No Greenwich streets improvements until 2037 according to new plan
There are no plans to complete street improvements in parts of Greenwich in the midst of development until 2037 according to an application submitted this week.
Greenwich Council and developer Knight Dragon agreed last year not to invest in the area for many years despite major recent changes including the construction of a 1,600-place school and work on other major developments starting this year.
Vehicle dominance in the area dates from the time before major residential and school construction begun, yet despite the growth of population no effort has been made to better connect new housing and services on the Peninsula with housing, shops and services in east Greenwich.
Changes come thick and fast – though not with street layouts. Piling is now underway on a 30-floor tower and other blocks set to bring 500 car-free homes on Millennium Way just 100 metres from roads hostile to those on foot and bike.
The walk between these homes and destinations such as shops, GP surgeries, bus routes and railway stations in east Greenwich is so poor that Google Maps doesn’t even recommended it as an option, instead sending people on a long diversionary route.
The large roundabout that dominates the area lacks crossings in useful areas, meaning a simple walk takes twice as long as need be.
It’s also bizarre Greenwich continue to ignore improved links given it harms their own services and local businesses. The leisure centre in east Greenwich has been struggling to attract members for years now – and long before the pandemic.
You may think making it easier to reach for thousands of new residents would be a priority, especially given they always state such things in report after report.
But no, nothing is done. What could be a 10-minute walk is either risking it and running across roads given a lack of useful crossings or walking twice as far – and even then its still involves crossing an isolated bridge.
Other major developments starting this year include a block further north. It shouldn’t be inconceivable that someone in this car-free plot may want to cycle safely to local shops. Good luck.
Demolition has also taken place for new homes to the south on Blackwall Lane.
It’s also not outlandish to expect pedestrians or cyclists would like the travel to the o2 or North Greenwich station from here on foot or cycle if not for such poor and dated design that Greenwich Counci and TfL show little interest in addressing.
Many sources of revenue from a number of developments could have been pooled for improvements – but never have. And now they state it’ll take until 2037?
There’s major sites in the vicinity such as Morden Wharf and plans for homes on B&Q with 1,100 homes.
To have such vast amounts of development in relative close proximity and do nothing – and intend not to for another 14 years – is quite something.
Oh, and then recently there was news that another 380 homes are planned by Fairview in a spot nearby. Want to guess if Greenwich Council bother to use any income to improve the area?
TfL’s area of management under flyovers is also dismal.
Neither have done much at all to cater for the changing face of the locale.
It’s not long ago that local residents also asked for street improvements a short distance away at the giant roundabout near Greenwich Millennium Village where similar problems exist of a street layout wildly out of tune with how the area now is.
At the meeting Greenwich Highways all but ignored part of the arguments concerning the large roundabout and crossings, instead focusing on an area some way away.
Are they that keen to keep traffic flowing that the interests of residents and schoolchildren can be ignored?
It seems that way time and again – in contradiction to the council’s own stated strategies.
