Another major Woolwich development at Macbean Street set for approval
Another major Woolwich town centre development looks set to be approved next week when plans come before Greenwich’s Planning Board.
Councillors will decide on plans for 930 student rooms, 425 co-living room and then and conventional residential comprising 93 affordable homes on former public land which was once home to Woolwich Polytechnic school until closure in 2010.
Since then the land was sold and under private ownership nothing has been built for 15 years – much under the ownership of Legal and General – despite the DLR arriving in 2009 and the Elizabeth line being both under construction and then opening.
Re-Shape are the current owners of the former school site. In recent months a car park has operated on site with no planning permission.
The site also includes public land at Woolwich market pound.
Revenue
Normally posts about new developments and impending planning decisions on this site cover incoming revenue via Section 106 funds and allocation further down the pecking order but something odd sticks out so worth covering a tad more prominently.
The report before the Planning Board on this plan notes how under pressure the NHS is locally with GP surgeries being far oversubscribed yet only a limited Section 106 total is being allocated for healthcare:
“GPs, acute, and mental healthcare services in Royal Greenwich are under significant pressure, with limited space and staffing capacity, and high local population growth, particularly in South East London.
“The PBSA component of the scheme will result in a substantial influx of students, placing additional demand on health infrastructure.”
It then notes there’s 1 GP for every 2,718 patients which is over capacity by 918 patients – and that’s before numerous developments become occupied such as the imminent completion of towers beside the Thames.
Yet apparently the NHS are seeking a reduced Section 106 contribution than would be expected due to “temporary constraints related to the decommissioning of a local practice”.
Health centre closure
The Clover Health Service located in the Woolwich Equitable building closed back in 2023 impacting 5,400 people with the NHS – which did not renew the contract – stating: “We are confident in the capacity of Greenwich GP practices to accommodate the increased number of patients.”
Since closure new homes have been approved or plans emerged. Nearby sees 299 student rooms near completion with another 130 since approved next door. Ropeyards opposite MacBean Street is to start imminently with 660 homes.
Brookhill estate works are now underway. That’s to see 254 homes replace 80. Woolwich barracks looks set to see 2,000 homes in years to come.
Riverside House saw conversion plans with 332 student rooms and 265 hotel rooms submitted in 2024 and since approved.
The 2023 surgery closure enforced by the NHS by not renewing the contract seemed a short-sited decision then – and one that’s become worse since. If that’s now being given as an excuse to gain even less revenue from another substantial Woolwich development then the mistake is compounded.
Allocating limited sums for healthcare isn’t new for Greenwich Council as they often do similar when the NHS requested funds at many prior developments. Greenwich almost always allocate more to their own GLLaB organisation. What’s odd here is that Greenwich planners claim the NHS themselves are requesting limited funds.
In terms of totals, Section 106 allocated to healthcare is just £677,308 while GLLaB will see £720,180.
Town centre spend
Given the amount GLLaB swallow you’d almost expect zero unemployment in Greenwich. They allocate vastly more to it than almost any other borough does to it’s equivalent job service.
The organisation gaining big sums again highlights just how limited forthcoming funding is for town centres that Greenwich have been making a song and dance about in their “Getting Things Done” PR. In Woolwich it’s s low as £108,000 in 2026/27 and 2027/28. The below totals are split between three town centres.
That won’t go far maintaining all the new planters, cleaning the new paving and looking after fountains – which were mostly paid for by central government.
The authority’s PR on “Getting Things Done” likes to portray town centres as benefitting from developer contributions for year-round maintenance but the reality is they’re still very much an afterthought compared to GLLaB when it comes to developer revenue.
Transport
A further major development in the vicinity of Woolwich Elizabeth line station will again raise questions of how wise it was to build with only one station entrance.
Recently plans for towers above the eastern entrance were approved but featuring no second entrance.
Housing totals continue to rise in the town and beyond, with 2,600 homes complete or completing at three sites to the east in Plumstead and West Thamesmead while many more are coming to west Woolwich and Charlton.
Even long standing sites in Woolwich are being increased with housing to the rear of Woolwich’s new leisure centre increasing from 482 to 557 in revised plans approved last week.
A cycle lane is set to head through Woolwich though it’s due to head on a diversionary, slower route through the busy shopping area rather than Woolwich High Street and Beresford Street.
Cycling
Funding for cycling sees (and related works like a new crossing) a S106 allocation of £851,185.
One of the scheme’s biggest improvements is opening up a new through-route from Powis Street to Beresford Street along Murrays Yard.
That also allows a new route from 660 flats at Ropeyards development alongside hundreds of student rooms on Beresford Street seen rising in the above image.
As can be seen below a space named Electric Square sits in the middle of the site.
Since these plans went in a neighbouring plot has seen plans emerge from a separate developer.
That’s the current building housing Poundstretcher. Those plans – submitted in July – can be seen here.
