New Woolwich homes on the rise – as recent town upgrades show decline
A long-delayed Woolwich town centre development is finally rising twenty years later than planned – though public space and the town centre upgrade nearby looks ever worse.
The last two phases of Woolwich Central are underway either side of the prior two phases built years ago comprising a Tesco superstore and housing.
After many, many years of talk, submitted plans, approved plans and subsequent inaction – despite new transport links seconds away such as the DLR extension and Elizabeth line – things are finally underway.
To be fair it’s not the current developer’s fault. Tesco did nothing for years (plans go back 20 years) then sold to Meyer Homes who also did nothing for years until developer London Square arrived and actually did what a developer is supposed to do – and develop the site.
Poor public realm
Unfortunately the square outside new homes is looking ever worse.
The water feature at General Gordon Square hasn’t been switched on for about five years and perhaps will never operate again. That was installed around 2011.
For other short-lived wastes of money see also an expensive upgrade of the public space beside the Cutty Sark in Greenwich with another water feature installed at great expense that’s long switched off.
I’ve lost track of public realm upgrades there in Greenwich over the past 15 years.
Recently plans went in for another project with new lighting which stated that not a single light installed in the 2010s upgrade was still working. Installed at high cost and yet not a single bulb was replaced when they failed.
But never fear, another expensive upgrade is underway. I’m sure this time it’ll be different.
Consultants are lapping up the fees.
Poor condition
Back to Woolwich and it’s not just the fountains that have been switched off at General Gordon Square beside new housing blocks and leisure centre but landscaping on the side has disappeared while the grass across the space is all but gone. And that’s not due to drought. It was bare long beforehand.
It appears the council has next to no money to maintain it which begs the question why they keep getting suckered by external consultants into installing projects that require high upkeep.
Woolwich recently saw Beresford Square upgraded and it looks great, but within weeks was already looking iffy around the edges. See also Powis Street.
And it seems clear that any funds to keep the new square upgrade looking half-decent has meant no funds for General Gordon Square. Hence the landscaping has gone and the water feature seemingly switched off for good.
Potential funding
So what’s the answer here?
Well, continually installing overly elaborate public spaces without any maintenance budget is a nonsense if it promptly falls apart. And we’ve seen lots of that in Woolwich over recent decades.
In addition there’s the question of how to look after places? Well, they could try a Business Improvement District.
I can’t see any other way to keep town centres in the borough seeing basic upkeep.
The good news is they are looking at doing so. The sooner the better, as the past couple of decades have shown failure after failure in looking after town centres to the detriment of all. Much of London has had them for decades now.
It’s not a fix-all by any means but at least can help to foster healthy town centres. New leisure centres and externally funded public realm projects mean little if the basics aren’t done thereafter.
Decades of the same
As it is, Woolwich town centre has seen bodged and neglected upgrades in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s.
And now it looks like 2020s project is heading the same way.
At heart ongoing funding and capability within the council is severely lacking, and has been for decades despite massive investment with transport improvements like the DLR extension and Elizabeth line.
Let’s hope for change soon as much new housing can be built, but if the streets and spaces are ever worse, it’s not creating a successful town centre.
No money to upkeep public spaces, but apparently enough spare money to give away free bicycles.
I agtee Michael. Improving public spaces should be a priority over free bicycles.
We need to see morw inveztment in pu lic realm around new developments and across the whole Borough of Greenwich.
Good analysis Murky . Couple of things which also apply outside of the town centres, like Trafalgar road. The streets are never jet washed in areas which desperately need cleaning. Around the bins near food/coffee shops and along riverside walks and especially outside greasy fast food outlets – all the fried stuff. the pocket parks are the same. No money for maintaining those too I guess. As u say, lots for consultants on major projects which are pointless if not kept clean and in workable condition or supplied with plants which need little maintenance or watering. My suggestion, make it a condition of fast food outlets operating licence that they are responsible for clearing litter and cleaning ( not just sweeping ) all areas around their shop. Regular inspection and regular hygiene inspections of their premises paid for by the shops. We know who is causing the filth, suppliers and users. So penalise the suppliers. And start fining litter bugs again too, like other nations do, who make our cities look filthy in comparison.
Re recent upgrades declining, putting lipstick on a piggy, still a piggy… No matter how many pearls the Council cast, still a piggy. We can celebrate new builds and splashy upgrades, but without ongoing funding, cleaning, education thru on the spot fines and basic upkeep, we’re just repeating the same mistakes of the 1980s–2020s. Sad, very….
