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Greenwich news and information

The news section of Greenwich.co.uk has been paused since 2018. Please enjoy browsing archive news articles below.

Can you help the police identify these people?

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The Metropolitan Police have issued CCTV images of people they wish to speak to in connection with the disorder that occurred last Monday night.

The police would like to talk to this person in connection with the fire at the Great Harry pub in Woolwich.

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This man is sought in connection with criminal damage at the Great Harry.

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The four images below are of people the police wish to speak with regarding attacks on officers and a police car in Woolwich on Monday night.

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The police want the following people to assist with their enquiries into looting and criminal damage in Woolwich town centre.

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Richard Wood, Borough Commander said: “We are appealing to members of the public to help us with our enquiries. Your assistance is vital, please contact us.”

If you have any information on the identity of these people, you are asked to call the police on 0208 284 9449 or CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111. Each image has a reference number to it which can be quoted when calling.

Tug boat capsizes at Greenwich, crew member missing

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A crew member has been reported missing after a tug boat capsized in the Thames at Greenwich this morning.

Emergency services were called at around 11am, with Search and Rescue teams scouring the scene for the missing member from the three man crew.

The tug boat, named the Chieftain, was towing a platform and crane when the incident occurred.

DEVELOPING STORY…

New five star hotel planned in Nelson Road

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A planning application has been submitted to the council for a new boutique hotel in the heart of Greenwich town centre.

The Greenwich Town House Hotel would be a high end 21-suite hotel above Bar du Musée in Nelson Road.

Businessman Frank Dowling is behind the application and tells Greenwich.co.uk he is in “final negotiations” with a specialist boutique hotel operator.

The hotel will occupy the upper floors of 17-21 Nelson Road, a Grade-II listed terrace designed by Joseph Kay. No external structural work is required for the conversion and following a refit, the new hotel could be open as early as February 2012.

Bar du Musée, the first business bought in Greenwich by Dowling, will be incorporated as an upmarket restaurant within the new five star hotel.

But with the landowner, Greenwich Hospital Estate, having permission to build its own 100-bed boutique hotel across the road at Greenwich Market, and following news that a large boutique hotel was recently approved in Catherine Grove, are they worried about about the continued viability of their own scheme?

Edward Dolby, Resources Manager at Greenwich Hospital, tells Greenwich.co.uk that they have “no planning grounds on which to object to this scheme” and they believe there “will be sufficient demand” for their own boutique hotel which is due to completed by the end of 2014.

Greenwich.co.uk understands a firm commitment has already been made by a national equestrian federation to book out the Greenwich Town House Hotel in its entirety during next summer’s Olympics.

Statement from Greenwich Borough Commander

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Greenwich Borough Commander Richard Wood of the Metropolitan Police has issued the following statement;

“The sheer criminal behaviour we witnessed last night in Woolwich and other areas across the borough is utterly unacceptable and I will do everything in my power to ensure that those involved are caught.

Brave police officers from the borough of Greenwich and from other units within the Metropolitan Police have been facing challenging circumstances in one of the worst nights this borough has witnessed in a long time.

I urge everyone in the borough of Greenwich to clear the way for police at night so that we can deal with those criminals who intend to bring disruption to our area. Also, people must not to take matters in their own hands and have to let the police deal with incidents in a law abiding manner.

I ask parents, schools, local leaders and others to stand together and convey the message that the crime and disorder we have witnessed will not be tolerated. I have spoken to many people across the borough today and without exception, they are appalled by the outrageous criminal acts of thuggery that took place.

Many arrests have already been made, but I would ask everyone to work with police and help us to identify those involved so that we can arrest them at the first opportunity.

We continue to work with the Council and other emergency services to ensure that we keep everyone in Greenwich safe. I have toured parts of the borough today with a number of senior partner and we are determined to work together to stop any ongoing criminal activity.

Above all, we remain unfaltering and united in tackling criminals on our streets and look for support from you, the community we serve”.

Anyone with information can ring Police intelligence on 0203 276 0805, or if you have any images or video please email rgviido@gmail.com

Greenwich traders nervous following night of disorder across the borough

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Shops and businesses across Greenwich closed early this afternoon as fears grew of a second night of rioting and looting across south-east London.

While Greenwich remained largely untouched by Monday night’s violence, buildings in Woolwich were destroyed in the riot, while looters ransacked shops there as well as in the Charlton retail parks. There was also serious trouble in Lewisham.

