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Greenwich news and information

Councillors to decide on east Greenwich student accommodation

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COUNCILLORS will decide next week whether to give the go-ahead to almost fifty new student flats in East Greenwich.

The developer behind the scheme has proposed a 47-bed block of student accommodation in Denham Street on a plot of land previously used as offices and a depot by Lewis Coaches.

Eleven letters of objection were received by the council, citing concerns over increased noise, parking and loss of light and TV reception but officers have recommended councillors back the scheme at the Greenwich Area Planning Committee next Wednesday evening.

New townhouses

Councillors will also consider whether to approve the demolition of three Victorian houses at the meeting.  The empty homes at 24-28 Greenwich High Road would be replaced by four new townhouses, if planning permission is agreed.

Ten letters of objection have been received and the redevelopment is also opposed by the Greenwich Society and Greenwich Conservation Group. In its objection, the Greenwich Society  cited “the need to preserve as much as possible of 19th century fabric.”

The houses back on to the car park of Greenwich’s newest hotel, the Mercure, and councillors will also be considering whether to approve a new internally illuminated rooftop sign for the  boutique hotel. Periquin Limited is the name of the developer that is behind both the hotel and the application to redevelop the houses in Greenwich High Road.

On a busy night for councillors, they will also decide on the latest bid to develop the land at the corner of Roan Street and Straightsmouth with the developer wishing to build a three storey block containing two flats.

See the full agenda for the Greenwich Area Planning Committee on Wednesday 7th November

 

Councillors blast Greenwich Pier restaurant signs

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COUNCILLORS have thrown out a planning application for signs and advertising already installed at the new Zizzi restaurant at the Greenwich Pier development.

Greenwich West councillor, Maureen O’Mara, blasted the restaurant for not having have the “guts” or “courage” to be at the meeting of the Greenwich Area Planning Committee on Wednesday night.

She said: “What I wanted to ask them if they had the guts to turn up is, ‘Why did you do this without any planning permission at all?‘”

The clearly furious councillor added, “This is a World Heritage Site. It’s one of the most precious sites in London. I’ve heard that they say, ‘this is what we do wherever we open up places‘. Well, this is Greenwich and we do not do this in Greenwich. This horrible application needs to be turned down.”

Councillor Dick Quibell (Peninsula, Labour) said the plans were “violently out of keeping with the tone of a World Heritage Site.” Councillor Hayley Fletcher (Hornfair with Kidbrooke, Labour), who was earlier elected as Vice Chair of the committee, commented that the signs looked “hideous.”

Conservative councillor Geoff Brighty, representing Blackheath Westcombe, said he had found the Pier development “disappointing” and that the signs were “trashy.”

The committee unanimously voted against the restaurant’s lettering, menu box and window signs, despite council officers recommending the plans be approved.

Councillors also had the chance to determine the signs, and proposed parasols, at Frankie and Benny’s.

Claims were made by the applicant that advice had been sought from the council before their signs were initially put up but this was disputed by council officers and councillors decided to investigate that point and reconsider the applications at September’s meeting of the committee.

Commenting to Greenwich.co.uk the day after the committee meeting, Paul Mitchell from The Restaurant Group, said they would “proceed with the current application” which they believe is “appropriate for the area”, but added that they would “continue to liaise with the Planning Officer who has been dealing with our application and take advice.”

Asked whether the company had experience of opening branches in sensitive heritage sites, Mr Mitchell commented:

“As a Group we do have a number of sites in our portfolio in sensitive areas where we always work with the Local Authorities and other relevant bodies to achieve a signage scheme which is mutually acceptable to all parties.

“We always seek dialogue and guidance before an Application is submitted to ensure a successful and speedy decision and that our Advertisement Applications take into account the needs of the community in which we are operating.”

New homes approved next to Trafalgar Quarters

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Councillors have backed plans for new homes next to Trafalgar Quarters in Greenwich.

