Woolwich shop redevelopment plan submitted
A proposal to alter shops at Wellington Street in Woolwich has been submitted.
This is a revised plan following an earlier application back in November 2021, as covered here.
Like the previous application which was rejected, this plan includes four retail units but now sees a reduction in housing from nine to five flats.
Revised plans now lack active frontages to the side from Wellington Street to Tesco, with much of the existing building retained meaning a large blank wall.
Though anything would be better than what it’s like now –
One reason for rejection by the authority then on appeal was proposed height at four floors, though Greenwich have now approved a 15-floor block.
Their own HQ is next door and comfortably taller.
The new plan shows a building that almost too small and squat surrounded on all sides by taller buildings. Even the post-war HSBC next door is a floor higher.
The rejection stated: “it would be a very prominent and incongruous element in views from the nearby open space to the rear”, though of course that open space is going.
What is now proposed looks decent enough though and it’s good to see the frontage restored, which is currently in a very poor condition.
Two retail units are located to the rear facing onto Love Lane –
When the new block is built here, Love Lane will become something akin to a lane once more.
As mentioned in the article, I really didn’t see what was so contentious about the first plans
May be they shouldn’t have let the Churches have the two biggest cinemas we had and then knock one down to make way for housing. We do need housing stock, but when there are so many flats empty, clean them up and let them out. Woolwich and Plumstead shops are a eye sore and always will be. The fronts look like open market stalls,taking up walking space. Clean up the shops and people will come. STOP pouring money into lost causes.