Most retailers on Trafalgar Road had their shutters up by 2pm on police advice, while Greenwich town centre businesses began boarding up their premises after rumours spread of youths gathering in Greenwich Park. Traders in Greenwich Market also packed up early.

While the stories proved unfounded, police guarded the park’s St Marys Gate and the National Maritime Museum was closed to visitors.

Most local pubs were also closed, although in west Greenwich, the Greenwich Union and Richard I re-opened after a short closure.

Despite the worries, central Greenwich remained packed with tourists as usual, with park-goers not deterred by the rumours.

Many shops in Blackheath Village and the Royal Standard also closed early, while the vast majority of Charlton retailers opted to shut their doors too.

The Co-Operative Food on Trafalgar Road had a window smashed on Monday night, while Comet in the Millennium Retail Park was targted by looters.

Further east, sports and electronic shops in Charlton’s Greenwich Shopping Park were ransacked, and PC World and Currys in the Stone Lake Retail Park daubed with graffiti.

However, rumours carried by a local newspaper’s website of a fire at Asda were false, and the supermarket was open for business on Tuesday morning.

Woolwich took the brunt of the violence, though, with the Great Harry pub in Wellington Street destroyed by fire, along with the Wilkinsons store on Woolwich New Road. A police car was also set ablaze.

Smoke still billowed from a branch of Blue Inc on Powis Street into the morning, with the town centre littered with abandoned tags, boxes and shop dummies.

Eyewitness Sharon Bouchere, who runs Roses pub on Hare Street, said: “It was fairly quiet until darkness, and then great big groups of guys came along from either end of the road.

“They started to break into the Cash Converters place further up – 20 or 30 of them started yanking on the shutters until they broke, and started smashing their way in. Then they moved on to the jewellers, there were just maybe 30-40 guys just running in and going back out. Every 15-20 minutes there was another wave of looters. It was just a free-for-all.”

Ms Bouchere said she worried for the future of the already-beleagured district: “These boys are robbing and looting their own areas. Now more people are going to be unemployed and  more businesses will go under because they can’t afford to refurbish their shops. Even losing a day’s trade can have a devastating effect.

“Who would ever want to come to Woolwich, and why would you want to? How can you attract people when it’s like it is?”

Deirdre Moore, who manages the Seventh Sun shop in Hare Street, said she and her husband had to collect the tenant who lives above their shop because of looting at the jewellers next door.

“We turned up this morning and it looks okay, but we can’t open because of  the mess at the jewellers and a lot of shops can’t open at all. We’ll have to see if the police come out and help protect businesses tonight.”

Borough commander Richard Wood said: “The sheer criminal behaviour we witnessed last night in Woolwich and other areas across the borough is utterly unacceptable and I will do everything in my power to ensure that those involved are caught.

“Brave police officers from the borough of Greenwich and from other units within the Metropolitan Police have been facing challenging circumstances in one of the worst nights this borough has witnessed in a long time.

“I urge everyone in the borough of Greenwich to clear the way for police at night so that we can deal with those criminals who intend to bring disruption to our area. Also, people must not to take matters in their own hands and have to let the police deal with incidents in a law abiding manner.”

Police have asked anyone with information to call the Operation Withern investigation team on 020 8345 4142.

Greenwich Council leader Chris Roberts said: “The destruction and looting which I witnessed first-hand in Woolwich town centre last night are criminal acts, no more and no less.

“What happened in Woolwich is clearly part of a wider tale of disruption and criminality but this does not in any way reduce the Council’s determination to act where it can.

“Businesses are determined to rebuild  and Greenwich Council will give them every assistance to get back on their feet.”

Opposition deputy leader Nigel Fletcher said his Conservative colleagues would offer their full support.

“We are extremely grateful to our brave emergency services, who have risked their lives in the face of appalling violence to try and defend our neighbourhoods.”

Reinstatement under way in Greenwich Park

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The reinstatement of Greenwich Park is now under way following last month’s test events for London 2012.

The local media were invited to a briefing and tour last week with officials from London 2012 and Royal Parks.

“We planned it to go well and it is going well. I’m really pleased at the moment,” said Derrick Spurr, Royal Parks’ Project Manager for 2012. “Depending on getting the right weather conditions, I reckon by mid to late September you won’t even know the event has taken place.”

