Woolwich town centre’s major revamp on Powis Street begins

Fencing has been erected and paving dug up as work begins on Woolwich’s main shopping street bringing a multi-million pound revamp.

A few weeks ago Beresford Square was also closed as part of the same project, which is part of a £25 million project mainly funded by government’s Future High Street Fund and Historic England topped up with council cash in a project first announced in 2019.

Work has started at the eastern end of town along Powis Street leaving a limited space for pedestrians either side.

Not much can be done about that. Retailers won’t be too happy mind.

When complete, Powis Street will look a bit like this. Existing trees are remaining though little else.

Extensive landscaping on one side of the street will prohibit outside seating for restaurants or cafes which may hamper attempts to create a stronger evening economy.

Plans for street furniture the other side have been scaled back from initial plans to permit outside seating in future if demand comes forward.

Current seating surrounding trees will be removed and replaced.

Generally it all looks very nice though as highlighted a number of times it’s also high maintenance. Is that wise when funding is limited?

The landscaping and extensive seating also limits usable space when heading down the street.

It’s not the widest street and does get very busy with high levels of footfall particularly at its eastern-most point near the DLR station.

There’s also bespoke street furniture coming and many councils just don’t have a good record of looking after them. Greenwich among them.

Resin-bound gravel is planned around trees. The very same material removed in Abbey Wood and replaced with tarmac within a few short years.

Work currently extends to near the DLR station which is where some market traders have been relocated from Beresford Square.

Others are now in General Gordon Square atop the water feature now covered over.

To the left in the above shot is Murray’s Yard. A barely known let alone used little stretch.

In 10 years it will however be a major through route to thousands of new homes. I’m not entirely sure the designers of this upgrade have realised that looking at the position of street furniture and landscaping limiting paving space. Footfall will massively increase.

The overall project extends down Powis Street but does not cover the western end past the junction of Hare Street, which is also not part of the scheme.

Prior form

We’ve been here before of course. When Abbey Wood’s public realm revamp was revealed surround the new Elizabeth line station, this site and many others highlighted potential issues.

That straddles the Bexley and Greenwich borough boundary. They went ahead and what do you know, within two years much of it looked a mess.

Landscaping wasn’t maintained which is pretty essential in an area of high footfall. Promised trees didn’t arrive. Issues are in area managed by both councils.

Patches of tarmac has been put down instead of prior attractive materials. It goes on.

Similar happened in Eltham in recent years after a £6 million project. The (in)famous £40,000 light sign stopped working.

Street furniture was hit on pedestrianised Passey Place.

The area became a car park due to poor enforcement.

Hopefully I’m wrong about all this and they will do a far better job this time. Hope springs eternal and all that. Early signs aren’t good mind, as work on a small section off Powis Street was undertaken earlier this year.

Within days vehicles were parking day and night and street furniture being scratched.

One of the reasons work needed doing in the first place on Barnard Close was because they’d not properly maintained a previous upgrade.

The same was true at Beresford Square.

On the flipside General Gordon Square has generally been kept in decent condition. Not great, as damaged signs lingered for years and its a bit scruffy but no great patches of tarmac appeared and the flowers weren’t all ripped out.

It’s remained a great public space and an example of what can be achieved.

The big question now is whether after £21 million has been spent, will Powis Street and Beresford Square be looked after?

Get it wrong and it’s the same old story of external consultants paid big money for schemes that look great on paper but do not work long-term in practice.

Woolwich afterall is a litany of projects that never got of the ground (a major civic centre in what is now General Gordon Square in the 1960s) or was built but replaced.

A 1960s pedestrianisation didn’t happen.

By the 1980s pedestrianisation did take place with raised planters installed along Powis Street (similar to forthcoming landscaping seen in this upgrade in some respects) which was removed by the 1990s as it hampered pedestrians walking along the street and needed high upkeep.

Then came the 1990s revamp which is now being replaced.

Oh, and then the late 2000s and early 2010s project also now being replaced on Beresford Square.

Bexleyheath Broadway’s pedestrianised area, for example, which is a competitor to Woolwich saw work in the 1990s and little needed since. Bexley Council did fill in a fountain to save a few quid but the fundamentals have lasted.

Not so much in Woolwich where constant changes, millions spent then poor upkeep are like clockwork. Get it right now though and there’s a lot of good ideas for visitors and residents to enjoy.