Meyer Homes’ plans for Woolwich Central development have been approved. The project, located in Woolwich, south-east London narrowly got the support of local councilors despite reservations about the centerpiece tower.
The plan was created by Formation Architects. It will result in the construction of 712 new homes as well as about 2,000 sq meters of community and commercial space. Of the housing, a total of 549 will be offered for private sale. Furthermore, 113 are set for London Affordable Rent, and 50 for shared ownership. The projects would account for 23% of affordable housing, which was disclosed to council members. This is according to unit counts and usable floor space.
Phases three and four of the project were originally proposed by Formation Architects. Both phases would have had 804 residences. Additionally, it included a 27-story mixed-use skyscraper facing Woolwich’s main General Gordon Square. Council members rejected the plan in 2018. They stated that it was excessive growth and would harm the region’s architectural history. In June 2020, a planning inspector upheld the choice, and Robert Jenrick, the housing secretary at the time, concurred.
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Plan for Woolwich Central development
The most recent plans by Formation for the developer Meyer Homes call for a single 15-storey structure to front General Gordon Square as part of phase three and seven blocks south of the Tesco store, ranging in height from 12 to 16 storeys, as part of phase four.
The phase-three tower, according to government heritage adviser Historic England, would significantly alter views of the grade I-listed Royal Brass Foundry in the Woolwich Arsenal Conservation Area as well as the adjoining Woolwich Conservation Area. However, it stated that Greenwich Council should be in charge of weighing such hazards against the plan’s public benefits.
The first two phases of the Woolwich Central development were created by Sheppard Robson. They included a new civic center for Greenwich Council and a new Tesco location with 259 homes.
The 15-storey structure will have an impact on the Woolwich Conservation Area, but planning officials stated it will cause “less than severe harm” and is “at the lower end of the spectrum.” In some perspectives, they continued, the tower also offered “the virtue of hiding the current Tesco building.”
