Thamesmead pub the Princess Alice sold to supermarket Lidl

The Princess Alice pub in Thamesmead pub has been sold tby Peabody to Lidl after many years of inaction on site since the site closed.

Peabody sat on the site – like many others across Thamesmead and Abbey Wood – without putting any effort put into either making short-term usage of the long empty plot or establishing long term plans.

It’s a story seen before. They also sat on the Harrow Inn pub site in Abbey Wood for years located a mere stone’s throw from Abbey Wood station before finally selling.

Greenwich Council’s Local Plan foresees mixed-usage at the Princess Alice site in Thamesmead though it’s likely Lidl will embark on their usual copy and paste model of a low-rise store and large parking area regardless of excellent transport links nearby which should enable new homes alongside a new supermarket.

If so, Greenwich Councikl planners need to step up. That’s not good enough.

As for Peabody selling off landit’s a good sign after many years of failure. While politicians and many journalists fall for their PR they’ve been little but a blight on Thamesmead and Abbey Wood since taking over acres of land back in 2012.

Continual failure

They’ve recently missed yet another deadline for south Thamesmead at phase three along Harrown Manorway after evicting residents nearly a decade ago., And yet this is the organisation that is supposed to build new homes near any future DLR Thamesmead extension.

If they aren’t building near Abbey Wood station with far more frequent, faster and accessible trains via the Elizabeth line, Southeastern Metro and Thameslink than the poor DLR plan then it’s a brave person who thinks they do anything near a North Thamesmead DLR station for many, many years to come, if ever.

They don’t even plan to build new homes on phse even seconds from Abbey Wood station until 2038-40. They evicted shopkeeprs and residents from that site adecade ago and to do what? Sit on it for two decades. A disgusting move from Peabody who are, to be frank, beyond contempt.

What we need now is breaking up Peabody’s grip across the area which has left blight across plot after plot for nearly 15 years now.

They can put on a cinema night with politicians gurning into a camera to be put on Instagram but building new homes? Useless.

After many, many years the sooner they get out the better.

Now let’s hope Lidl submit half decent with new homes alongside a new shop, Not another out of town stle retail shed near excellent transport links,