Woolwich estates could see demolition as part of vast building project
Potential plans to demolish and rebuild large estates in Woolwich are featured within a new Greenwich council planning document now out for consultation.
Estates in Woolwich Dockyard are featured in the council’s draft Local Plan determining future development over the next decade.
Redeveloping further estates isn’t a surprise with the possibility arising recently in a number of council meetings. Last month’s Transport and Place meeting looked at estate regeneration.
Then came the Local Plan which states 1,700 homes are possible. Currently there’s 670 on site.
The area in question covers both sides of Woolwich Church street including post-war estates on either side.
The report states: “The historic assets, particularly the Clockhouse and the Docks, will be preserved and shape the development’s layout”.
Towers beside the river are proposed with shorter buildings inland. “The prevailing roof-parapet height should be midrise, around six storeys. Higher-density, taller blocks should be located along the water’s edge, with strong active frontages to maximise river views”
Buildings closer to Woolwich Dockyard station in the potentially development site include The Greyhound pub and a row of shops on Kingsman Parade.
Previous redevelopments
Greenwich have previously undertaken the “One Woolwich” estate project which saw estates rebuilt just west of here. One of which was the Morris Walk which is currently seeing the first residents move in.
That project was controversial given there was a net reduction of hundreds of social and council homes. It coincided with vastly increasing demand for council housing and as a result of insufficient homes, the council placed ever more households in temporary accommodation via the private sector at vast cost to the authority. That’s a factor in ongoing service cuts.
Losing more council homes at such a time would raise serious questions.
Transport
Currently around 700 homes exist on site with redevelopment totalling 1,700 ensuring a net increase of 1,000 homes. Woolwich Dockyard is the closest station.
Currently Thameslink trains don’t stop at the station and when recently suggesting whether Thameslink is the right fit for the line long-term, skipping stops was one key issue. In order to reach the core section through central London Thameslink services have padding inserted into the timetable avoiding three stops between Slade Green and London Bridge.
Those are all in areas of major planned housing growth: Erith, Belvedere and Woolwich Dockyard. Erith and Belvedere could see 14,000 homes under Bexley Council plans.
Another 1,000 homes adding to further growth near Woolwich Dockyard station such as those seen at the Morris Walk estate rebuild will add to demands for additional services to stop. If Thameslink cannot call then should it be sent to another line without major housing growth along its route?
There’s also the Elizabeth line to consider at Woolwich. Some residents would undoubtedly use it and that single entrance issue isn’t going anywhere.
DLR
Another issue is my old favourite and that’s the Thamesmead DLR plan. Whilst it’s set to see substantial amounts of funding for a tunnel below the Thames and just one station in north Thamesmead (remote from many existing residents in the town) it appears a need for transport to serve the wider area of mass housing along the entire north of Greenwich and Bexley boroughs is being all but overlooked despite proposed housing vastly exceeding that in north Thamesmead.
Events seem to have already overtaken the Thamesmead plan. A DLR extension was originally supposed to go to Dagenham Dock via Barking Riverside. Then that was scrapped. The Thamesmead DLR idea arrived. Trouble is since then Barking Riverside housing totals have near enough doubled to 20k. One single London Overground station is unlikely to suffice.
South of the Thames and housing totals rise year on year in various towns. New projects come thick and fast and covered on this site. But there’s little funds for most of the areas in question as the DLR seems about the extent of it.
The old Greenwich Waterfront transit plan was scrapped and there’s nothing similar on the cards.
Housing totals
An extra 1,000 homes in west Woolwich can be added to the tens of thousands proposed from Erith to Greenwich. The totals are vast and continually rising:
Greenwich peninsula – 25k.
Charlton Riverside – 8k. The dotted line below is designed as public transport route – but no plans for anything new have been revealed
West Woolwich – 2,400 with estate redevelopments. Possibly more if former Siemens site plans progress.
Then there’s a limited £23 million Rapid transit proposed for Woolwich, all of Thamesmead and Abbey Wood with thousands of homes and many nowhere near the single DLR station proposed in north Thamesmead.
To the east there’s 14k in Belvedere and Erith.
Added up and tens of thousands of homes will welcome more than 100,000 residents.
Priority
Many of those homes will require improved and high capacity transport to reach the nearest station whether National Rail, Elizabeth line, DLR and Jubilee line. But there’s next to no plans nor funding to do so aside from the £23 million BRT for a few new bus stops and slightly altered roads as part of a limited scheme set to open 2029. That’s it.
A total of £23m versus a billion for the DLR. It’s completely out of sync in relation to proposed homes served.
Buses alone won’t suffice at the scale of housing proposed. Another 1,000 at Woolwich estate rebuilds adds to an already extensive total.
The DLR to Thamesmead seems ever more flawed by the month factoring in rising housing totals either side of the river and a lack of suitable transport exists for numerous towns of new housing including Dagenham, Barking Riverside, Greenwich, Charlton, the entirety of Thamesmead – and not just one corner served under the DLR – plus areas like Erith and Belvedere.
At what point does the need for better transport for these major growth areas arise? And crucially, when it does will there be anything to spend if the funding’s all gone to the Thamesmead DLR plan.
Click here to view information on consultation covering the Local Plan.
Why demolish an area of high density housing? There’s some low rise estates near Woolwich in Plumstead where it would make more sense to redevelop if increasing overall housing numbers was the goal. Perhaps there’s structural issues but the estate close to the Thames is from the late 1970s. That’s not old at all.
Could it really be because it’s beside the Thames and so they can sell off much of that land to a private developer to capitalise? In return a sprinkling of actually affordable homes would be built. Cynical? Moi!
And better transport for the all the new homes here and nearby in Charlton? Probably another thing we can’t expect this council to bother pushing.
I get the comment on high density, but there’s potential for much greater density, better energy efficiency and improved quality of finish. In terms of efficient, good quality housing 50 years is a lifetime ago (literally). Since the late 1970s, we’ve had 10 prime ministers, £1 is now worth £8, 40 out of the world’s 200 nations have been established, we’ve had the Falklands war, the Berlin wall has been knocked down, and we’ve created the internet. It might be time for some new flats.
The Dockyard is fine as it is and a lot of people would be made homeless if they demolish it,Leave it alone
Instead of selling off the land the council should be building and renting them out . Create a sovereign wealth fund for Greenwich
Tbat is a great suggestion. Ii could work but I wonder if Greenwich Council would be up for a scheme like that. It may mean them thinking outside the box.
They should be doing more what is best for Greenwich and the Boroughs residents and creating new wealth for tbe Borough which can be invested back in to the Borough.
@ CM o totally agree. I think some older estates and houses in the Borough could be refurbished rather than be demolished
With improvements to roofs. windows, doors, boilers, heating systems and safe outside cladding. I tbink the flats on these estates look nice and could be fully refurbished to the highest energy efficiency and safety standards while making the buildings more sustainable.
Gentrification of woolwich rolls on
Wait ahhh minute, knocking down those flats? I wonder why people are not making any noise about this, is it because Brits have become politically numb?
High rise cutain by the riverside and low rise inland is completely the wrong way round. Low rise by the river means mkre flats get a view and riverside walk isn’t hemmed in. Yes Greenwich Council is cash strapped now but these are generational decisions