The overgrown patch featuring a collection of litter and weeds on Macbean Street in Woolwich has sat empty for over 20 years.
The site has previously hosted the Woolwich Polytechnic School.
Rebecca Thompson, 39, has lived in Woolwich for about three years and said the land has appeared the way it has for as long as she can remember and she would like to see a public park added.
She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “It’s not great that it looks the way that it does. It’s a bit of a mess.”
She added: “There’s not a lot [of green space] around here. There’s a little bit by the river but it would be nice to have more, especially given there’s so many more buildings with apartments going up and more people living here.”
Plans from developer L&Q to build five blocks of flats up to 22 storeys tall, including 595 homes, on the Macbean Street site were refused by Greenwich Council in 2021 given the size of the proposal and lack of social housing. However, Re:shape Living announced this year that it had purchased the land and a neighbouring site.
A planning application was put forward by the developer last month to deliver 918 student rooms and 409 co-living units across six blocks up to 23 storeys tall, alongside various public realm improvements. The project, called Electric Works, would also include 93 flats. This would comprise 62 socially rented units alongside 24 flats and three townhouses available for a discounted market rate.
Another resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said they had lived in Woolwich for a year and a half. They said they were glad to see the affordable housing provision included but felt that more needed to be done to tackle the housing issues in the borough. Greenwich Council documents from July this year claimed the authority was facing record numbers of individuals at risk of homelessness, with over 1,950 in the council’s care being in temporary accommodation at the time.
They told the LDRS: “If it’s [around] 100 homes, that’s just a fart in a hurricane really because here and Newham are just terrible for homelessness.”
The resident said they would welcome more students being added to the area to potentially boost the local economy. They also said they would like more redevelopment projects as they felt there was a noticeable divide in quality when comparing the Royal Arsenal side of Woolwich to the town centre across the road.
They said: “It’s just shocking how it can be that glittering and well kept on that side and then so dilapidated on this side in places. There are improvements coming and it is better than it was because I have been visiting this area for a long time. Maybe students would bring in a bit more money.”
A Re:shape Living spokesperson told the LDRS that the developer shared residents’ desires to see the derelict site brought back into productive use. They added that 40 per cent of the overall housing in the scheme will be ‘affordable’. The spokesperson highlighted that this provision exceeds the previous proposals for the site, in which 20 per cent affordable housing was proposed.
Michael Douglas, 37, has lived in Woolwich for just over five years and said he typically avoids Macbean Street. However, he was aware of the recent plans for the site and said he was curious to see how the project progressed. He told the LDRS: “Making use of existing heritage architecture is very important. I would really like to see buildings like the warehouse building being reused.”
Re:shape Living confirmed to the LDRS that the derelict warehouse building, known as the former electricity works, would be included in the masterplan for the site, envisioned to become 19 flats. Alongside this, Mr Douglas said he sees a big opportunity for an improved public realm and hospitality offerings in the area.
He said: “Part of me thinks students in the area wouldn’t be a bad thing. Potentially that could inspire other businesses. Students are going to want nice cafes, bars, things like that.”
He added: “Woolwich has obviously huge potential despite things moving very slowly. I think it’s going to be a really good place and it’s going to improve.”
Robbie Nightingale, development director at Re:shape, told the LDRS that the developer was excited to submit its planning application for the Electric Works project. He described the scheme as transformative by delivering over 1,350 new homes and crucial social infrastructure for the local community.
He added: “Achieving 40 per cent affordable housing, with a 70:30 split in favour of social housing, is a significant milestone we’re incredibly proud of, especially considering the current cost of living crisis and national challenges with housing delivery generally. At Reshape, we have always believed that alternative living models can play a vital role in the delivery of much needed social homes. We hope this project will set a new benchmark in creating truly inclusive and balanced communities, where people of all backgrounds can thrive.”