What are the right weather conditions?

“Growing season for us starts to end for grass seed towards the end of October because you’ve got soil temperatures and you’ve got moisture, hopefully, in the autumn.

“After that time, when the soil temperature drops, grass seed won’t germinate so you’re then into turfing which we don’t particularly want to do because you’re introducing  different grasses.

“By using seed, we can select the grass that we want so it matches the rest of the field. The ideal growing conditions are warmth and moisture. If you’ve got those, grass will germinate in ten days to a fortnight.”

The first areas to be treated are on the bandstand field where service buildings were placed for the Cross Country. The temporary green fences should be coming down over the next week, says Spurr.

“As we’re given an area back, we’ve immediate gone in and started doing the repairs. De-compacting the ground, getting some air in to the ground, cultivating and putting down grass seeds”

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“If you went all over the cross country course, you would have great difficulty in finding evidence of sporting activity,” he says.

The most visible evidence of activity is not on the cross country course but down in the flat area, south of the Queen’s House, where a track way was placed around the arena.

Michael Loughnane, Assistant Park Manager for Greenwich Park, said in a statement on Friday, “On 3 and 4 August the track way was removed from the park and following this there was a heavy downpour of rain. We have now aerated the ground that was previously covered by the track way to allow the air in and to increase the draining capacity.

Today [Friday] and on Monday we will prepare the remaining areas of the surface for seeding which will take place early next week. These areas will be protected with temporary green mesh fences to allow the grass to grow. The park will be fully reinstated and we expect the ground to recover within four to six weeks.”

Back at the briefing, the track way is identified by Tim Hadaway, London 2012 Equestrian Competition Manager, as an area where lessons can be learned for next year.

“Because of the short time frames in terms of the venue only being finished just before, a lot of that track way stayed down during the event and it’s fine for vehicles but not the greatest surface when you’ve just got pedestrians, and in the back of house areas where you’ve got the horses, so we actually had to start put coverings over it for the sake of the horses.

“We’ll look much more closely at what of that stays down and what of it comes up during the event. You need to put it down during the build stage to protect the ground but then during the event in certain areas it can come up.”

London 2012 Venue General Manager, Jeremy Edwards, says the test event has been “successful.”

“What we’re doing at present back in the office is looking at lessons learned from here and moving on to 2012 with our planning and just refining a few our techniques”

“It was a test event so certain things needed to be tested. Some you’ll get right and some you may not get right.”

He says there are lots of “bits and pieces” that they will be looking at – for example, there are “different thoughts” around how deconstruction will take place.

One aspect of the test event that did in come for criticism after the showjumping stage of the event was the surface in the area itself with one rider saying it felt like a “pudding”

“There’s going to be some more testing done on the surface throughout the year at other horse shows. There’s also a bit of scientific work that goes on.” says Edwards.

British rider William Fox Pitt said after the event that the descent from one of the jumps was “punishing” for the horse. Would the course designer be taking that on board?

“You need to strike the right balance around any course between using the terrain to create the technical test but still ensuring it’s appropriate for the horses, ” says Hadaway. “I think it was just a comment that that was one of the more taxing parts of the course from the horse’s perspective but no more or less so than you would have other difficult elements in courses around the world.”

“Any of those comments are always seen in a positive light, ” says Jeremy Edwards. “It’s always good for us – whether you’re the course designer or running the catering programme – it’s always good to get constructive feedback.”

Greenwich archaeology dig opens to public

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A new viewing area allows the public to see archaeologists at work in Greenwich during August.

The University of Greenwich has opened up the spectator area whilst the dig takes place on land behind Stockwell Street.

The vantage point, accessed at the northern end of Stockwell Street, between John Humphries House and the neighbouring newsagent, overlooks the foundations to a 19th century former brewery.

Spectators can see the month-long dig taking place Monday to Friday, between 10am and 4pm.

Archaeologists were today retrieving items from an old well, including this piece of a plate (pictured below) which is believed to be from around 1710-1720. Significant finds from the dig will be put on public display, says the University.

Construction of the University’s School of Architecture & Construction and campus library is expected to begin later this year.

Greenwich horse jumps go on show

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Horse jumps designed by Greenwich children have gone on display at Woolwich Town Hall.

School kids from across the borough have come up with ideas for Greenwich themed jumps that will feature in the cross country course in Greenwich Park at next year’s Olympics.

