Greenwich development to see big jump in height under new plan

Revised plans have been submitted for the final phase of Greenwich Millennium Village which sees a big jump in building height.

Phase 5 could see an increase from previously agreed totals for a site at the south eastern corner and now reach 20-floors, with the wider plot featuring 258 homes.

A rise in heights is hardly a great surprise with plans for taller buildings nearby at the B&Q site along with a car park outside Ikea.

Plans for 1,250 homes were approved there earlier this year.

Local streets

If approved it’ll become ever more important that vehicle dominated streets surrounding the site are improved on foot. Crossing roads on most arms of the roundabout is poor though the northern section directly beside the tower is a case of run and hope with poor visibility of cars approaching around the corner.

It’s key that a new crossing is provided on the roundabout at Peartree Way, and not one positioned dozens of metres away thus people are expected people to take long diversions when heading east-west. That is not pedestrian-friendly design.

Phase 5 follows phase 4 (funny that) which is currently sees a couple of blocks nearing completion with plans in for a couple more. Those are little different to outline approval.

In recent weeks the first buildings there have begun to emerge from behind sheeting.

Of the new plot, 35% as “affordable homes” comprising 56 social rent homes and 24 intermediate homes.

Transport

This final stage of Greenwich Millennium Village is situated closest of all to parts of east Greenwich including Westcombe Park station which see Southeastern and Thameslink services.

The obvious route from GMV is to walk south and then head via Angerstein roundabout – as grim as it is – and onto Westcombe Hill. This route could have been improved via the meagre amount Greenwich and TfL allocated to the area from Silvertown tunnel funds but wasn’t included in a recent consultation.

One example of how to improve this area relatively cheaply and easily is through removal of a stretch of fencing at one part of the Angerstein roundabout closest to Westcombe Hill, which in turn would open up access rather than people having to use the narrow alternatives with poor sightlines.

The below image is from the opposite angle to that above and shows how residents at forthcoming new homes could reach Westcombe Park via the purple arrow if the entire 1970s wall – outlined in red – is removed.

With it in place, pedestrians need to walk through a narrow alley seen below or walk along the very edge of the road.

This alternative is barely wide enough for a buggy or wheelchair.

Why keep the concrete fence at all blocking the obvious link from one crossing to the bus stop? It serves no purpose now except to hinder people on foot.

These are the kind of improvements Silvertown tunnel mitigation funds should have provided years ago for existing residents.

Now we see yet further homes at Greenwich Millennium Village alongside nearby sites such as 1,251 homes at the B&Q store which brings substantial funds to Greenwich Council, and so there’s little excuse not to improve links from new homes to the nearest station.

Links to shops

A large number of shops are also located a short distance east of Greenwich Millennium Village across Charlton just a few minute’s walk away though a lack of crossings for pedestrians at the northern arm of renders the area vehicle dominated.

Ultimately we’ll see if this is yet another Greenwich peninsula development – and through how resulting Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy income is allocated – which turns its back on improved connections to nearby rail and bus links in east Greenwich alongside connections to retail in east Greenwich and Charlton.

Hopefully not but numerous precedence of ignoring improved links have been seen at various sites over recent years.

Every time I think surely they Greenwich planners won’t ignore it again – and then they do.

Mistakes

They persist with this charade – as do many developers building in the area – that people moving here will only ever travel north and west to the tube and never seek to reach the many shops and services located just a few metres away both to the south and east.

People do and will. What will it take for Greenwich’s planners to stop ignoring those links and focus on improving them? And if that means working with TfL, work with TfL. They’re doing so with the hapless Silvertown mitigation measures consultation at this very moment.

Even if only 10 per cent of newcomers head to use the nearer Southeastern and Thameslink station (which takes 15 mins to reach zone 1) in an area with thousands of new homes, that’s still a sizable amount, and you can bet a fair few more will go to the many, many shops nearby.

Documents covering these altered plans can be seen here.