A new lease of life for Woolwich Town Centre is now one step closer
The redevelopment proposals to revitalise a sadly underused area of Woolwich Triangle are to be submitted to the council this week in an outline planning application.
The planning application submitted by Wilson Bowden Developments, Powis Street Estates and Furlongs PSE ltd, includes proposals for over 300,000 sq ft of space for leisure and retail operators in an area of the town that takes in the west end of Powis Street and Hare Street.
At the heart of the scheme will be a brand new anchor store for the west end of the town centre, the development proposals allow for the provision of modern shops, 82 new apartments that will be built above the shops and there will be a car park for visitors and residents.
The scheme will also bring to the town a new 98 bedroom hotel fronting Woolwich High Street and the Thames River.
A key consideration for the transformation of the west end of the town centre has been to extend the life of the ‘Triangle’ in to the evening; this will be achieved with new shops, cafes and other evening leisure operators. To provide safety for shoppers in the day Hare Street and the end of Powis Street will be converted into car-free zones.
John Grinnell, Development Director of Wilson Bowden Developments said;
“Town centre activity, both in the day and at night currently stops half way up the high street just as it meets the corner of Hare Street. Our proposals aim to extend this activity beyond and further down to the west end of the town centre”.
The new development will include the restoration of the Grade II listed building known locally as the Alexander McLeod Co-Op Red-Brick Building, situated on the south side of Powis Street which will be refurbished to accommodate new retail brands and high street names to the town.
The development partners; Wilson Bowden Developments and Powis Street Estates, launched a public consultation to discuss the benefits of the proposals with the local community and wider public interest groups back in November 2006, and a number of public events were held at which residents and shoppers were invited the view the plans.
Patrick Arthurs, Planning Director of Wilson Bowden Developments has been driving the consultation process, he said;
“The feedback we received through consulting with various parties has been invaluable, and we have considered the comments offered in developing the final plans for submission. It is clear that there is a significant local desire to see this part of Woolwich transformed and brought back to life, we aim to achieve this through our proposals”.
A team from Chapman Taylor Architects, led by Henry Herzberg, have been working with the partnership to create the masterplan design for the scheme, Henry said;
“The particular focus of attention for the scheme has been on producing a design that compliments the existing architecture of the town but that can deliver high quality retail units that are of a size and scale that the high street names are now demanding”.