Renovation of Woolwich town centre gem to finally begin?

Renovation work on a Woolwich town centre building left abandoned for years could finally get underway after plans were recently approved.

The structure on Powis Street saw a number of submissions to convert to an Antic pub with housing on site. None went anywhere.

Antic operated a convoluted business structure and many sites have closed in recent years. They formerly ran the Woolwich Equitable pub in town before closure. It’s now Gulmi restaurant which by all accounts is excellent.

The most recently approved plans for 132-136 Powis Street located beside a wonderful art deco co-op include “construction of second floor rear extension, alterations to existing shopfront, installation of windows to the rear and side elevation, addition of an inset roof balcony, installation of 1 new rooflight, addition of two new entrances to basement at the side to facilitate the construction of four self-contained flats”.

Unfortunately this application includes no details of any occupant for the ground floor when work is complete, though perhaps it won’t be such a tall order in years to come.

West end of town centre

The western end of the town centre has been struggling for many years – decades in fact – but signs of life have emerged in the recent past.

The cinemas at this end of town are long shut as is the old co-op department store. It came close to demolition in the 2000s.

But now there’s more signs of life with both Hare Street and Powis Street having fewer unoccupied buildings. And some popular national retailers such as Primark and Boots always stuck around. Now others have joined such as TK Maxx and Sports Direct.

A food hall operates a few metres away while the former co-op next door was converted into housing. A Travelodge hotel sits over the road in the former HQ of the Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society.

Waterfront leisure centre is also set to see hundreds of homes built on site. Even the Woolwich ferry waiting area may see development as covered yesterday, along with land on the other side of the ferry approach road.

In addition there’s Mortgramit Square plans submitted earlier this year. Add all those and that’s a lot of extra footfall in that end of town offering a brighter future.