Woolwich Central: Construction on 15-floor block starts at former Post Office site

Construction is underway twenty years after plans first emerged for a major housing site in Woolwich town centre.

Woolwich Central’s next two phases are set to total 712 homes and follows the first two stages approved 19 years ago years ago which included the carbuncle cup winning Tesco superstore.

Upon completing those two plots – which was part of a bigger project which saw the town’s former council building and Post Office demolished – not much happened.

A temporary green space was established which ended up lasting far longer than expected. Following the first two phases devised in the 2000s Tesco’s property arm Spenhill eventually sold the site in 2015 to Meyer Homes before being sold again in 2024. Now a housing block will rise on that space.

London Square are now developing the site having bought it from Meyer Homes as part of a deal which also includes new homes to the rear of the supermarket. Whilst the new block will sit in front of Tesco when viewed from General Gordon Square and somewhat obscure it, that frontage was never the worst part of the scheme.

The real horror show is to be seen around the side. Dreary and oppressive, it pays almost no regards to the street or buildings opposite.

Piling work started last week beside General Gordon Square bringing the latest addition and following hot on the heels of new leisure centre named Woolwich Waves.

Post Office demolition

An original plan for a taller tower was dropped. A 15-floor block will now rise. Woolwich’s main Post Office was located here in a handsome building until demolition in 2011.

In 2025 revised plans were submitted to reduce commercial space by a third to 1,032sqm with community floorspace down from 247 to 152sqm within the new block. That has yet to be decided.

Two plots

Another plot which will see the greater number of homes at “Woolwich Central” sits behind Tesco and a spot of less prominence in the town centre.

Unlike the other site, this plot wasn’t open to the public on a temporary basis and languished empty for twenty years.

Despite the town centre site, the arrival of the DLR and then the Elizabeth line, progress has been painfully slow under London Square took over.

It’s another one of many sites whereby planning permission wasn’t really the obstacle and nor was transport links. It was private developers failing to build for many, many years.

Much of the site was public land until the 2000s with part of the site including Greenwich Council’s former HQ at Peggy Middleton House.

The council got a new HQ as part of the deal. It wasn’t so good for new housing given how slow private developers then moved.

The above render dates back to 2015.

What’s now set to rise is slightly different but generally the same sort of design. It will total 590 flats across seven buildings up to 16 storeys in height.

Work may complete on both forthcoming plots by 2030 at which time around 25 years would have passed since plans first emerged.