Has the University of Greenwich purchased the land at Stockwell Street where the Village Market is held? That was the question sent into me by Johanna, who heard this from a Cabbie – usually the best informed people in London.
The site in Stockwell Street, which includes John Humphries House and hosts the “Village Market” every weekend whilst being a private car park for the rest of the week has had redevelopments planned for it for as long as I can remember. In fact, I had an office in John Humphries House about four years ago and was told not to expect to stay too long as it would soon be demolished.
Plans by the developers – WestCity Plc and Capital & Counties Properties Ltd – for a mixed use development of flats, offices, shops and space for new market stalls were granted permission by the Council last year, and also got the nod from the Mayor of London and the Government Office for London.
But with new home building coming to a stand still, have the developers decided against going ahead with their plans? I contacted the University of Greenwich to find out if there was any truth in the rumour, and their spokesman told me:
“The university does have plans to move its School of Architecture & Construction to Greenwich and we have been looking for a suitable site for some while. Although we have been in talks with a number of landowners, we have not yet purchased a site.”
So, intriguingly, the Cabbie was half right – the University is looking for a site but no, it hasn’t purchased the land in Stockwell Street… yet!
What would you like to happen to the site in Stockwell Street? Would you like to leave it as it is – a private car park for five days a week and a market for two days – or do you think it could be more productively used?