It all makes limited funding derived from the Macbean Street site for healthcare and the NHS appear bizarre, as was the 2023 decision to close a well-placed town centre GP surgery.
Greenwich’s Planning Board will decide on MacBean Street plans next week.
Although newc homes are always welcome. If planning permission is granted how many years will pass before construction finally starts on the site. We have seen planning permission lapsed on many sites over the years and new planning permission needing to be reapplied for again which takes another year or so.
Another 930 student rooms 425 co luving roomsc but just 93 onvential homes which will be affordabl. just makes you wonder jyst how serious Greenwich Council are about the housing crisis which this Labour Council and Government say they are comitted to reducing.
The local health services are at crisis points the area is in desperate need of more GP Surgeries including Wookwich Town Centre to serve new residents moving to the new homes and 100’s of rooms in student accommodation in the Borough. The Borough of Greenwich is in need of a new additional General Hospital to serve the Borough providing about another 1000 hospital beds to meet demand and reduce waits in A%E and time waiting for a bed on a ward to be allocated
The NHS is ar crisic pount tbis winter which is no way the fault on the amazing hard working doctors and nurses. The planned NHS reforms ate not working and existing community services are unable to cope and no new hubs planned for tbe Borough in the foreseeable future.
100% correct in what you say C.
The Government and Council ate not serious at all about reducing the housing crisis. Many of the thousands of student rooms being built over the need for new homes for local people which are affordable. We need new homes for people born and bred and lived in the Borough all their luves.This must be the council’s top priority moving forward when allocatiing homes to people on the housing waiting list or downsizing from a larger property..
With regard to the NHS it is at crisis point and has steadily got worse since July 2024.
They state mlions of extra appointments have neen created but the truth is patients see thus appointments cancelled and rebooted time amd time again. One relative had his operation cancelled 3 times and my niece had a routine appointment she needs for an on goung condition cancelled 5 times and the appointments she should have had in 2025 now scheduled for 2026 if not cancelled again.
So I agree woth C The Borough of Greenwich needs a new additional General Hospital providing an additional 1000 beds and many mote new GP Surgeries around the Borough. The Government’s NHS reforms ate not working and are harming patients. There a no new NHS Hubs planned for the Borough in the foreseeable future and not before the end of the current parliamentary term in 2029.
So we must see major investment in local NHS services in the Borough as soon as possible.
I have to say I agree fully witb the above post and comments made by C anc Graham.
I personally would like to see more affordable homez to rent by local people.
The NHS locally is on its knees and we have seen no improvement since July 2024 when the Labour Government came to power.
We need urgent investigation in thd NHS including more GP Surgeries and a new gully functioning NHS hospital with an A&E Department to cope with an increasing demand of a local growing population and thousands of students moving in to new student accommodation around Woolwich and the Borough.GP Surgeries will probably need to operate full days 6 days a week permanently to create more appointments. As I truly cannot see any new NHS Hubs being built or opened in the next 5 years or so and may be even longer in the Borough of Greenwich.
We need urgent investment in the NHS it meant. Sorry.
I thought the empty sites on the corner of Wellington Street and Thomas Stteer which i believe is part of the Island Centre site was also earmarked for student accommodation?
We need more affordable homes in the Borough as part of anyv new developments.
We also need to see more investment in infrastructure and amenities. I agree the Borough needs a new large General Hospital to take pressure of the QEH.
Frank Divson the then Labour Secretary of State for Health should never had signed of the closure of Greenwich District Hospital after Labour winning the 1997 General Election which sore the GDH clise for good in 2001. Despite Labour fighting the election locallt on th promise they would not close it with their two hospitals in to one will not go slogan. I have never forgotten that even after all these years.
Woth regard CDT’s comment on improving infrastructure. I have just read on london bus routes net website that TFL are planning to reduce the frequency on route 386 Woolwich to Blackheath Village via Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kidbrooke, Shooters Hill Road, Blackheath Royal Standard, East Greenwich and Greenwich Town Centre from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday day tines. Losing one bus an hour from the schedule which is not a high frequency route. On top of the loss of route 472 from January 2026. It is clear Sadiq Khan Labour Mayor For London anf TFL Management Teams are not serious about improving public transport infrastructure. I feel they are setting drivers up to fail witb extra charges being applied to motorists and owners of electrical vehicles..Putting more pressure on existing services despite massive redeveloped in the Borough and an influx of students moving in to thousands of student rooms. This will do nothing to encourage people to walk cycle amd use public transport more. Bus services to the QEH also need to be increased not reduced.
New developments must have improved infrastructure and amenities
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Well said Graham. Local services are at breaking point. We cannot a certain any more cuts to services whether it be transport or the NHS.
We need to see real change in 2026. Local politicians, The Mayof of London and TFL havr took residents for granted for far too long. Motorists have seen cost rise and will see more cost from next year especially to electric vehicles the Government encouraged us to buy. As Graham so highly said new developments need new infrastructure and amenities across the Borough.
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*Cannot accept any more cuts to services