From the ashes of the much maligned Connaught estate, the phoenix is arising with outline plans for the new community by Woolwich New.Road and Brookhill Road going to the council's planning Board on Monday 14 April.
Back in 2004, when the council embarked on the Labour Government's Decent Home Programme to bring all Greenwich's own homes up to modern standards the decision was taken that three estates - Charlton's Maryon Grove, Morris Walk and The Connaught in the centre of Woolwich had a limited lifespan structurally and to rebuild them rather than upgrade.
Sadly, just as plans were underway the global recession hit and developers baulked. But now, we're on schedule again and as you will have seen the old estate has been decanted and tenants rehoused. The plans have been subject to local consultation. They envisage street houses facing Brookhill Road and higher flats on Woolwich New Road and the interior with a central green boulevard through the estate.
Some concerns have been raised about the height and proximity of the Brookhill homes to the road and about the lack of community facilities and the reduction in greenery. It is really important that if you have views, you come along to the Planning Board and ask to speak beforehand.
It will transform this quarter of Woolwich between the town centre and military quarter and be a vast improvement on the old concrete rather faceless monstrosities of the 1968 brutalist Connaught but we should ensure we are building a new stable, thriving and environmentally sustainable community not just squeezing in the highest number of housing units sold off-plan to investors.
David Gardner
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