How Woolwich square revamp appears a week on: A look around

Last week saw a major upgrade mostly complete as fencing was removed and most of Beresford Square in Woolwich reopened.

Two visits on subsequent days showed  many good aspects but also some concerning issues with – so how is it looking a week on?

Well, pretty good! There was a also a number of features I didn’t cover last week with one being inside the Royal Arsenal Gatehouse.

It’s still not open as planned for people to walk between day and night but looks as good as complete with brick walls installed either side.

When the public are able to head through, the square’s name is immediately visible upon paving in a nice touch.

The fountains weren’t on but when they are operating it’ll be directly ahead in the above image.

Turning around and below the fountain is in the foreground with the Gatehouse behind.

The café pavilion looks as good as complete too.

For some reason I thought the council would be taking this on themselves and operate in a manner seen in other areas, or perhaps via a cooperative.

Earlier this year it was being offered at £15,000 annual rent and that listing has now gone so perhaps the signs are outdated and it’s been taken. There’s no “x business coming soon” signs though.

Busy

The square was again popular with families and children and all rather pleasant in the June sunshine.

However areas around the edge of the square – built as part of the £21 million project – remain eyesores and don’t seem to be cleaned often.

There’s a fair bit of litter around. As covered last week there are measures council’s can push for with businesses to enable better maintenance in town centres which numerous boroughs across the capital now see via BID projects. In total, there’s 73 in London and many more beyond.

Town centres from Brixton to Wood Green have them and close to Woolwich, Bexleyheath and Bromley too.

Greenwich and Lewisham

Yet Greenwich and Lewisham are just two of only a few boroughs in London not to have seen measures which can help in a time of constrained funding.

It’s not a fix-all but a few hundred grand a year to regularly clean the area and put on events has to be worth pursuing.

TfL also have a lot to answer for. Ok, the litter isn’t down to them but the eyesore that is one of three DLR sites has been left as a scruffy wasteland for 16 years and counting and appears to encourage further littering alongside.

This area should have been developed long ago with shops and homes. Instead fencing surrounds areas of dumped rubbish.

Former DLR construction sites now 17 years old and counting fracture the streetscape and impact upon the wider £21 million town centre project. £25 million if including the separate Heritage England fund spent in the town centre.

All that money spent and much good has been done, but TfL’s ongoing failure to develop is really felt.

Bodge jobs

One of the more feeble attempts to “improve” was taken recently with some murals placed on the fencing. Nice as they are, they don’t get close to obscuring the mess behind.

It was also a shame to see a hastily drawn up A4 sign on a cattle trough installed in the square. I mean come on, it’s blindingly obvious.

Generally though the square was looking good and well maintained a week on save for the periphery and it can’t be long now until the fountains and gatehouse are ready – and hopefully the café pavilion too.

After all that they’ll be further works in the area as TfL are to install a cycle lane and alter Beresford Street’s road layout.