Landowners, Greenwich Hospital, put forward an application to build four two bedroom town houses and a block of four flats.

The homes will be built on land which is currently used as a car park at the junction of Old Woolwich Road and Eastney Street.

The application came before the local planning committee in May but was deferred pending the production of CGI demonstrating 3D views of the development. Those images were provided at last night’s meeting and the scheme has been given the go-ahead.

The Grade-II listed Trafalgar Quarters building is also owned by Greenwich Hospital and provides sheltered accommodation.

Greenwich cruise liner terminal approved

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A planning application for a cruise liner terminal, hundreds of new homes and a new hotel has been approved by Greenwich Council.

The mixed use development will be built at the disused Enderby’s Wharf adjacent to Christchurch Way on the south western side of the Greenwich Peninsula.

In addition to 770 new homes and a 251 bedroom hotel, the 3.6 hectare site will also include shops, a creche and a gymnasium. The cruise ship terminal will have one cruise liner berth capable of accommodating  ships up to 240m in length. There will also be two berths for Thames riverbus services.

The land includes the Grade II listed Enderby House which was built in the mid 19th century. The property will be extended and converted into a restaurant “with accompanying exhibition and tourist” space.

Once completed,  365 full time equivalent jobs are expected to be created and a “skills academy” will train 16 – 21 year olds for opportunities at the cruise terminal and hotel.

The site itself was formerly owned by Alcatel Lucent – still based on adjacent land – and it was from here that the Enderby Brothers were pioneers in the development of telegraph cables that would be laid across the Atlantic.

The proposals received the unanimous backing of councillors at last week’s meeting of the council’s Planning Board.

James Blakey, commenting on behalf of developers Mason Properties who are behind the scheme, said:

“We are delighted that the Planning Boardhas decided to endorse the recommendation to approve the Enderby Wharf proposals. The collaborative approach to preparing the proposals over the past 18 months has resulted in a comprehensive mix of uses, which will bring a range of economic, environmental and social benefits to the borough and London as a whole. At the heart of the proposals is the provision of an international cruise liner terminal in the maritime heartland of Greenwich and London. The proposals have optimised the deep water within the River Thames to create a new tourist destination in a highly accessible location”.

Changes agreed to Planning committee system

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More objections will be required for future planning applications before they are referred to council planning committees following a decision taken at last night’s full council meeting.

Currently a planning application that receives two or more objections will be referred to the local Planning Board by council officers, but this threshold is being increased to eight.

The cost saving measure is estimated to cut the number of applications considered by committees from 179 to 75 in a year and result in a saving of £27,000 in 2011/2012.

Council officers say that at least ten London borough have a higher threshold than that which is being introduced in Greenwich, or they leave referral at the discretion of officers and members.

Conservative councillors voted against the plans, with Cllr Alex Wilson suggesting the plans wait til the Government’s Localism Bill has been published – expected to make many changes to local planning rules – and Cllr Geoff Brighty questioning whether applications could be dealt with in a timely manner if the number of meetings were being reduced.

Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Peter Brooks, backed the plan and said that the proposals could be reviewed at the council’s AGM in May.

Controversial Greenwich Market redevelopment gets the go-ahead

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Controversial plans to redevelop Greenwich Market and build a new boutique hotel have been given the green light.

The proposals were orgininally rejected unanimously by councillors on the Greenwich Council Planning Board but landowners, Greenwich Hospital took their revised plans to a public appeal.

Following a public inquiry, with hearings held at Woolwich Town Hall last September, the planning inspector has recommended that permission be granted. His conclusions have now been backed by Local Government Secretary of State, Eric Pickles.

The Planning Inspector considered both the original application and the revised scheme, designed by Hopkins Architects, put forward by Greenwich Hospital. He agreed with many of the objections to the original proposals and stated that they would have been harmful to the character and appearance of the conservation area.

