Councillor describes new council homes as ‘Ghetto’

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans for a six-storey block of flats in Greenwich have been approved despite a councillor claiming the building looks like a ‘ghetto’.

Greenwich council has approved plans to build 24 new flats in Herbert Road, Plumstead, all of which would be available at social rent.

The project, put forward by the council, was brought to the planning board at a meeting on January 23, but a decision was deferred so that the committee could visit the site.

Labour Councillor Ivis Williams, who represents the Shooters Hill ward, said at the meeting that the proposal looked wrong on “so many levels”.

She also said several of the objections from residents in her ward had not been included in the council’s report, causing people to feel ‘ignored’.

Cllr Williams said: “It gives a feel of a ghetto look, and if you don’t know what a ghetto is, it’s where you have minority groups living in impoverished areas due to political, social and economical pressure and that’s the view that this proposed block gives.”

The councillor said she was desperate for the council to build more homes, but also felt the borough’s communities needed to be listened to. She said the area was already overpopulated and suffered from drug issues and antisocial behaviour.

Peter Fernandes, speaking on behalf of Greenwich Builds, also said that the current application was the sixth iteration of the project’s design and that work had been done to incorporate the views of residents during the public consultation.

The plans were brought back to the planning board on Tuesday, following a site visit, and approved.

Pictured top: The site for the new block is located beside Acworth House (Picture: Google Street View)