Greenwich.co.uk

Greenwich news and information

You are here: Greenwich / News

Greenwich Market public inquiry set to begin

By

An independent planning inquiry into the redevelopment of Greenwich Market will begin tomorrow (Tuesday).

The plan to revamp the market and build a 100-bedroom hotel was first rejected by Greenwich Council last year, and they reaffirmed their opposition just last week.

Owners of the market, Greenwich Hospital, have appealed that decision the independent Planning Inspectorate will be conducting an inquiry before making a recommendation on the market’s fate to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

The inquiry will begin tomorrow at Woolwich Town Hall and will run until this Friday and then continue next week between Tuesday and Friday.

Greenwich West councillors, who protested last month outside the market, will be staging another demonstration outside the town hall as the inquiry gets under way tomorrow.

Five stabbed at North Greenwich bus station

By

Five men received stabbing injuries in an incident in the early hours of this morning at North Greenwich bus station.

Police and the ambulance service were called to the scene at around 2am on Monday morning.

Four of the victims are aged 17 and one is believed to be in his 20s.

Two victims were quickly discharged, two remain in a comfortable condition and one is in a serious but stable condition.

Buses stopped in Millennium Way whilst police investigated the incident at the bus station.

Anyone with information that might assist should call police on 0300 123 1212; if you wish to remain anonymous please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Hilton’s Wharf planning application submitted

By

Developers have submitted a planning applicaton for a new development of 85 apartments in Norman Road.

Hilton’s Wharf, next to Deptford Creek, would also include almost 500 sq m of commercial floor space and 3 ‘live work ‘ units. 30 of the new apartments would be classed as affordable homes in the part five / part seven storey building.

If the application is successful, an old warehouse will be demolished to way for the development.

The new apartments are one of two neighbouring developments being proposed in Norman Road. Durkan Estates is the developer behind Hilton’s Wharf and bptw will be separately applying for permission for another 85-apartment development on adjacent land at 30-52 Norman road.

Durkan and bptw showed their plans for both sites to the public earlier this year on a joint consultation website and in a two-day exhibition.

Click here to see the Hilton’s Wharf planning application

Although the application’s Design & Access Statement, and the consultation website both refer to the development as “Hiltons Wharf”, with no apostrophe, the developer has informed Greenwich.co.uk that the actual development name will indeed be “Hilton’s Wharf”, as the site has hitherto been known.

Last month we reported on a proposed new development with 200 apartments at the corner of Norman Road and Greenwich High Road.

Gay charity slams local newspaper’s “homophobic” Star Letter

By

A Greenwich charity has slammed the decision by a local newspaper to publish a “homophobic” letter and award it a prize.

The Metro Centre in Norman Road, which provides support services for the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) community says that the letter that was given Star Letter status and awarded with a prize in last week’s News Shopper was “appalling”.

The controversial letter (available to read in full here), written by Mrs Fitzsimons from Lewisham, refers to gay people as being “perverted” and goes on to say that “there is no equality today due to everything being biased towards homosexuality”. She suggests that adverts for gay, lesbian and bisexual clubs promote “perversity”.

As author of the paper’s Star Letter, Mrs Fitzsimons was given a free pen from Webster’s Pen Shop.

Marguerite McLaughlin, CEO of the Metro Centre, has written a furious letter to the News Shopper accusing them of trying to create a “tawdry controversy”. She calls the letter a “hate-filled rant against lesbians, gay men and bisexual people”. The charity boss says that the newspaper should give an apology to its gay readership.

Click here to read Marguerite McLaughlin’s letter to the News Shopper’s editor

Ms McLaughlin has also revealed to Greenwich.co.uk that she has ordered all of the charity’s advertising with the newspaper to be suspended until a satisfactory explanation has been provided by the paper’s editor.

Soon after the letter was published in last week’s Greenwich & Lewisham edition of the freesheet, a storm erupted on local blogs (see here, here and here) and on the social networking site, Twitter.

Greenwich councillor, Nigel Fletcher (Conservative, Eltham North) wrote on his blog that the News Shopper had made a “a big error of judgement” and that rewarding the letter’s author with a prize was “inexcusable”.

Despite a barrage of criticism, the News Shopper, based in Petts Wood, insists that the decision to award the letter with Star Letter status and give its author a prize was not an endorsement of the letter’s content.

Restaurant fire closes Trafalgar Road

By


Photo taken by @j0annepsi

Traffic came to a stand-still on Tuesday evening as a fire broke out at a restaurant in Trafalgar Road.

Around 20 firefighters and four fire engines attended the blaze at Othello Steak House, 113 Trafalgar Road, near the junction of Lassell Street.

Trafalgar Road was closed to traffic in both directions as firefighters from East Greenwich, Greenwich, Lee Green and Deptford stations got the blaze under control.

There were no injuries and the fire caused damaged to the 1st floor and roof.

Andrew Gibb Memorial vandalised

By

The Andrew Gibb Memorial in Blackheath at the junction of Maze Hill and Charlton Way has been struck by vandals.

The memorial, which is opposite the Greenwich Park war memorial and comprises of a water fountain under an impressive eight-sided shelter, was badly damaged in the attack which is believed to have happened sometime on Thursday night.

The stone obelisk has been smashed from its fixings on the fountain and then broken into pieces. I understand that although the panes of glass are smashed frequently, this may be the first time the obelisk has been so badly damaged since the £100,000 refurbishment in 2003.