But in looking at the the revised plans, which dropped plans for a canopy roof and retain the market’s cobbles, the Inspector concludes that the “universal value, integrity and authenticity of the World Heritage Site” would be conserved by the regeneration. He adds that the scheme would “preserve the setting of nearby listed buildings”.

The banana warehouse and stable buildings in Durnford Street will be demolished as part of the revamp. The inspector admits they have a “degree of charm and character” but points out listed building building consent for their demolition has already been granted.

The 99 bedroom hotel, split across two buildings with the market in between, will be run by Bespoke Hotels, who also operate the Bermondsey Square Hotel, and is expected to create 86 full-time-equivalent jobs.

A new crescent street will be created leading from Durnford Street to the market which the inspector describes as as “imaginative and acceptable additional chapter in the market area’s evolution” that would provide “variety and interest”.

The redevelopment of the market, which has been strongly supported by the Greenwich Society and local MP, Nick Raynsford, will not begin until January 2013 at the earliest and traders will move to a new temporary market at Monument Gardens whilst the redevelopment is undertaken.

Martin Sands, Director of Greenwich Hospital, welcomed the news as a “a positive result for Greenwich Hospital and for the centre of Greenwich.” He added, “The Hospital believes that the approved scheme, which includes minor amendments, will maintain the character and atmosphere of the current market within a refurbished environment.”

Speaking to Greenwich.co.uk, Nick Raynsford MP said he was “delighted that consent has been given”. Although a supporter of the original application, he praised Greenwich Hospital for its “pragmatic decision” to “amend the scheme in response to genuine concern.”. He added that the redevelopment would “protect and ensure the long term future of the market”.

The Chair of Greenwich Council’s Planning Board, Cllr Ray Walker, has hit out at the decision and labelled the development as a “scheme totally out of keeping with the history and architecture of Greenwich Town Centre … which simply is not of a sufficiently high standard for a World Heritage Site.” He attacked the Government’s decision to back the scheme and their pledge towards greater “localism” carried “little actual meaning.”

For critics of the scheme, options to fight the ruling are limited to an appeal in the High Court or a Judicial Review. Ray Crudgington, head of Commercial Property and Managing Partner at Grant Saw Solicitors LLP in Greenwich commented, “I suspect this decision will be very, very, difficult and expensive to appeal against.”

Once built, the Greenwich Market Hotel will be operated by Bespoke Hotels.

REACTION IN FULL

Martin Sands, Director of Greenwich Hospital

This is a positive result for Greenwich Hospital and for the centre of Greenwich. The Hospital believes that the approved scheme, which includes minor amendments, will maintain the character and atmosphere of the current market within a refurbished environment. This decision recognises the standard of design employed by Hopkins Architects and their success in creating a scheme that responds to the constraints of the site yet remains sympathetic to the surrounding architecture.

Greenwich Hospital will consider the detail of the consent granted with its professional advisers to decide how best to take matters forward. In any event Greenwich Hospital will not consider starting the market regeneration before January 2013, following the first Christmas after the Olympics.

More immediately, Greenwich Hospital will continue working with Greenwich stakeholders, traders, retailers, Greenwich Council and all those involved in
the future of Greenwich, to make the market and Greenwich a continuing success, particularly in the key pre Olympic period

We will also continue promoting the market and the town centre working with our retail PR consultant, to communicate the unique shops and market
stalls in Greenwich to key local, regional and national lifestyle and shopping editors, as well as promoting the seasonal events that Greenwich Market hosts
for the local community.

Our programme of planned maintenance will continue this year as planned with the redecoration of the Hospital’s properties in Greenwich Church Street and all other refurbishment projects will continue as planned.

We will continue to work alongside Greenwich stakeholders who maintain a close interest in the town centre. Greenwich Hospital will continue to be
fully engaged in the future of Greenwich. In fact, it is very much business as normal”.

