Proposed express bus to Greenwich: Looking at development underway en route from Thamesmead
With the announcement this past week of a potential Superloop route from Thamesmead to Greenwich running via Woolwich and Charlton, I noted in a previous post that express bus or not, additional bus routes were always going to be needed.
That post didn’t list all the developments now visible along the probable route, but a fair few recent trips on routes 472 and the 180 have shown a substantial now underway.
This post will first look at those already underway – and it’s a sizeable number with ten residential sites seeing workers on site now.
West Thamesmead Gateway
Firstly we see this site near Plumstead station and bus garage now branded as Lombard Square. This is a substantial development and the biggest underway along the route.
A recent increase in total units has taken the total above 1,900 homes.
A brilliant drone video on Youtube (not by me) gives an overview. That whole channel is well worth a subscribe with videos of various areas of London.
Dock 28
A short distance away beside the old Royal Arsenal canal – or Broadwater canal – sits a Fairview homes development of 333 homes.
This development may be a bit cheeky to include but I’ve decided if it can be seen from the bus, it’s in. And here’s it is now poking above Plumstead bus garage as viewed from the 180.
Plumstead college and housing
No sooner are we past those two developments and we see another when heading towards Woolwich.
This is the rebuilding of Greenwich college aka Woolwich college and will see the arrival of a housing and new college buildings. This totals nearly 300 homes.
Woolwich town centre student housing
Passing through Woolwich town centre and demolition work is now ongoing at the former Catholic Club for a student development close to the Elizabeth line station.
Woolwich town centre has numerous other plans, but most have yet to begin.
Berkeley towers
One site that is firmly underway is the final two towers of six beside the Thames as the former Waterfront leisure centre car park.
In time work will see the Waterfront close and built upon – but that’s not for a couple of years at the earliest.
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Morris Walk estate rebuild
This site saw the former 1960s estate demolished. The section to the north is nearing completion with buildings now emerging.
This photo was taken this past week again from a passing bus hence it’s not the best.
Density is doubling with around 300 homes on this stage. The other half of the development across the railway is now well underway and brings more than 400 homes.
This image below was taken from a passing train again this past week. Again not a great photo taken through a window on a passing train.
An overview of massing can be seen below taken from planning documents.
Charlton riverside housing
After many years of delay, work on the 8,000-home Charlton Riverside masterplan site sees its first development proper from Optivo.
It’s not the biggest but a sign of intent, perhaps. A far bigger development nearby at Herringham Road should be underway now or soon.
Bus route 301 is expected to extend from Woolwich to reach the site in years to come.
Greenwich Millennium Village
Past Charlton’s factories, industrial units and retail sheds sees us arrive in Greenwich. Work on two plots at Greenwich Millennium Village has commenced and 203 homes will be built here.
This site took a deeper look at the plots and what’s coming yesterday, and that can be seen here.
L&Q Greenwich towers
A minute later and we’re passing what will be the tallest of any sites mentioned so far at over 30-floors.
This is being developed by L&Q and sits beside St Mary Magdalene school and totals almost 500 homes.
Now of course an express bus may well not stop outside here, or other plots previously mentioned, but it will pick up people at strategic points freeing up capacity for those using all-stopping buses.
Knight Dragon development
Just before we reach North Greenwich station and the terminus of a future express bus sees us pass pretty close to Knight Dragon plots.
It now looks as though a second plot is also underway here now following plot 19.03.
This tower was approved in recent months.
It goes without saying that all the development’s are pretty much car-free so a high reliance on public transport for many.
Future
It almost goes without saying that there are many more plans running along the northern end of Greenwich borough which an express bus would run past.
That includes sites such as Woolwich Exchange which is due to start this year and includes 801 homes. I’m dubious it will, but let’s see.
Other approved sites in Woolwich include Armourers Court opposite Woolwich Exchange.
That Charlton development near the Thames Barrier mentioned earlier in the post has seen a neighbour approved with 200 homes.
Further down the route, Charlton could see 8,000 homes in the Riverside masterplan area (which doesn’t include some neighbouring sites) with the Greenwich Peninsula Masterplan area more than 17,000 homes (and again this doesn’t include many substantial neighbouring developments) and so an express bus alone probably won’t cut it as most are built out.
What transport form will arrive remains to be seen.
Good news that a new bus route is being looked in to as the Botough needs more bus routes to serve new developments and meet a growing demand for a growing local population.
However, we need more stopping bus services which will be of benefit to many more residents along the proposed routes.
I would like to see a new bus route between Thamesmead and Lewisham via Woolwich Charlton and Greenwich as a replacement for the section of the 180 which was lost between Charlton and Lewisham when route 180 re-routed to North Greenwich.
Just need a new high frequency bus route operating between Thamesmead and Lewisham via Woolwich Charlton and Greenwich with buses running about every 6 to 8 minutes peak hours and Monday to Saturday day times and about every 10 minutes evenings and Sundays.
With regular stops so people can get on and off the bus close to where they live with out having to keep changing buses.
I agree the section of route between and Charlton and Lewisham lost when route 180 was diveted to North Greenwich could easily be covered by the new bus route.
If another superloop bus route is needed it should serve the 122 bus route around the South Circular via Plumstead, Woolwich, Academy Road. Westhorne Avenue, Eltham Green, Lee Green, Lewisham, Brockley, Forest Hill, Sydenham and Crystal Palace. This would make more sense.
The suggestion for an X122 bus route following day service on route 122 is an excellent idea.
I agree a new high frequency bus route between North Thamesmead and Greenwich stopping at bus stops along the whole route would benefit more residents as people can catch the bus closer to where they live or work. The new bus route could be routed through new developments if possible and roads allow.
It would be nice to see a bus link restored between Thamesmead and Abbey Wood with Lewisham Town Centre once provided by route 180.
Superloop buses are great ideas as all UK buses stops every 300m making them very slow indeed.
But council and government should build a dlr or extend underground, as all this new builds do not come with improved/wider roads, like it has been seen in Kidbrooke: new 5900 houses but no new roads or dlr/underground meaning the current roads are traffic jam.