The damage was spotted by local resident, Mr M Qavi, shortly after 1pm on Friday and quickly reported to the council. He told Greenwich.co.uk “that the Councillors and the Council Officials responded immediately by sending out a team to remove the stone ball and glass shards”.

Ward councillor, Alex Grant, visited the memorial to view the damage for himself on Friday afternoon.

Andrew Gibb was a local ship-repairer who lived at Garthlands in Westcombe Park, as well being a philanthropist and one of the first Aldermen of the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich.  According to the Greenwich Council website, he left £1,200 for the erection of a public water fountain when he died in 1908.

You can see how the Andrew Gibb Memorial looked before the vandalism here and here.

Andrew Gibb memorial Andrew Gibb Memorial

Greenwich Market campaigners demonstrate against redevelopment

By

Greenwich Market Protest

A group of campaigners gathered outside Greenwich Market on Sunday to protest against proposals to redevelop the market.

Car drivers honked their horns in support and a crowd gathered to watch as demonstrators held their “Save Greenwich Market” banner aloft outside the College Approach entrance to the market.

The demonstration organiser, Cllr Maureen O’Mara, was joined by her fellow councillors for the Greenwich West ward, David Grant and Matthew Pennycook, and concerned local residents. Some stall holders and shop owners from inside the market also came out to lend their support.

Plans to redevelop the covered market and add a new boutique hotel were rejected by Greenwich Council last year but could still go ahead after owners, Greenwich Hospital Estate (GHE), appealed the decision.

Cllr Maureen O’Mara commented:

The market is under the threat of complete demolition. GHE want to put a hotel here and I’ve got arguments about that but my whole principle about this is that the market is a much loved part of london. It’s one of London’s jewels and people come here every weekend – they love it and enjoy it. I think what GHE wants to put in its place is just a homogenised view of London.

Edward Dolby from Greenwich Hospital told Greenwich.co.uk that if they do get planning permission, the redeveloped market would retain “essentially the same footprint and character” and that trading would be continuous throughout the redevelopment – expected to take almost two years – because the market would move to a temporary site in Monument Gardens. He added:

The hotel that features in our regeneration plans will be a welcome addition to the town centre and not a threat or competitor to the market – rather it should provide additional custom for our traders.

Campaigners are planning another demonstration to coincide with the start of the Planning Inspector’s inquiry next month at Woolwich Town Hall.

Listen to Cllr Maureen O’Mara speaking to Greenwich.co.uk at Sunday’s protest:
Listen! 		Listen to Cllr David Grant speaking to Greenwich.co.uk at Sunday’s protest:
Listen!

Greenwich - August 2010 032
Councillor Maureen O’Mara being interviewed about the protest.

Greenwich - August 2010 068
Greenwich West councillors – Maureen O’Mara, Matthew Pennycook and David Grant – outside Greenwich Market

Greenwich Market protest planned this weekend

By

A local councillor is organising a protest against plans to redevelop Greenwich Market.

Cllr Maureen O’Mara (Labour, Greenwich West) will join fellow protestors outside the College Approach entrance to the market on Sunday at 2pm.

Plans by market owners, Greenwich Hospital Trust,  for the controversial redevelopment of the market, which would include  a new 100-bedroom boutique hotel, were unanimously rejected by Greenwich Council last year.

In February this year, Greenwich Hospital confirmed that that would be appealing against that decision.

Protestors at this weekend’s demonstration aim to show the strength of  local opposition to the proposals before the  independent Planning Inspectorate begins its inquiry on the 7th September at the town hall in Woolwich.

Uni’s School of Architecture gets new Head

By

A new Head of the School of Architecture & Construction at the University of Greenwich has been appointed.

Neil Spiller, currently a Vice Dean at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College, London,  will take up the post on September 1st.

The University plans for the School of Architecture to move from its current site at Avery Hill to a new purpose built facility in Stockwell Street.

Professor Spiller commented: “It is a great time to be joining the University of Greenwich as the School of Architecture & Construction makes plans for its new building in central Greenwich.”

The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Greenwich, Baroness Blackstone, added: “Neil will play an important role in the development of our plans for a new building for the School; taking advantage of its new location, close to the City and Docklands, which will provide many opportunities to enhance its academic profile and reputation.”

The Movement: New development proposed in Norman Road

By

Proposals have been published for a big new development in West Greenwich.

The plans would see the construction of a hotel with 100 rooms, 500 rooms of student accommodation and 200 apartments at the corner of Norman Road and Greenwich High Road.

Initial details of the proposal have emerged in an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which was required to be submitted before full planning permission can be applied for.

The proposed development – given the monicker ‘The Movement’ by its London-based developers, the Cathedral Group – would be built on the site of Greenwich Industrial Estate which fronts onto Norman Road.

The development, which would reach up to eleven storeys high and be visible from Greenwich Park and the Old Royal Naval College, also includes plans for a student bar and health club, 5000 sq ft of commercial floor space and space for a new community centre.

Whilst the developers are looking to complete the project by 2013, their first priority would be to get the hotel built and opened in time for London 2012.

Cathedral Group were previously responsible for redeveloping Devonport House into a hotel and student accommodation and are also currently seeking planning permission for a large redevelopment project in Deptford.

The plans are still at an early stage and the developers will now be waiting for Greenwich Council’s formal response to their Environmental Impact Assessment before submitting a full planning application.

Greenwich Industrial Estate in Norman Road – site of the planned development.