Councillor Ray Walker, Chair of Greenwich Council’s Planning Board

“It is regrettable that the new Secretary of State, apparently pledged to a greater degree of localism, has chosen to overturn the unanimous decision of the Council to reject the planning application for Greenwich Market. Localism is a word which seems to be increasingly deployed but carries very little actual meaning for the Government. This appeal gives the green light to a scheme totally out of keeping with the history and architecture of Greenwich Town Centre and which simply is not of a sufficiently high standard for a World Heritage Site. It is particularly unfortunate that the application will permit the Greenwich Hospital Estate to demolish the heart of Greenwich Town Centre just as we have shown off all its charms to the millions of visitors in 2012 and who, instead of being encouraged to return, will avoid the building site that the Greenwich Hospital Estate will turn the town into”.

SEE ALSO

Reaction from 853
Reaction from the Greenwich Phantom

FULL DECISION NOTICE

11-01-19 3-in-1 Greenwich Market

170 new homes given go-ahead in Norman Road

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Developers have been given the go-ahead to build 170 new homes in Norman Road, Greenwich.

The Council’s Planning Board unanimously backed two neighbouring planning applications for developments consisting of 85 apartments each at their meeting on December 21st.

35% of the homes will be affordable housing in both developments, although this figure is dependent on grant funding being secured.

Both the Hilton’s Wharf and 30-52 Norman Road developments can now proceed although councillors have laid down several provisos, including the provision of car club parking spaces, a designated children’s play space maintained in perpetuity and the possibility of more affordable homes if the market improves. Residents of the new properties will not be able to apply for street parking permits.

Council gives green light to large Peninsula hotel

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Greenwich Council gave planning consent to a huge new hotel next to the O2 on the Greenwich Peninsula last night.

The 452 bedroom hotel will be accompanied by a tower of 100 serviced apartments and a 3000 sq ft ballroom.

Hundreds of new jobs are expected to be created at the new hotel which will have more bedrooms than Greenwich’s Holiday Inn, Novotel and Devonport House hotels combined.

The large ballroom will be used as an events space and designers claim it will compete with Park Lane hotels to attract “thousands of events to Greenwich”.

The apartments are residential properties with additional services provided such as laundry and hotel-style room service. The apartments will be sold on the open market and the owners will be able to choose whether or not to add them to the hotel’s pool of properties which it will manage and rent out to guests.

The site of the development is a 3 hectare plot of land directly to the west of the O2, previously known for planning purposes as N0301. It consists of three separate buildings in a stepped profile – the serviced apartments tower being the tallest of the three at 24 storeys.

Local MP, Nick Raynsford, offered a withering assessment of the designs when they were first unveiled earlier this year, describing them as “a complex of not very well related buildings which leave the impression of being a cross between a grain silo and a Soviet-era Palace of Culture”.

Modifications have been made to the design since then but the Greenwich Society and Greenwich Conservation spoke against the plans at last night’s meeting.

Philip Binns from the Greenwich Conservation Group told the meeting last night that the proposal was not the “impressive signature building” originally envisaged in the Greenwich Peninsula Masterplan.

John Franklin from the Greenwich Society said that they wanted to see “the best building with the very best impact” and that the hotel was supposed to have been “the dominant development”.

The Greenwich Peninsula Masterplan of 2004 envisaged a hotel building being the tallest building on the Peninsula and granted outline planning permission for it to be built up to a maximum height of almost 104 metres. The new proposed development will only reach 93 metres and won’t be the iconic tower some had hoped for.

Philip Sandilands, director of Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands, defended his plans, saying that a taller building “wasn’t feasible”, citing concerns over flight paths and the nearby pumping station. He said that the previous design had been “overbearing”.

Cllr Dermot Poston responded by saying that the hotel was “supposed to be the iconic plan of the Peninsula”. He commented that “the very nature of a tower is that it’s overbearing”.  He told Mr Sandilands, “I don’t follow what you’re saying. It doesn’t make sense to me at all”, labelling the project as “an absolute disaster”.

