The site is just over the other side of the Creek - a collection of grotty old industrial sheds sandwiched between the DLR and Greenwich High Road - when it was in use it provided a quick cut-through for pedestrians between Deptford and Greenwich, but it has been shut off for some years now and serves mainly as a dumping ground for old tyres.
Cathedral Group, the developers behind the ongoing saga of the Deptford Station carriage-ramp redevelopment project, are proposing to build 500 student apartments, 200 residential units and a 125-bed hotel on the site. Unwisely in my opinion they have dubbed it 'the Movement' (because if it turns out to be a pile of poo, it may become renamed the Bowel Movement).
The publication of renderings etc is still some time off - at this stage the developers have been asked to submit an environmental impact assessment (find the document here) for the proposal. Greenwich council's planning department is worried about the possible impact of this 'major development' so close to their sensitive heritage centre.
In the details I've seen so far, nothing higher than 11 stories is mentioned. Without wishing to sound glib (11 stories is after all still pretty high, especially in the context of Greenwich town centre) it's fascinating that only just a stone's throw across the Creek a series of tall buildings (Old Seager Distillery (26 stories) and Convoys Wharf (up to 46 stories) as well as the second phase of the Creekside Village) are being thrown up without a care.
The environmental impact assessment makes a lot of mention of the protected views from various places in Greenwich Park and surrounds, but my attention was focussed more on the transport impact assessment, given the ongoing discussions about proposed changes to traffic flow in Greenwich. The assessment claims that the new development will have no impact on traffic because 'total parking spaces provided will be low' and there is a station nearby. No figures are furnished for the number of parking spaces that will be available - in fact the only mention of transport is that one cycle parking place will be provided for each two student apartments. Perhaps all students share tandems these days.
5 comments:
It is rediculous that they would even consider this and yet ANOTHER low budget hotel...Greenwich High Road, literally about 200 meters away from this proposed site, has just had high rise flats and a Premier Inn built to add to the other collection of cheap hotels already in existence in Greenwich. The fact of the matter is that Greenwich town centre cant expand any larger to cater for the influx of thousands more residents and tourists. This will put a massive strain on the already overcrowded centre/market/shopping facilities. I dont deny the current site looks grotty as it is and I do welcome that they want to do something with it, however, their plans seem extremely lack-luster. More student villages, more cheaply made homes and more low budget hotels. Is nothing built with a bit of pride and consideration anymore~?
To be fair Kat, there's no indication yet what standard of hotel or residential units will be provided, and it is certainly within Greenwich council's power to demand an improved standard if the quality does not meet certain standards. However I agree that the long-term viability of the hotel is questionnable - what will happen after the Olympics have been and gone?
Thanks for posting that up, DD. I was wondering whether this development was going to be put on ice or not.
But how can they write nonsense like this:
''the earliest historical map indicates that the site was developed with industrial properties by 1867'' (2.2.1 on the scoping report)
How can 1867 be the ''earliest historical map'' when this map (http://www.mappalondon.com/london/south-east/greenwich.htm) from 1862 shows that it was still residential - Vansittart Place and Vansittart Terraces. I think they might mean the earliest historical map that shows it as industrial was 1867. Which is a completely different assertion. But I'd like them to back that up with a reference. (I'm lucky enough to still have a view of the observatory, Flamsteed House and the Point from where I live - it gives me a sense of space and greenery - but this Movement thingy will be directly in the way. Bastards, new developments have already taken my view of the Thames away!)
According to the 1871 census, my great great grandfather lived in Norman road with his brother and parents, and it seems he became good friends with the next door neighbour's son who later became his best man. There are also many other families listed along this road, so it was almost certainly still residential 4 years after that 1867 map. Unless I'm reading the streetname in the census records incorrectly. You could always double check that by doing an address lookup on findmypast.co.uk, I guess.
Redevelopment was needed on that side as it was a long time the old industrial sheds were making mess in that area due to their large sizes and old structures.
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