The Woolwich Dockyard & St Mary's Residents Association is campaigning to have the area removed from Greenwich Council's Local Plan after residents and businesses discovered their estates were identified for potential redevelopment. Many say they were not properly notified by the council, which stresses no decisions have been made and encourages public consultation.
Residents blindsided by draft Local Plan
The council is between consultation phases on its draft Local Plan, a document guiding borough development over 15 years. The plan identifies Woolwich Dockyard—a 25-acre riverside site with 676 households and commercial properties—as capable of delivering 1,020 homes and 2,000sqm of non-residential space, potentially in high-rise towers above ten storeys within 11 to 15 years. Two Grade II listed docks would remain untouched.
Greenwich Council states inclusion does not grant planning permission, represent a redevelopment decision, or require compulsory purchase. However, residents like Mohd Razik Khan, who has run the Post Office on Kingsman Parade for 30 years, fear demolition. He owns the building and his home, which he spent £80,000 refurbishing three years ago. "If they kick us out, what can we do? We can't fight with them. Can you fight with the council? No," he said. He suggests residents be offered a 20% discount on new homes, first preference, and 115-120% of market value to buy nearby.
Business owners raise concerns
Amish Patel, pharmacy owner for 42 years, also wasn't informed and fears new flats would remain empty like others in the area. A council spokesperson said Kingsman Parade remains a protected Neighbourhood Centre in the Local Plan, recognizing its importance. "No decisions have been made about bringing forward proposals for redevelopment. If proposals that could affect residents or businesses were ever brought forward, they would be subject to further consultation and engagement. Any estate regeneration proposal would also be subject to a resident ballot before a decision could be taken on whether to proceed," the spokesperson added.
Campaign for removal from plan
The Woolwich Dockyard & St Mary's Residents Association (WDSM) formed after a member discovered the estates in the draft Local Plan at a local library. WDSM feels the council released information "sneakily" and campaigns for removal. Chair Lesley Turner told a council cabinet meeting on June 24: "We have put forward formal representations which have been ignored. We have compiled a list of every email that we have sent, of every lack of reply, of every reply that is just words that don't actually say anything. We were bitterly disappointed."
The council's Cabinet Member for Planning and Development, Cllr Tom Creswell, assured WDSM their representations are taken seriously and is organizing a meeting. The statutory consultation on the next draft Local Plan runs from July 27 for six weeks, before submission to the Government's Planning Inspectorate.
