Hundreds of student flats to be built on site of Catholic club

By Kiro Evans, Local Democracy Reporter

Almost 300 student flats have been given the green light to be built at the site of an old Catholic club.

The club, in Woolwich, has been unused for more than 10 years but will now make way for three blocks of student flats which developers say will “breathe new life” into the area.

Councillors on Greenwich’s planning board approved the plan at Tuesday night’s meeting after council officers recommended the move.

The tallest building will sit at 14-storeys high in the centre, which will be connected to a block of nine storeys to the left and an 11-storey block to the right.

Along with the 298 student rooms, there will also be a flexible community space that can be used by different groups.

Developers said the approval meant they could start work on the project this summer, and hoped it would be completed by September 2024.

Harry de Lotbiniere, of Hurlington Property, who put forward the application, told the council on Tuesday: “We’re pleased to present to you the proposals for the redevelopment for the former Catholic Club in Beresford Street.

“Our proposed scheme, as you’ve heard, will deliver high quality purpose-built student accommodation alongside a flexible community hub at ground floor level for local community groups.”

He added: “The professionally managed nature of the scheme allows us to provide a community hub to local groups at a nominal fee to cover maintenance costs only.

“Through extensive engagements with local community groups, it became apparent that there was a dearth of this kind of space.

“To conclude, our proposals will breathe new life into this long neglected site.”

Pictured top: An artist’s impression of what the flats could look like