try and save Woolwich and help with the areas regeneration,

    Greenwich Council have allowed the area to fall in to a state of decline and neglect over the last forty years or so. While failing to tackle the anti social behaviour that has ruined the area for years making it a no go area for many. people. .

    Reply

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