Council Leader Chris Roberts said he was “comfortable” with the designs. He commented that development in the area had already deviated from the Masterplan with the tapered profile of the Ravensbourne  College and Mitre Passage buildings to the east of the O2.

The proposal was voted through by the Planning Board on a majority of 5 – 2.

Councillors Chris Roberts, Denise Hyland, Steve Offord, Ray Walker and Jaghir Sekhon voted in favour of the application.

Councillors Dermot Poston and Geoff Brighty voted against.

Additional resources:

Report for Planning Board
Planning application documents

Planning Inspectorate overturns council’s hotel decision

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A new 47 bedroom hotel has been given the green light by the independent Planning Inspectorate after being rejected by Greenwich Council.

Developer, Cameo Properties, can now begin building the six storey budget hotel in Tunnel Avenue, close to the A102.

In turning down the application, the council had stated that the hotel would “constitute an overdevelopment of the site that would be out of keeping with the scale, character and appearance of the immediate surrounding area” and that it failed “to make provision for adequate car parking spaces”.

But the Planning Inspector, Mr Leslie Coop, disagreed with the council’s conclusions. The development “would improve the existing street scene and the character of the area”, he wrote in his Appeal Decision.

Despite the hotel having 47 rooms, the proposals include plans for only 13 car parking spaces. Mr Coop commented that the hotel would have sufficient off street parking would be “within walking distance of North Greenwich” bus and tube stations.

A hand car wash is currently in operation on the land and the adjacent house, number 228 Tunnel Avenue, will be demolished as part of the development. The hotel is expected to create 10 full time jobs and 20 part time jobs.

The developer originally applied to build flats on the land in 2005 but this was rejected by the council. A subsequent application in 2007 to build a 27 room hotel was also refused but a revised 17 bedroom hotel was approved. The developer didn’t go ahead with that proposal and instead submitted plans for a 47 room hotel late last year.

UPDATED: Developer speaks to Greenwich.co.uk

The man behind the hotel scheme is local developer, Jigs Chana from Cameo Properties. Mr Chana studied at the University of Greenwich and tells me that he has been heavily involved with the local Chamber of Commerce and sat on Greenwich Council’s Local Strategic Partnership Board and Local Neighbourhood Renewal Board.

He agreed to talk to Greenwich.co.uk and I began by asking for his reaction to the Planning Inspector’s decision:

We are delighted with the Inspectors Decision and we are particularly pleased with the Inspector taking all of our comments on board as submitted in our planning application including our proposal to provide limited on-site parking. This site is very well connected to excellent local public transport connections and the design we have proposed for the affordable 6 storey 47 bedrooms hotel is of high quality and this development will further help local community and businesses to attract new inward investment. Our objective always has been to work with local people and when built we aim to recruit staff locally.

Do you have a timescale for beginning and completing construction?

We are planning to start construction early into new the year with a target to complete the development in time for the start of the London 2012 Olympics – it is a disappointment that we have lost 5 months due to us having to make an Appeal even though Planning Officers had this development ‘Recommended for Approval’ back in March 2010.

Do you think people will be happy to stay at a hotel so close to the busy A102?

Greenwich is very fortunate to have high quality tourism attractions including world class O2 Arena, Historic Greenwich Town Centre, London 2012 Olympics, etc. and Greenwich Council desires to increase its tourism-based economy but in some cases, lacked hotel beds to meet such a demand. The location of this hotel will be very visible from the A102, is very well placed and convenient for our guests and visitors to be able to get in and out with ease without the needing to further clogg up Greenwich Town Centre with traffic. All guest bedrooms are located away from the dual carriageway and by introducing good quality double glazing windows throughout, our guests will be able to enjoy the convenience, clean and comfortable bedrooms whilst paying affordable prices.


Thanks to Dazza for venturing out in the rain this afternoon to get this photo which shows where the hotel will be built.

The Movement: New development proposed in Norman Road

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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.