It’s nice that Woolwich town centre development is finally getting improvements twenty years later than planned. I think it’s a good opportunity for Woolwich town centre to get the improvement it really needs.
It is us who litter where we live and work and shop so how about us not dropping litter in the first place ?
Having said that ,the council has street cleaning teams in all three town centres , Woolwich ,Eltham and Greenwich – with schedules . It would appear looking at the state of both Woolwich and Greenwich that those schedules are a myth .So where are the supervisors and their managers whose job it is to ensure those streets are cleaned regularly ? What does the relevant Cabinet member for street cleaning have to say ? Who is he or she ?
What does the Leader of the Council have to say about the state of our town centres ? Or is he more interested in talking about the bigger stuff ? Fine do that but also do the basics – the stuff that impacts all of us, like clean streets.
The staff resources are there to keep the streets clean .
Maintenance and repair is a separate matter carried out by other staff – so why are they not being held to account ? Is it a case of there being no money for maintenance or is it just a failure of management ? If there really is no money for maintenance then why do the improvements ???
Again this is not rocket science it is basic day to day stuff that seems beyond the ability of our local council to deal with .
Come on, prove us wrong.
You’re totally right, Kathy, seems the council leader loves shouting (not talking) out bigger slogans on expensive social media but doesn’t like getting his hands dirty on the streets. It’s not fun for him, is it! But the idea of ‘people not dropping litter in the first place ‘ is no different from all the other anti-social issues we face. Unless penalties are not just introduced but enforced too, there will always be those who break the rules as they care little about their environment or others. The photo of bird (probably pigeon) guano is so typical; how easy to keep that clean so people can actually sit there and enjoy the upgrades? Even the introduction of new ‘Green’ Councillors here in East Greenwich has had no apparent effect on the streets. Come on Greens, you can do better. Our street has not been swept for weeks, the pocket parks neglected the same, and Trafalgar Road pavements outside the food outlets and around the bins are disgusting. Even the tourist centre now is looking dirty-an area which once was the pride of the borough, but now foreign tourists must go home with a completely different impression of Greenwich. Or maybe they think we are trying to maintain that Dickensian/Victorian image of a working-class industrial area, and perhaps need to have open sewers in the street centres, and start throwing our empty bedpans out of our windows again. The Greens said Labour had it too easy for too long and promised to do better. So please do so!
Actually, not throwing our empty bedpans out of our windows haha; I meant not emptying our bedpans out of the window! But you know what I meant I hope: here in some parts of Greenwich, it probably wouldn’t even be noticed, added to the filthy streets!
Would assume those new Cllrs are raising complaints about the state of the streets in East Greenwich but the street cleaning service is run by the Labour administration and it is their responsibility to answer for the performance of that service.
Hi Kathy, I don’t totally agree with you there. When the now-new councillors from the Greens leafletted residents during electioneering, one of the issues they claimed they would try to help solve was the street cleaning, litter clearing and sweeping. Since the election, we have had no contact or update on whether they have spoken of this to council or progressed in solving the issue, and certainly seen no improvements but a further decline in the areas i visit, including my own. Yes, I do know that it is a ‘legal responsibility’ of Labour as a council to maintain street cleanliness, though how on earth they measure what is acceptable and what isn’t is not made clear. Do u work for the council Kathy, as it seems you are supportive of them, but where do you stand on how good Labour is and has been in the past years on this issue, or do you live in an area which, not being close to shops/fast food outlets/bins etc, is one which is of little concern to you?
We were promised jet washing when the council tax went up.
Gteenwich Council promises a lot to get whar they want. But they rarely get done.
Derek , I do not work for the council or any local authority . I care about the area I live in – Greenwich town centre – so am well aware of the issues around street cleanliness .
I am not particularly supportive of any political party, just wish those in charge did a better job of cleaning up our borough – all parts of it.
Don’t we all Kathy and I’ll continue to plague council with negative comments until we actually start to get clean streets, if we all did it would help, but most don’t appear to care. Sad people.
You can’t increase the number of high density dwellings, have an increase of people and fast food takeaways in an area generating waste, but keep same number and size of the litter bins the same and not expect the street to look dirty and littered.
All too often I see litter bin full so early in the day. Sure, people need to keep a hold of their rubbish and wait until they find an empty bin available (or take it home), but the council need to provide the basics.
Also, local educational campaigns (especially in schools) to help tackle this, anti-social behaviour/crime and civic lessons are needed!
No amount of money spent is going to make a long term benefit if the inhabitants don’t have pride in themselves or the area they live in
True HK, please tell council of your feelings the more the merrier
True HK, please tell council of your feelings the more the merrier