Greenwich.co.uk

Greenwich news and information

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

Ofsted Praises John Roan School

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John Roan School has been praised in its latest Ofsted inspection. The report describes the impact of the recently appointed head, noting his “good leadership” and that he has been a “driving force for change” in galvanising the staff.

Behaviour in the classrooms is described as “good” and there are apparently few instances of bullying in what is described as a “racially harmonious” environment.  However, the report does say that teaching can vary between “outstanding and inadequate” and the teachers don’t make good enough use of ICT.

Have you noticed improvements at John Roan School? One parent told me, via Twitter, “the place is still a shambles – no reports this term as they as a computer virus”. Please post your thoughts in the coments form below.

The inspection was carried out at the school, in Maze Hill, on March 17th and 18th.  Read the full report here.

National Maritime Musuem Extension Unveiled

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Pictures of the proposed extension to the National Maritime Musuem have been unveiled. Designed by architects, C. F. Møller, the extension will house a large gallery for special exhibitions, as well as a new cafe and restaurant. The designers say that the introduction of a new east-west pedestrian route will bring the NMM into a “seamless integration with Greenwich Park”. Much of the new space will be below ground, and its roof will become a terrace overlooking the park.



The new wing has been made possible with a large donation by shipping magnate, Sammy Ofer, who also stepped in to help with funds for the Cutty Sark.

The Evening Standard has labelled the new wing a “toast rack” but that do you think of the new design?

Hat tip: Londonist

Cycles UK Opens in Creek Road

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New bike shop, Cycles UK, opened for business in Creek Road on Saturday morning. The new branch is intended to be the flagship store for the independent chain, and will stock bikes and accessories from leading brands such as Specialized, Marin, Trek, Wilier and Cube.

The opening was nearly derailed by the recent break-in and theft of eight cycles, but thankfully everything went ahead as scheduled.

On Thursday night, local cyclists were invited down to an “open night” to see what the shop had to offer and enjoy a drink and a chat with the staff. Peter Skelton from Cycles UK tells me that the store’s dedicated women’s cycling area received particular praise from the female cyclists in attendance.

Related Link: Hybrid Bike

Greenwich To Host World Cup Matches?

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Greenwich.co.uk understands that Greenwich is set to play a vital role in England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup. Confidential documents passed to this website show that sporting insiders reckon the predicted boost to the area following the 2012 Olympics will see Greenwich, and Greenwich Park specifically, emerge as one of the country’s leading sports venues.

The idea is still in the speculative stages but we have obtained the confidential image below which planners have had drawn up to show that Greenwich Park could easily fit a stadium the size of Arsenal’s “Emirates” in to it. One insider who is involved in the project told us, “We believe we can build a premier football stadium in Greenwich Park, without harming any of the trees, other than the ones in the way”.

If the plans did go ahead, one suggestion is that Charlton Athletic could relocate to the stadium after the World Cup. An Abu Dhabi based consortium is believed to have offered to finance the building of the stadium if they are granted as 99 year lease on the park by the Royal Parks Agency.

Related link: Save Greenwich Park blog

UPDATE: Ahem… Was anyone fooled??

Man Stabbed To Death in Greenwich Church Street

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A man in his 20s has died after a stabbing in Greenwich Church Street in the early hours of Sunday morning. Police were called to the scene of an incident at just gone 2am where they found a critically injured man. He was taken to hospital but sadly died later from his knife wounds.

A suspect – described as mixed race and about 5ft10 – was seen running down St Alfege Passage towards Roan Street.

Update: The victim of this crime has been named as 25 year old Paul Martin from Blackheath.

Update: Police have arrested two 27 year old men in connection with this incident.

Update 02/04/09: 27 year old Michael Bowden from Bermondsey has been charged with Paul’s murder and put on remand by Greenwich Magistrates.

New Bike Shop Suffers Break In

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Rather depressingly, the new branch of Cycles UK in Creek Road has suffered a break in before it has even opened for business. The store has reported on its dedicated blog that thieves got into the shop last Thursday evening and stole eight bikes.

The bikes stolen were:

  • 2009 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR Comp Medium
  • 2009 Specialized FSR XC Comp Medium
  • 2009 Specialized Stumpjumper HT Expert Carbon 19″
  • 2009 Specialized Langster 56cm
  • 2009 Cube Reaction XT 18″
  • 2009 Wilier La Triestina Mirage Large
  • Mezzo D10
  • Mezzo D9

If you hear of anyone trying to sell these bikes in the area, you might want to let the police know. The robbery hasn’t affected their schedule though and the new shop should be open on April 4th.

Royal Parks Agency Consults on Park Changes

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The Royal Parks Agency recently launched a consultation document which outlines planned changes that will affect Greenwich Park.

The proposals will mainly affect motorists who use the park. The first planned change is that the speed limit in the park should be reduced from 30mph to 20mph. The second planned change is that parking costs be increased “in line with inflation, and maintain comparison with the rates levied by authorities in the surrounding areas”. It is also planned that non-payment charges be raises to mirror the local authority.

If you want to have your say on these changes, read the consultation document in full which has details on how to make your comments.

Council Responds to A2 Business Concerns

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Greenwich Council has reacted to concerns from businesses affected by the continued roadworks on the A2 in Blackheath which are due to carry on until the end of April.

They have written to the Royal Parks Agency to request extended opening hours for drivers through the Greenwich Park, as was suggested in the comments section on Andrew Gilligan’s article about the traffic chaos. Critics may wonder why such arrangements weren’t put in place before the works started.

The council is also encouraging businesses to apply for a temporary reduction in business rates and is reminding them that there are opportunities for free advertising in the council’s Greenwich Time publication.

Council leader Chris Roberts said: “The impact of the closure of the A2 has undoubtedly affected the local community. Business-owners have contacted us about their concerns and we are working closely with them to identify what we can do to reduce the effects of the road closure.”

Lord Coe Responds To Greenwich Critics

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Seb Coe has written an article for the Telegraph in which he attempts to rebut the “myths” propogated by a “vocal minority” concerning the use of Greenwich Park as an Olympic venue.

The Locog chairman says one of the reasons for choosing Greenwich is that the location enables equestrian competitors to feel part of the games and not be detached from the main events as they have often been in previous games although he seems a little less concerned about the sailing teams who will be based in Weymouth.

He acknowledges that there might not be a “bricks and mortar” legacy but asserts that “having the equestrian events at Badminton or Burghley is not necessarily going to put one more child on a horse”.

Responding to claims that the park could be closed for a year, he says that constructions of the arena will begin in the park in April 2012 although critics will point out that he neglects to mention the test event planned for 2011. He refers to local residents as “partners” in the project and says there will be full public consultations as formal planning permission is sought.

Read the article for yourself – do you find Lord Coe’s arguments convincing?