Residents feel ‘ignored’ as plans for two 30-storey tower blocks approved

By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter

Residents claim they feel “ignored” after plans for a pair of tower blocks up to 30 storeys-tall in Greenwich Peninsula were approved.

Greenwich council has approved plans to build 300 new homes in Lower Riverside.

The plans come from developer Knight Dragon as part of a wider project to deliver over 17,000 new homes to Greenwich Peninsula.

Permission was previously given by the council in 2014 to build 251 new homes on the site, with the new proposal updating the old plans to adhere to current fire safety regulations.

The new project will see 300 new homes being built between a pair of seven and 30-storey tall buildings, including ground floors. It will also include a concierge service at the bottom of the main building and green areas at different levels.

Tracy Irvine, vice-chair of the residents association for the neighbouring building to the site, said at the meeting that locals had sent letters to both the council and Knight Dragon while the plans were being consulted on.

She said locals would like to have seen the proposed tower block moved to the other side of the site to mitigate the strong winds they already experience.

Ms Irvine said: “When I look at the paper from the planning officers shown here tonight, I am concerned at how residents’ views are being dismissed in every recommendation that we have made. This seems like another sign that residents who are living in large towers are being ignored by the council.”

The local added that the winds in the area were strong enough to blow glass off of the neighbouring building to the site which would break on the pavement below.

Dominic Glanz, head of projects at Knight Dragon, pointed out that the development was subject to conditions regarding wind mitigation, requiring the developers to include measures on how wind effects on the buildings would be reduced.

Mr Glanz added that he was not aware of any issues with glass falling from the neighbouring building.

He said at the meeting: “We are acutely aware of the comments [residents] have made and we do take them seriously and we do listen. In this regard, we do need to balance those concerns with our obligations to develop new homes on a longstanding vacant part of the peninsula.”

Labour councillor Gary Dillon, chair of the planning board, said he approved of the green features of the proposal, as opposed to the building being a “monolithic” block. He also advised the developers to work more closely with residents in future.

Pictured top: A CGI of the new buildings planned for Lower Riverside in Greenwich Peninsula, as seen from Olympian Way (Picture: Chapman Taylor/Knight Dragon)