You can download the draft document in the link below. Paper copies are also available to view in Woolwich Library located in The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, Woolwich SE18 6HQ. Please ask a member of the library staff to see a copy. Comments must be submitted by 11.59pm on 30 September 2021 to planning.policy@royalgreenwich.gov.uk.
The draft documents will be considered at a meeting of the Woolwich & Thamesmead Area Planning Committee during the consultation. Views on the documents may also be expressed by persons attending this public meeting.
All relevant comments will be considered. The consultation responses, with any resulting changes to the draft documents, will be reported back to the Royal Borough’s Cabinet for approval. The Cabinet report and resulting decision will be available on the Royal Borough’s webpages. Once adopted, the Conservation Area Appraisal will be available on the Royal Borough’s website. If you wish to be notified of the Cabinet decision, please request this in your comments.
What is this document about?
This document explains how the conservation area merits designation by defining Woolwich’s historic and architectural significance and its townscape character. Woolwich evolved from a historic market town into a thriving civic and commercial centre and is characterised by fine historic buildings spanning the 18th to 20th centuries. Woolwich was influential in the growth of the national co-operative movement and the conservation area boasts two of London’s most significant monuments to co-operativsm along Powis Street.
The conservation area is distinguished by high quality examples of the work of leading Victorian, Edwardian and inter-war architects, and has one of the most concentrated civic complexes in London. The commercial zone comprises characterful Victorian architecture interspersed with exceptional landmark buildings and exponents of 20th century modernism including the former Odeon and Granada cinemas and Equitable House.
The Character Appraisal will help with understanding the impact of development proposals on the area’s character and will assist the Royal Borough in determining planning applications for development within or adjacent to the conservation area. Positive and negative features of the conservation area are also identified, and opportunities outlined for avoiding, minimising and mitigating negative impacts.
The Management Guidelines indicate appropriate parameters for redevelopment within the conservation area and give a clear steer for priority interventions to better reveal the area’s significance. An interactive layered map within the document enables a rapid understanding of the sensitivity of buildings and spaces in the conservation area.
Once adopted the Appraisal will have the status of a supplementary planning document (SPD) and will be a material consideration in planning decisions.