The exhibition of entries will run throughout August, giving members of the public the chance to vote on which designs they like the most. The most popular ideas will then be considered by a judging panel which will include council leader, Chris Roberts, and Lord Coe.

The children behind the successful ideas will work with Ravensbourne architecture students to turn the drawings into workable models before being handed over to the course builders.

Leader of Greenwich Council, Cllr Chris Roberts, said: “We’ve worked hard to get our school children engaged with the Games and it was fantastic to see how inspired they were by the test events. Using that inspiration to design part of an Olympic cross country course is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Millions will be watching the events next year and will see the Greenwich jump designed by our school children.”

Seb Coe, LOCOG Chair, said: ‘I’m delighted that Greenwich schools have embraced this opportunity… I can’t wait to see the jumps in situ next summer’.

O2 Skywalk backed by Greenwich Planning Board

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GREENWICH Council’s Planning Board has backed the O2 Skywalk planning application.

Councillors gave their unanimous support to the development which will create a dramatic new walkway across the top of the iconic dome in North Greenwich.

Similar to the Sydney Harbour Bridge walkway, members of the public will be able to traverse the roof of the O2 in guided groups of thirty.

The “challenging” experience, expected to take about 50 minutes to complete, will be approximately 380m in length and rise to a gradient of 28 degrees.

Mike Davies, a founding partner at the Richard Rogers Partnership and one of the original driving forces behind the dome, has returned to Greenwich to work on the Skywalk.

Wearing his familiar red suit, he told Thursday night’s meeting of the Planning Board that the Skywalk was “exciting” and “meant to be an adventure.”

The dome was “the only structure in London still clean after fourteen years”, he said, and the Skywalk would be a “perfectly handsome addition.”

Those brave enough to tackle the walk may be disappointed to learn they won’t be able to take a photo of their endeavours. Under questioning from councillors, it emerged that no loose items, including cameras, will be allowed on the Skywalk.

The colour of the tensile fabric walkway has not yet been decided but blue has been used in illustrations submitted with the application.

The proposal received written backing from the Greenwich Society and the Greenwich Conservation Group.

Councillor Hayley Fletcher said the project was “incredibly exciting”. All councillors at the meeting of the Planning Board at the town hall in Woolwich voted to support the application.

The Skywalk, first reported on by Greenwich.co.uk last month, will create 30 full time jobs. Discounts for the Skywalk, which has permission to open from 0800 to 2300 each day, will be available for Greenwich Card holders.

Council welcomes Royal Borough status

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COUNCILLORS used a special meeting at the town hall last night to confirm that Greenwich will be known as the Royal Borough of Greenwich from next January.

The designation was conferred upon the borough by the Queen last year and will come into effect on January 3nd 2012.

Councillors voted to support a motion welcoming “that Her Majesty the Queen has announced her intention to confer Royal Borough status on Greenwich as part of her Diamond Jubilee celebrations in 2012.”

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Chris Roberts, paid tribute to the “royal history of patronage” in Greenwich  which has “delivered tremendous legacies in terms of science, the arts and industry.”

He said he knew some would “bleat on about the cost” but added, “this is our history… we should be justly proud of the designation conferred upon us.”

He revealed in his speech that Her Majesty The Queen would be reopening the restored Cutty Sark next year and that the National Maritime Musuem, Royal Observatory and Queen’s House would, although retaining their individual identities, be known as the Royal Museums, Greenwich.

Deputy Leader of the Conservatives, Cllr Nigel Fletcher paid tribute to Cllr Roberts “excellent speech.”

The designation was an important symbol, he said.

“This is the head of state recognising something we in this chamber have always known: that we have in our corner of south east London something very special indeed.

“We are playing our part in passing on that recognition to those who deserve it most: the people we represent, the people who live and work here and who make the borough what it is. This truly is an honour for them.”

Speech by Leader of the Council, Cllr Chris Roberts (abridged)

It does give me great pleasure to move the resolution which will agree to change our name from next January to the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

We will at that time be two years since the announcement of our designation was made.

It does seem seem tonight to spend a few more minutes on what a significant honour this will be for the borough and for all those who live, work and visit here and a time to pause and reflect on what it is we hold in trust as councillors for the future.

It is a royal history, to be sure. A royal history of patronage which has delivered tremendous legacies in terms of science, the arts and industry.

