Woolwich pub now fully demolished: Development lessons for Lewisham?

A Woolwich town centre pub is now fully demolished in advance of development.

Last week I managed to take photos last week of it partially down and hoped to catch the main job.

Of course I missed the full demolition which happened the following day and by the time I could get there, nothing was left of the pub.

Still, the main photo above does show a shop still standing. As well as the pub all the shops here are also meeting the wrecking ball.

Garages further along Vincent Road are now no more

Future housing

When complete a total of 557 new homes will be situated in a number of blocks on what was the pub, shops and a car park as well as homes at the former Troy Court.

I’ve covered what’s on the way a few times, but it takes on an added pertinence given the issue of Lewisham shopping centre’s halted redevelopment.

This site in Woolwich as well as another nearby named Woolwich Central both had fewer numbers of social housing when approved.

At the plot behind Woolwich Waves a net gain of 26 social homes was initially seen. That has now increased to around 164 net new social rent homes following an agreement with Clarion in March 2026.

At Woolwich Central developer London Square partnered with Hyde Housing Association to boost social housing levels following an agreement in August 2026. That will now ensure 190 social homes.

Constructive criticism?

Lewisham’s new Green administration were very vocal about issues with the shopping centre redevelopment but far less was said about working with Landsec to secure grant funding via similar mechanisms as seen in Woolwich to boost social housing totals.

Lewisham shopping centre’s outline plan did see a very small total of social homes at 98 units plus 231 at below market rent for key workers. But it wasn’t inevitable it would stay that low, as seen in Woolwich.

Now not a single social home – let alone any other – will be built. They’ll be no new music venue nor a potential £28 million in Community Infrastructure Levy to Lewisham Council for local services, £11.1 million in Mayoral Community Infrastructure Levy for wider London funding and £5 million in Section 106 revenue.

Campaigners were often silent on how to work to improve the situation. It’s all well and good opposing but there wasn’t much said or heard about how to increase totals, what mechanisms to use, how it was attainable and what lessons to learn from elsewhere.

It’s the definition of throwing the baby out with the bathwater given the whole thing has now halted and a lot of improvements – both real and possible – have been lost.

Let’s see what Lewisham Council and opponents now do now. A wise move may be to try to initiate discussions with private landowner Landsec to seek a partner to obtain grant funding as sites in Woolwich have recently seen.

If more social housing is a big goal as many claim, that’s a logical step.

The same can also be said for Lewisham Council’s own large site at Besson Street in New Cross – where zero social or council homes are proposed.