Cutty Sark Gardens in Greenwich to see further funding
Cutty Sark Gardens will receive further funding as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund following earlier proposals.
Further details state Greenwich Council will recieve £1,037,745 from the Greater London Authority pot of £62,981,782, with £692,923 for capital projects in Greenwich according to a new council report. Of that £150,000 goes towards Cutty Sark Gardens.
It may seem a tad odd that such as area should see money from a “shared prosperity” fund so shortly after many millions were spent on the area.
However you may remember that previous upgrade was a cock-up from the start with a water feature installed that was supposed to replicate the tides yet was permanently switched off not long after completion.
Landscaping went from wildflowers to patches of grass. Let’s hope the new Woolwich water feature at Beresford Square fares better.
Not that all of Cutty Sark Gardens’ revamp was bad with lots to enjoy, but it does seem to continually swallow scarce funding.
Foot tunnel
It was around the same time foot tunnel works was undertaken as part of a separate project, which was also the site of many subsequent issues with new lifts being one of the prime examples.
This new Cutty Sark Gardens’ project is due to install lights around the foot tunnel building after all previously installed lights in the previous upgrade broke and were not fixed.
New funds will also go towards ensuring “a low maintenance approach”. Clearly issues of maintenance are evident which makes extensive landscaping at Woolwich’s current revamp a bit odd.
Much like the problematic Cutty Sark Garden’s revamp in the 2010s, Beresford Square in Woolwich’s current changes follow a flawed multi-million 2010s project.
Shared Prosperity Fund
Given the term “shared prosperity” one may assume this money will benefit some of the more run-down areas and at first glance it looked like another opportunity to improve some dismal areas such as links between east Greenwich and Greenwich peninsula.
Perhaps it could be added to the many millions in unspent Section 106 and now Community infrastructure Levy revenue from new development?
Well, no.
That’s despite improvements to those links seemingly being a ideal fit to aims of the fund which include “Communities and Place” and “Supporting Local Business” and would conform to increasing active travel.
After all, if it was made more attractive to walk and/or cycle from thousands of new homes on the peninsula to east Greenwich shops many along Woolwich Road and Trafalgar Road would benefit. It’d also help Greenwich own leisure centre and library.
Transport links
In addition reaching Thameslink and Southeastern rail services at stations such as Maze Hill and Westcombe Park would be easier.
On the flipside people from east Greenwich and beyond may be tempted to cycle to north Greenwich tube station or use the much-mocked cycle shuttle through the Silvertown tunnel. Sadly its not to be – yet again.
No matter how many homes are built, how much revenue they bring, how much other grant funding is on offer or giant projects like Silvertown tunnel built those pitiful connections look like remaining making a mockery of every council “healthy living” and “carbon reduction” plan drawn up.
It’s the same story tonight as yet another Section 106 agreement resulting from hundreds of student rooms in Greenwich which look set to be approved. Just £40k is to be allocated for street improvements. Hundreds of thousands again go to the council’s GLLaB organisation.
Other funding
Other allocations focus on cleaning equipment and town centres, markets and £100k for the Thames Path.
The Thames Path sort of sums up Greenwich’s outlook. It’s a great resource but they seem to think it’s all that exists in parts of the borough and Greenwich peninsula sums it up well.
They appear to believe no one would ever want to approach places like the o2 or the peninsula’s park from south of the flyover. The cycle shuttle is another clear example.
They also seem to think no one living on the peninsula would ever want to visit amenities and shops in Charlton or east Greenwich. It’s evident time and again in planning documents and reports. God-awful street design backs that up.
Supporting business
There’s also £191,000 for “Supporting Local Business”. Not by making it easier to reach many places from areas of growth, mind.
I can already imagine the same set of select groups who seem to benefit time and again from these types of funds. Some are great. Some are rather odd and close to certain individuals.
Let’s see if they again get a lot of public money for doing relatively little.
Well this authority have always cared more for tourists than their own residents.
I fully understand tourism supports many jobs and needs funding but is this really the place most in need in the town let alone the borough? Reading above it seems its only happening anyway due to their own recent mistakes.
I still dont understand why it’s going to take a year to sort out the escalators in the Cutty Sark DLR. station.
.
What does GLLaB actually do to justify the vast amounts of developer money it hoovers up? Money that could be much better spent improving infrastructure throughout Greenwich. Very difficult to see any tangible results which is always suspicious.
They better increase policing in that area before anything else, as it’s increasingly become a hub of phone theft…
And totally agree with everything said in this article about the need for improving the connection between the Peninsula and East Greenwich and making much better use of the Thames Path. There is so much that can be done in that area at relatively low budgets, instead of re-doing the touristy areas over and over again!