Woolwich market traders move to General Gordon Square

The advent of building work on Beresford Square in Woolwich has seen market trader shifted around to Green’s End and General Gordon Square.

Work is now underway at the market’s former home as part of a £20 million project covering the square and Powis Street.

Fruit and veg traders were near the Powis Street DLR entrance. Not a bad spot it seemed given the number of people passing by.

Powis Street itself will see redevelopment starting this month.

A new location around the corner also seems to be going pretty well with plenty of footfall though it has seen one of the town’s better features – the fountains – covered over.

So it appears this view will not be possible for some years to come.

It’s also not an ideal spot in regards to pedestrian access for those with mobility needs given a lack of a flat surface, steps and no ramp in places.

Previous designs

Perhaps the market should always have been located here when changes were implemented in the early 2010s.

It’s not suitable now of course due to the current design and in the long term and traders will move back to one side of Beresford Square upon completion.

It always struck me that both squares were designed by those who had a very different idea from council staff and departments of what they were for and how they would be used.

For example, General Gordon Square sees various stepped heights across the space with patches of grass among seats. It’s more of a space to relax and not hold events given those constraints – but has been regularly used by Greenwich council for events.

That ensured access across the site is tricky when events are on and grassed areas become grubby.

Those events really are better off on a flat, hard standing surface that Beresford Square had.

Work on Beresford Square is set to last into 2025. It will too have a water feature.

Hopefully the other one in Woolwich still works after being covered for two years.