And a place steeped in architecture from Wren,  Hawksmoor,  Inigo Jones through to Roger Foster and [Terry] Farrell.

Mr Mayor, I have no doubt there will be those who bleat on about cost and relevance but this is our history. It is what has made our borough. And we should be justly proud of the designation conferred upon us.

It is very difficult to talk about the royal history of the borough because you could literally spend all night on it and indeed still miss a lot out.

Eltham Palace dates back almost a thousand years. Henry V returned there from Agincourt with his French prisoners.

Henry VIII spent much of his childhood there, as indeed did is own childen, Mary and Elzabeth.

Charlton House was built in the reign of James I, initially to be a school for his son, who died early.

The Royal dockwards in Deptford and Woolwich were founded early in the 16th century by Henry VIII.

That naval tradition was reinforced when Elizabeth I knighted Frances Drake in Deptford after the Golden Hinde’s circumnavigation of 1588. The same sword was used by the present queen to knight Frances Chichester at the Royal Naval College in 1967.

The Royal Arsenal in Woolwich began in 1671 as the government’s main armament factory.

The Royal Regiment of Artillery was founded in Woolwich in 1716 and remained there until 2007 when it was subsequently replaced by the Princess of Wales Regiment.

Our history, therefore, has been defined by Royal presence or patronage.

It is, never-the-less, the centre of Greenwich where most of that royal history is borne out.

Henry V created the manor of Greenwich for his half brother Duke Humphrey of Gloucester and it was Humphrey who took on the NOGOE of the 15th century and enclosed Greenwich Park for hunting – the oldest and first of the Royal Parks.

It was he who began working on the Palace of Placentia which was then turned in to the Tudor palace of Greenwich by Henry VII and subsequently Henry VIII.

Henry VIII and the Tudors based themselves at Greenwich and indeed what might be called the greatest soap opera of English history took place in our borough.

His children, as I said earlier, were born in Greenwich and played at Eltham Palace, and it was at Greenwich, perhaps, where Elizabeth’s council were planning the defence of the country against the threat of the Armada in 1588.

The Stuarts continued this with James I remodelling the manor and commissioning what we now know as the Queen’s house by Inigo Jones, completed in the reign of Charles I for Henrietta Maria.

Charles II began the new palace, what we would now recognise as the Old Royal Naval College.

Charles II also founded the Royal Observatory in 1675-1676, evidence of the Royal patronage of the sciences. It remains today Britain’s oldest scientific structure.

The National Maritime Museum, the Queen’s House and the Royal Observatory will maintain their own distinct identified but they will from January 1st be called, collectively, the Royal Museums Greenwich.

More recently, George VI,  the Queen’s father, in his first public act as King, three weeks before his coronation, opened the National Maritime Museum here in Greenwich accompanied by Queen Elizabeth and indeed the young Princess Elizabeth, the present Queen.

We can go on and on and on.

The Duke of Edinbugh took the title, voluntarily, of Baron Greenwich and they made their first joint visit here in 1948. The Duke received the Freedom of the Borough of Greenwich at that time and has remained in constant touch with Greenwich, as a trustee of the Maritime Museum, and indeed his leadership of the Cutty Sark project both in the 1950s and today.

Moving on and looking forward, we can anticipate next year there will be a exhibition in the National Maritime Museum dedicated to the royal river to mark the Diamond Jubilee and also the 75th anniversary of the opening of the National Maritime Museum.

We also have the Queen here to reopen the Cutty Sark.

In moving this [motion], Mr Mayor, it’s worthwhile, I think,  just touching on the fact that we remain heirs to what is a great royal heritage.

It’s a heritage of science, industry and culture.

We are the heirs to scientists who gazed at and interpreted the stars from Greenwich, to the great navigators and sea farers who set sail from and returned to Greenwich. It is a rich, royal legacy.

In Greenwich we have sought to enhance the World Heritage Site through the Discover Greenwich project, Neptune Court, the Planetarium, the Sammy Ofer Wing, the Olympic Games, the restored Cutty Sark and our expanded use of the river.

How we are viewed for our stewardship will be for those who follow us. How well we have kept the precious heritage that we hold in trust and how well we have developed and improved the borough, cared for and enhanced this amazing place that we will soon call Royal Greenwich.

Audio of the speeches by Cllr Roberts and Cllr Fletcher can be be heard on 853