Plans for new 17 storey building block of student rooms and hotel revealed
By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter
Plans to extend a former office block into a 17 storey building of more than 300 student rooms have been revealed. The development would also include an accompanying hotel with 265 rooms as well as a new restaurant and bar for the public.
The Greenwich development, called Riverside House, was put forward to the council by the MDPL Group and would be based in Beresford Street, Woolwich.
The student block would include 332 student rooms, 50 per cent of which would be ‘affordable’, with a cafe and gym also being planned.
The plans said the student facilities as “modern and vibrant” areas that foster community and promote well-being.
The planned seven storey hotel would include a publicly accessible restaurant, bar and lounge as well as space for a shop on the ground floor. Planning documents from Studio Moren, on behalf of the MDPL Group, claim that the new hotel would provide 115 new jobs to the area.
A pair of 1960s office buildings currently on the site would be built on to deliver the scheme, with the plans claiming the internal spaces of the structures are in poor condition and require refurbishment.
It is proposed that a two storey structure used to link the two buildings would be demolished and replaced by a new public realm.
The plans said: “The new pathway through the site will improve connectivity from Beresford Street to Woolwich town centre.
“This enhancement will provide a more convenient walking route for the local community, students and hotel guests.”
The project was reportedly developed through a series of engagement meetings with Greenwich council dating back to November 2023. These were followed by a public consultation at the end of July this year.