Vacant TfL sites around Woolwich town centre won’t see development for years to come

Three vacant plots that have sat empty in Woolwich town centre for many years look set to remain eyesores for some time to come.

Despite a housing crises leading to ever more households in temporary accommodation at vast cost, the sites around Woolwich Arsenal DLR station will not see building until the end of this decade according to a recent Transport for London report.

DLR sites in blue.

It’s now more than 15 years since construction on the DLR extension completed around Woolwich and TfL announced a deal for development on former worksites with private company Oakmayne supposed to take the lead on a mixed-use project.

Nothing ever happened. At the time Anthony Bickmore, TfL Head of Property Development, said: ‘This new joint venture will add further impetus by creating much needed sustainable housing stock.’

Woolwich DLR development render from late 2000s of one proposed development above and around station box

Now a start date is mentioned for 2029/30 on the cleared and vacant plots. A full twenty years after the line opened.

It’s a state of affairs that sums up the housing crises.

Woolwich DLR listed with 2029/30 start date in TfL report

Public land beside excellent amenities and transport links sitting vacant since 2009 and counting with no apparent rush – or funds – to build.

Not only has this lack of building exacerbated the housing crises but the failure to build proposed shops and businesses including a hotel in a prime town centre area has hampered jobs and economic growth.

Proposal went nowhere

The three sites are a scar upon the urban fabric of the town centre. If homes, shops and potential hotel had been built, employment would’ve been created alongside greater footfall as new residents and retail units enhanced the area’s retail offering and existing businesses.

Failing to do anything for 15 years – and now five years more delay – is a testament to all that’s wrong with development for many years across the capital and beyond where housing targets have never been met.

One vacant site the first thing visitors see leaving DLR station

TfL’s failure to act when the 2009 agreement went nowhere is a lesson to be learned, and failure to start anytime soon according to the Transport for London report is staggering. This is in the same borough with a chronic housing shortage that has seen homeless households quadruple to more than 2,000 in recent years and is block-booking hotels for families at vast cost.

Opportunities

TfL have recently completed the first 1,000 homes in their Places for London venture with a pipeline of 20,000 over a decade but in the past they’ve pushed for higher totals more as housing problems grow in the city.

Woolwich sites an eyesore

The previous government wasn’t receptive and higher totals than 20k. The recent TfL report states they’ve looked at up to 100 possible sites and TfL in the past believe they could go further.

Whether the new government is more receptive to increasing that 20,000 target remains to be seen. Public land appears to be there to build on – but it’s not happening in many places. All the while costs for temporary housing and households in such accommodation is rising rapidly locally and nationally.

TfL plot in Woolwich town centre. Station box on right

As the Local Government Association pointed out last year the “number of households living in temporary accommodation has risen by 89 per cent over the past decade to 104,000 households at the end of March 2023 – the highest figures since records began in 1998 – costing councils at least £1.74 billion in 2022/23”.

In addition millions are housed in private rentals owing to a lack of secure, social and affordable homes costing many billions more annually. It’s estimated that £70 billion (in addition to rising temporary housing costs) will be spent assisting renters over five years due to extremely high private rent costs. Numbers that vastly exceed what government is spending via the Affordable Homes Programme each year which totals £11.5bn over five years.

Will we see building completions 20 years after DLR extension opened?

The new government’s manifesto made no mention of increasing overall funding via the AHP but mere tinkering within existing funding. The result is likely to cost billions to taxpayers as ever more funds head to private landlords via subsidising expensive rentals and temporary housing providers such as B&Bs and hotels.

Meanwhile public sites like those across Woolwich – after 15 years of inactivity – look set to remain vacant eyesores for more years to come.

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J Smith

I've lived in south east London most of my life growing up in Greenwich borough and working in the area for many years. The site has contributors on occasion and we cover many different topics. Living and working in the area offers an insight into what is happening locally.

    8 thoughts on “Vacant TfL sites around Woolwich town centre won’t see development for years to come

    • How disappointed. Twenty years is shocking, it really beggars belief. The council should have stepped in after five years of inactivity, given them an ultimatum to start or force them to sell to a private developer. The same goes for developers who sit on land and do nothing – forced them to start within a designated timeframe or sell it on.

      Reply
    • The reports lists a Woolwich OSD development to start next year. Is that different? More liz line development?

      Reply
    • So much for Labour Government the Mayor of London banging on about the housing crisis and finding suitable sites including brownfield sites for new housing etc.
      I agree witb Micharl D the Council should havr stepped in after 5 years of in activity on the site. I thought TFL was keen to sell of their unused sites to raise funds for TFL. But this clearly now does not seem the case.
      The island Centre on Wellington Street is another site that has now been left for years and is falling in to a state of disrepair. Which could become new homes for local people. I think the Council should step in here too.

      Reply
    • I totally agree with both Michael D and Graham. Absolutely shocking that TFL are going to leave this sire undeveloped for years rather than selling the site to a developer for much needed new homes with a small commercial space at street level next to the DLR Station.

      Reply
    • Actually, wasn’t there talk of the National Rail station being redeveloped? The smart thing to do, and best use of the site, would be to build one new station entrance serving both the DLR and National Rail, with residential above and retail at street level.

      Reply
    • That would be excellent Michael D and great use of the site. This is what Greenwich Council planning team should push for on this site.

      Reply
    • More new apartments and shops to be built close to Woolwich Arsenal station.

      Reply

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