WOOLWICH: Town centre development moves to next stage

11:50am Saturday 13th March 2010 in News

The project costs £6m The project costs £6m

A COUNCIL has unveiled the second phase in the £6m regeneration of a town centre.

So far in Woolwich, pavements have been widened to create more space, trees have been planted and new crossings have been installed.

The next stage of the Government and Transport for London funded project will be further improvements to General Gordon Square and Beresford Square, due to begin next month, with work lasting for a year.

Greenwich and Woolwich MP Nick Raynsford said the improvements would help people “walk around the town centre in safety”.

He said: “It’s already had an impact on the quality of people’s lives.”

Deputy leader of Greenwich Council Cllr Peter Brooks explained that under the square plans, the whole area will become predestrianised and the market will be refurbished with new stalls and overhead lighting.

General Gordon Square will be given new granite benches alongside a new water feature and it will be given a more “open” feel, making it feel safer to walk through.

Cllr Brooks explained: ”It’s an open space which can be used by the community. There’s no reason why we couldn’t have night time activities going on there and schools putting shows on.”

He said this was an important step to regenerate Woolwich, with further plans in progress to redevelop the housing estates Connaught, Morris Walk and Maryon Grove, along the same model as is being used for Kidbrooke’s Ferrier Estate.

He said: “It’s all being built through the recession. We have a viewpoint that we keep building and the recession shouldn’t stop us.”

Earlier this month, the town centre project was awarded for its contribution to the community at the London Civil Engineering Awards, organised by the Institution of Civil Engineers.

It was praised by judges, who said: “Despite the economic downturn a vibrancy had returned to the town”.

Comments(14)

Let's Agree To Differ says...
11:02pm Sat 13 Mar 10

But isn't that exactly the whole point of regeneration? Get rid of the bad stuff and encourage shoppers back.

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New to Woolwich says...
4:30pm Sun 14 Mar 10

Well all I can say is it will be a better place without idiots like the people commenting on this article!!!!
I am 'English/white' and I do go to Woolwich and I actually picked Woolwich as my place to settle in London when I moved here a few years ago and I for one and glad for the time and money that is being spent in the area I live.
Diversity is one of the great things about Woolwich, its not perfect but I can't things of anywhere within London that is!!!!
Some of the comments on here are not appropriate and it shows a real lack of education, maybe the council needs to review some of the schools these people were educated in!!!
White skinheads wearing Doc Martins with Bulldog tatoos springs to mind.

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woolwich_res says...
6:37pm Sun 14 Mar 10

I am also "White British" but have never felt threatened once - I chose to move to Woolwich 3 years ago and it is on the up. I do all my food/general shopping there. Its not perfect, it needs investing in and some love but like "newtowoolwich" says - would rather have it as it is not full of the type of meat head/brain deads who have posted earlier!

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ZippyMcZip says...
7:03pm Sun 14 Mar 10

Having visited Woolwich alot over the years since I was a little kid it was always pretty rough, and to be honest it's worse these days than it ever was.

The thing is you can polish the place up as much as you like, but it doesn't take away the fact that all the horrible people associated with that area will still live there whatever it looks like, which is the main reason it's got such a bad reputation.

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apak24 says...
8:34pm Sun 14 Mar 10

One more thing "White British" means nothing to me as you could classed as British because you live in one of the countries which form Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)

If you are born in England you would be classed as "White English"

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Irwin says...
9:29pm Sun 14 Mar 10

These town regenerations never work. The Councils promise the earth but nothing really changes apart from the Developers and Councils making money at the expense of the residents.

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K1rky says...
11:11am Mon 15 Mar 10

Seems my comment got deleted. The truth really does hurt it doesn't it?. I've lived and worked around Woolwich for the last 15 years, If anyone can tell me how the place has improved in that time then I'd be amazed. The place is sub-let city and I hate working for the ignorant people who reside within it. Residents I speak to says the same and don't have one good thing to say about it. All those saying "It isn't perfect" are holding back from their true dissapointment that they live in a cesspit with no way out. Woolwich is turning into a Ghetto, and that's why I'm moving next month. Tata

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New to Woolwich says...
8:37pm Mon 15 Mar 10

Are you people blind??? And do you actually know what the redevelopment plans are???
I doubt some of the people commenting actually do.
Maybe take a walk down to the Royal Arsenal and see what has been done and look at the plans for the whole of Woolwich.
Or maybe just carrying on getting all the accurate information from a 'market inspector'.
Great links to the O2 and Greenwich great connections to Canary Wharf, The City and Central London, or maybe some of these people don't getany further than Plumstead.

