A South London town is seen as having potential for 7,500 new homes by the local council, but residents worry the plans could lead to overcrowding and fear the new flats will look like “prisons”.
Charlton Riverside sits in the north of Greenwich borough between Woolwich town centre and Greenwich Peninsula.
Greenwich Council revealed plans in 2017 highlighting the “tremendous potential” to add up to 7,500 new homes to Charlton. Council documents said the development could add over 4,000 new jobs to the area.
However, the project has been challenged by the land being owned by a number of different parties and has been slow to progress.
Charlton has concurrently become a hub for the borough’s shoppers in recent years, with a number of outlets included in both Brocklebank Retail Park and Greenwich Shopping Park. Robinson Njoroge, 45, lives in Woolwich but said he prefers to do his shopping in Charlton.
Mr Njoroge told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “Most of the shops that I go to are all together in one place [here], so it’s easy and very convenient… If I can’t find something here, and I need to check somewhere else, all of them are here.”
Greenwich Council documents on the formation of its Local Plan cited the retail park in Charlton as a source of “growing competition” to the authority’s aspirations to make Woolwich a major town centre.
Mr Njoroge said he fears plans to develop Charlton may lead to too much traffic in the area, and doesn’t want the council to replicate the swift development of Woolwich. He said Charlton is a “mess” if there’s an emergency and finds it hard to imagine the number of extra vehicles during rush hour.
The local said: “I think it might be a little bit overcrowded to be quite honest because in Woolwich, where I am, there’s loads of buildings coming up already.”
He added: “[Charlton] is already packed because it’s chock-a-block in Woolwich already… Towards Greenwich it’s the same thing. So it’s sort of like a small relief area in the middle.”
The plans for Charlton Riverside saw renewed interest this year after Housing Secretary Michael Gove revealed plans in July to deliver tens of thousands of new homes along the River Thames.
The project, known as Docklands 2.0, said the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) would be working alongside private developers to transform areas on either side of the river such as Charlton, Thamesmead and Beckton.
Patricia Spice, 66, lives in Welling but comes to the retail park in Charlton to shop for items not found in her local shops. She said she would also like to see Charlton remain unbuilt to keep space between the nearby town centres.
Ms Spice told the LDRS: “I’ve seen the new homes over here. They look like prisons. You’ve got to have a key or you can’t get there.”
Moira Brown, 66, said she comes to Charlton Riverside once a week from Eltham to shop. She also said traffic is a big problem in the area, and hopes to see local infrastructure improved if the plan for the new homes is to go ahead.
Ms Brown told the LDRS: “It’s just horrendous. Greenwich is probably one of the polluted areas in London. The roads are very limited, there’s not much you can do to expand them, and then there’s route blockages which pushes all the cars onto the main road so you’ve got traffic jams left, right and centre. It’s a nightmare.”
Council documents show the council’s wider plans for Charlton Riverside would place the 7,500 new homes in a series of low to medium rise blocks.
Ms Brown said she is happy to see brownfield land in the area used for housing, but would like to see more high-rises to maximise the use of the space.
She said: “I guess they have to build new houses… They have high rise buildings all around Europe, so I don’t see why we can’t do it.
“If they’re maintained and built to a good quality then they should be okay. If we had a caretaker in each one then it should be fine. But it’s the British mentality, everybody wants to own their own house, don’t they?”
A Greenwich Council spokesperson told the LDRS: “The council, alongside the Government and Mayor of London, recognise?the potential of Charlton Riverside, along with Thamesmead, to provide thousands of new affordable homes and jobs.
“Everyone in Royal Greenwich should have access to a safe and secure home that meets their needs – but due to the housing crisis this isn’t the case. 51% of residents live in poverty and the delivery of good housing is key to tackling this.”
They added: “We’re committed to unlocking suitable areas to deliver housing and employment to support inclusive economic growth. We’re also making it?easier, safer and greener to move around the borough and the rest of?London.”
The Hyde Group was given permission by Greenwich Council in March 2022 to build 1,200 new homes in Charlton Riverside in its project known as Herringham Quarter. The homes will be delivered in blocks up to 10 storeys tall and 40per cent of the flats are planned to be “affordable”.
Steven Morrice, Development and Sales Director at the Hyde Group, told the LDRS: “We’ve worked closely with the council to ensure our carefully considered proposals create a truly mixed-use development, while celebrating the site’s heritage and creating a sense of place.
“There’ll be wider benefits for the local community, such as improved walking and cycle routes, the opening-up of the riverfront and the creation of new public and green spaces.”
He added: “Our homes will be powered by ground source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels. Not only is our development regenerating this strategically important site, and creating new homes, but it will also contribute to the wider infrastructure needs of the local area, such as transport, health, education and employment opportunities.”
Grace Oyre-Shobiy, 62, lives in Thamesmead but works near Charlton. She said she often shops in the retail park before and after work, and is excited to see the interest in developing Charlton as an area.
Mr Oyre-Shobiy told the LDRS: “It sounds great. It won’t be crowded… It will bring more people here and it will make it more popular because so many people are shopping here already.”
A Greenwich Council spokesperson told the LDRS: “Charlton has the potential to provide new homes, jobs, schools and opportunities for the local community. Residents and businesses were consulted about the original plans and will also have the chance to share their views on future plans; working with them is central to making Charlton Riverside successful.”
They added that more information on the plans and the public engagement on them can be found on the council website.
