Residents sceptical of glossy images portraying riverside housing project in Greenwich Peninsula

By Charlie Parry

Residents are not convinced by glossy new images of an ambitious riverside housing proposal.

Developer U+I is selling an impressive vision for the future of the Greenwich Peninsula, but some residents aren’t buying.

New images of the plans for the Morden Wharf housing complex show the sandy beaches of the peninsula kissed with sunlight as families embark for canoe rides and couples dine on their balcony.

“Any guesses what it will actually look like?” says Derek Small in the comments section of a blog post about the plans.

Another writes: “I haven’t ever seen one development in Greenwich with what I would call amenities – skateboarding, sailing, fishing, green space, climbing walls etc, so the idyllic scene is just candy floss.”

The new complex promises, amongst other things, 1,500 new homes, a 3.9 acre riverside park, a refurbished jetty to house the Queen’s row barge, Gloriana, and 20,000 square feet of community space with allotments and gardens.

Some question the need for such a development at all: “Exactly where are all the new amenities and public transport infrastructure? We have seen large developments in Woolwich, Charlton, Greenwich Peninsula, Greenwich, Kidbrooke and nearby on Thamesmead. But we have not seen any real improvements to amenities and the public transport infrastructure.

“It is no wonder our hospitals, schools, health centres, public services and our public transport systems struggle to cope on a daily basis.”

According to one commenter the developers showed “they couldn’t care less about the people already living in the surrounding community” when landing helicopters on the site at 7am to conduct surveys.

A U+I spokesman said: “Following extensive consultation with the local community and key stakeholders, we have submitted plans to Greenwich council for our proposed redevelopment of Morden Wharf.

“The scheme has been designed to be unlike any other on Greenwich Peninsula, with the aim of creating a truly mixed-use neighbourhood where we hope people will enjoy living, working and visiting for many years to come.

“We have specifically focused on addressing the shortfall of green space on the peninsula by devoting around 50 per cent of the neighbourhood to park land and public realm.

“This includes the 3.9 acre Morden Park that runs along 275 metres of the river front and connects to the Thames Path, which will be significantly upgraded and increased in width to six metres.

“The open space at Morden Wharf, which amounts to roughly to three-and-a-half football pitches, will include play and recreation space designed for all age groups, as well as allotments, a community garden and a public square.

“As well as 1,500 new homes, the neighbourhood will include significant commercial, retail, industrial, leisure and affordable workspace, which together with the employment from construction will generate more than 3,500 new jobs and £42m per year for the local economy.

“Morden Wharf will also be firmly embedded into the borough’s existing transport network, and a new mobility hub promoting low-carbon transport will better connect the neighbourhood to the local area.”

Construction dates for the complex are yet to be revealed, but plans were submitted for approval in June 2020.

Pictured top: One of the images which have drawn criticism