Plan to reduce commercial and community space at Woolwich Central development
Plans have been submitted to alter a major Woolwich town centre development which has recently commenced.
After 15 years of inactivity the Woolwich Central development located either side of Tesco has seen movement including the removal of temporary green space.
Now plans are in to alter areas to the rear of the shop including a reduction in commercial space as well as community space.
Commercial space would be cut by a third to 1,032sqm with community floorspace down from 247 to 152sqm. Cycle parking is to be reduced by 41 spaces with Black A seeing “higher density stores using a two-tier system.”
Other changes include “door and window colour has changed from bronze at ground floor and white to upper floors within the consented scheme to ‘anthracite grey’”. Balcony & terrace doors will swing outwardly rather than sliding.
Modest height increases of less than a metre are proposed on a number of blocks.
Site history
Phases one and two of Woolwich Central were built by Tesco’s property company Spenhill before land for Phase 3 and 4 were sold to Meyer Bergman Homes.
Phase 3 is located beside General Gordon Square whilst Phase 4 is behind the shop beside the south circular and along Grand Depot Road.
London Square are now the site developers. Despite it currently taking 15 years even to commence building, building timelines have also been extended from 2 years and 6 months to 3 years and 9 months.
The site was formerly public land and housed Greenwich Council offices at Peggy Middleton House with a Post Office facing General Gordon Square.
Work is now not expected to complete until 2029. Yet another area of former or current public land in Woolwich that’s seen an age for construction to commence and/or complete.
They want £800,000 for a two bed in woolwich. Can this be real? It beggars belief.
I think the council should take a hard line on this and refuse the application on the basis of what they are proposing to charge.
The site was also housed Greenwich University’s student accommodation, back when Love Lane was actually a lane. Ugly, drafty tower block with a hundred+ flats, as well as the communal kitchens on each floor. At the time it stood out like the proverbial sore thumb, at least until Tesco took over. Now more of the same. Still, at least they’re keeping with tradition
And it’s really disappointing to think that councillors happily signed off plans for a sky scraper at the front of Tesco, which will undoubtedly cast a huge shadow over Gordon Square and not mirror the height of other buildings around the square. I suspect this new sky scraper will dominate the square when built!