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LNN says...
8:20am Tue 16 Mar 10

There's great links from most of south east london, to get to the O2 and Greenwich, Canary Wharf, The City and Central London, your not encouraging me to move back, was there 22 years ago, it hasn't got any better, regeneration or not..

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New to Woolwich says...
11:02pm Tue 16 Mar 10

LNN Chislehurst, not many areas compare to Chislehurst and neither dothe house prices in most of SE London.
My intention was not to encourage you to move back just merely pointing out the good points of Woolwich and the attempts to improve the area which I am grateful for.
K1rky, it is more than likely a 'White English (not British) person has been claimimg long term benefits and most non-indigenous residents of Woolwich are likely to be in employment or actively seeking employment.
As a 'White English' person I find your comments unwelcome and offensive and there is no place for them in a civilised community.
Lets just hope that you are not in a position of power of any sort as that would be an embarrassment to my culture.

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LNN says...
12:19am Wed 17 Mar 10

New to Woolwich, i quoted you on your comment of easy access into London ect, not where i live now, or house prices..But for the record i worked and still do, very hard to live where i do now and here's why;
I moved out of Woolwich in 1988, I was 7 months pregnant with my daughter, I was approached by a middle aged female off her face on some drug in Powis Street, who pulled out a knife and wanted to cut my unborn child from my stomach, I backed my way into a chemist, where the police were called, that was 22 years ago, I sold up as quick as I could and i've never been back since and i never will.. So sorry for not getting excited on how good Woolwich is and is going to be, im sure it will look very nice once it's done..

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apak24 says...
1:01am Wed 17 Mar 10

New to woolwich, theres an old saying "You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" and thats what they are trying to do with woolwich. It wont work, you can prase all its new features and how much money they are spending on it, but it does not change the people who live there. Drunks, Druggies, Muggers, Beggers and Thugs. Get rid of them and it might change. New To Woolwich, the next time you are in woolwich, ask some of the people who work there what they think of woolwich and you will then get the true picture.

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fernandes938 says...
9:40pm Fri 19 Mar 10

Funny how people get worked up.
If you hate Woolwich so much you can move elsewhere.

There are lots of regeneration like Warren Lane , a 2,517 new homes,
retail uses and restaurants and cafe
drinking establishments, new offices
a hotel , a community health care, nursery, leisure and museum uses
a cinema


Lovelane where Tesco superstore is coming.

Woolwich Triangle, Plans for this project will involve the re-development of the area at the western end of Powis Street in Woolwich Town Centre. This will include: 300,000 square feet of new retail, a 400-lot town centre car park, a 98-bed hotel and 100 homes.

There are better shops now on Powis Street than ever before, with Nando's opening soon.

Crossrail Line

Some people are bad that live in Woolwich and ruin it for everyone.
With these development hopefully the house prices go up and hopefully outprice what people can afford so the bad people can go elsewhere and wealthier people move in.

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BLACKRAT says...
10:31pm Sat 20 Mar 10

apak24 has made some good points.Woolwich used to be amongst the poorer class areas,but the people were generally friendly, helpful and all the othe features that help make a society.
Just a couple of years ago, this same council with it's same leader pontificated that Woolwich would see a better future. This was a result of complaints directed at Powis St. Hare St and the area close to the river. Nothing came from those promises. Instead, perfectly good buildings, council offices etc have been raised to the ground and a fortune is being spent on redevelopment. Upgrading Woolwich with new transport infrastructure will probably bring more visitors to the area, but what sort of visitor. Greenwich council appear to act on behalf of the community, good, so it should. However has anyone else realised, that updating other council property, homes in particular. Only money from central government has been used, hence many homes are falling to a degradable state. Yet LLOK HOW GOOD WE ARE.....look what we are wasting on the town center.

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