A Royal Greenwich dumping ground: Proposed Greenwich hotel site left an eyesore
The proposed site of a Travelodge hotel tower in Greenwich is now a dumping ground following years of inaction from a developer.
Plans went through a couple of times approving a hotel with revisions made along the way but like many other projects across the peninsula it has gone nowhere.
Mozano secured approval in 2021. Demolition was undertaken a couple of years ago then it all ground to a halt. They were previously told to halt building having not paid CIL to Greenwich Council.
This was one of the earlier plans dating back eight years to 2018.
In the recent past the site has become a dumping ground adding to the allure of walking between east Greenwich and the peninsula.
Action
Greenwich Council could taken action but given they leave public realm and streets here in an utter state I’m not sure they have the moral high ground.
This is a route tourists take in the so-called Royal Borough to reach the o2 from hotels in other parts of Greenwich, or in the other direction head to reach the World Heritage Zone.
It’s all been grotty for years and aside from a bit of PR from TfL and Greenwich Council is often ignored.
You can tell it’s never cleaned or maintained by the state of what’s around. In spring there were tons of leaves from autumn six months back. Some of the litter looks like its been there a decade given the labels.
It all screams no basic maintenance of this route linking thousands of homes – both existing and new.
So with that in mind, a private plot here being a dumping ground is rather fitting and in keeping with how the “Royal” borough maintain the area.
Earlier I asked a question to the current Greenwich Labour councilor and Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Sustainability and Transport about this area.
Let’s see if he responds and can enact any improvements here where his predecessors have failed for many years. There’s no shortage of funds from many, many developments to do so – if the council had any desire to do so.
Or will their many, many words and reports on encouraging active travel once again to be proven hollow?
Or if plans for a new hotel aren’t going to happen then the only alternative option would be is to build more new apartments.
Greenwich Council has made a lot of noise these past few months about “getting things done ” – cleaning up flytipping, for example . Yet this eyesore remains. Cleaning up the site does not require a meeting or a document to be written – it just needs a manager or supervisor to organise a team to go down there and clean up the site.
@Kathy: ‘Cleaning up the site does not require a meeting or a document to be written – it just needs a manager or supervisor to organise a team to go down there and clean up the site.’ This is private land and the owner should be made responsible for clearing the site and securing the boundaries. Of course, Greenwich is not going to issue an enforcement notice and even if the council decided to do the clean-up and charge the owner, chances are it wouldn’t pay since, as J Smith said above, it didn’t pay the community infrastructure levy which is why development was halted. The owner can continue to sit on this piece of land for years with no consequences.
Why won’t the Council issue an Enforcement Notice if it has the powers to do so ?
Appreciate the owner may still do nothing and the council would then be faced with clearing up the site at public expense . But wouldn’t cleaning up the site be in the public interest ?
@Kathy: ‘Why won’t the Council issue an Enforcement Notice if it has the powers to do so ?’ You are talking about Greenwich council here, but IF it decided to go ahead and take charge of the clean up – unlikely – there would also need to be put in place robust measures to stop a re-occurrence. Don’t see this happening.
Yes I agree re the Council’s reluctance to use its Enforcement powers but the powers are there and it is the role of Cllrs to instruct their officers to use such powers where it is clearly desirable . Those powers allow the Council to seek the cost of cleaning up the site from the owners and those costs should be pursued. That would send a message to other owners who allow their sites to deteriorate.
Yes the site would need to be secured and that is also the responsibility of the owner.
I repeat the council’s big message pre Christmas was we are” getting things done” – well just do it Greenwich Council.
Need some political leadership here.
Kathy is correct in what she says. It is not rocket science to arrange a team to go and clear the site.
Sadly this is what happens when sites earmarked for development sit empty and undeveloped for years.
We must do more to tackle fly tipping and desl with those responsible for fly tipping which blights areas and are a eyesore.
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I do agtee with the above post. Kathy makes some very valid points. As does anonymous and CDT.
If a new hotel is not to be built than hand the land over to a new developer to build new apartments providing much needed new homes for local people.
Why new ahrsin all the time. All yourn want is ahrsin. I like ow edgy it looks rahnd there. I’d plant loss of trees n greenery cos thass all it needs n all.
a2c : you okay, hun?