Latest news with #GreenwichCouncil
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Greenwich's Cutty Sark DLR station shuts for a year to replace 'unreliable' escalators
Cutty Sark DLR station has closed for a year to allow four new escalators to be installed. According to Greenwich Council, the four new state-of-the-art, energy efficient escalators will provide customers with 'easier and more reliable access' to and from the station. Cutty Sark DLR closed at the end of Saturday (May 31) and will stay shut until next spring to allow the existing escalators—described as 'increasingly unreliable' and 'beyond economical to repair'—to be replaced with new ones. Greenwich Council has urged those who use the station to use nearby Greenwich station throughout the closure, or local bus services. The council has installed additional street signage to direct customers between the Cutty Sark and Greenwich stations, which is a journey of around 11 minutes on foot. A Greenwich Council spokesperson said: 'We welcome the news of improvement works to Cutty Sark DLR station. The escalator replacement will ensure a fully accessible station for all users for many years to come. 'In the meantime, there are many other ways to get to and from Greenwich including buses, mainline rail stations and riverboat services. 'Greenwich town centre is always open. We're working closely with local businesses and our tourism partners to make sure the impact of the closure is as minimal as possible. 'As a UNESCO world heritage, millions of people come to Greenwich to visit its world-famous park, observatory and other attractions every year, so we'll be exploring all the ways we can work with TfL and others to keep our town centre the vibrant, bustling corner of London that people know and love.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cutty Sark DLR station closes for new escalators
Cutty Sark Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station has closed for a year to allow four new escalators to be installed. The current escalators at the third-busiest station on the DLR have been described as "increasingly unreliable" and "beyond economical to repair". They will be replaced with state-of-the-art, energy efficient ones, which will provide customers with "more reliable access" to and from the south-east London station, Greenwich Council has said. The station closed at the end of the day on Saturday and is due to reopen next spring. Greenwich Council urged those who use the station to use nearby Greenwich station throughout the closure, or local bus services. The council has installed additional street signage to direct customers between the Cutty Sark and Greenwich stations, which is a journey of about 11 minutes on foot. A Greenwich Council spokesperson said: "We welcome the news of improvement works to Cutty Sark DLR station. The escalator replacement will ensure a fully accessible station for all users for many years to come. "In the meantime, there are many other ways to get to and from Greenwich including buses, mainline rail stations and riverboat services." The spokesperson added: "As a Unesco World Heritage Site, millions of people come to Greenwich to visit its world-famous park, observatory and other attractions every year, so we'll be exploring all the ways we can work with Transport for London and others to keep our town centre the vibrant, bustling corner of London that people know and love." In 2023, Cutty Sark was used by 7.6m passengers, making it the third busiest on the DLR behind Canary Wharf and Limehouse. Last year, Kentish Town Tube station reopened six months later than planned after the "most unreliable" escalators on the network were replaced. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Cutty Sark station to close for new escalators Kentish Town Tube station reopens after 18 months Rollout of new Docklands Light Railway trains delayed Transport for London
BBC News
3 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Cutty Sark DLR station closes for a year for new escalators
Cutty Sark Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station has closed for a year to allow four new escalators to be current escalators at the third-busiest station on the DLR have been described as "increasingly unreliable" and "beyond economical to repair". They will be replaced with state-of-the-art, energy efficient ones, which will provide customers with "more reliable access" to and from the south-east London station, Greenwich Council has station closed at the end of the day on Saturday and is due to reopen next spring. Greenwich Council urged those who use the station to use nearby Greenwich station throughout the closure, or local bus services. The council has installed additional street signage to direct customers between the Cutty Sark and Greenwich stations, which is a journey of about 11 minutes on foot.A Greenwich Council spokesperson said: "We welcome the news of improvement works to Cutty Sark DLR station. The escalator replacement will ensure a fully accessible station for all users for many years to come."In the meantime, there are many other ways to get to and from Greenwich including buses, mainline rail stations and riverboat services."The spokesperson added: "As a Unesco World Heritage Site, millions of people come to Greenwich to visit its world-famous park, observatory and other attractions every year, so we'll be exploring all the ways we can work with Transport for London and others to keep our town centre the vibrant, bustling corner of London that people know and love."In 2023, Cutty Sark was used by 7.6m passengers, making it the third busiest on the DLR behind Canary Wharf and year, Kentish Town Tube station reopened six months later than planned after the "most unreliable" escalators on the network were replaced.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Decision deferred on high-rise student tower blocks by Deptford Creek
A decision on whether two high-rise blocks of student accommodation by Deptford Creek will be built has been deferred after councillors voted for a site visit. Greenwich Council's Planning Board discussed the contentious plans—which garnered 294 letters of support and 251 objections—for nearly two-and-a-half hours on Tuesday evening (May 27). Luxury student accommodation business YourTRIBE and development and investment company Redington Capital first applied for planning permission to demolish three low-rise residential buildings in Greenwich Quay and replace them with 20-storey and 15-storey student tower blocks in December 2023. These plans were reduced earlier this month, bringing the 20 storeys down to 17 and shrinking the number of beds from 700 to 598. This reduction in part was because Maritime Greenwich had objected to the plans due to the height of the development and its potential visual effect on the nearby UNESCO World Heritage Site. Maritime Greenwich withdrew its objection after the height of the tallest tower was reduced. Cllr Majella Anning, speaking on behalf of Greenwich Creekside ward where the development site is located, stated that the student provision in Creekside would increase to around 20 per cent of the ward's total population if the proposal was approved. She said: 'I am in favour of the provision of student housing in my ward. What I object to is the scale of what is being proposed and the lack of a mixed housing offer, in particular social housing for local Greenwich residents.' Cllr Anning also likened the development to a 'cash cow' and claimed that developers would pay a lower community infrastructure levy in Greenwich when compared to other London boroughs. She also called the height of the buildings 'completely inappropriate' and described them as looking 'ugly'. She added: 'Student-only tower blocks do not offer any relief to the 28,000 people on our Greenwich Council [social housing] waiting list. These are blocks of temporary accommodation, by their very definition.' Cllr Anning's fellow Creekside ward Cllr Calum O'Byrne Mulligan also spoke in opposition to the proposal. He said: 'I urge the committee to reject this application as the scale and mass of the buildings not in a tall building area go against existing council policy. 'I fear that this development risks the intangible strategic asset that we have in the world heritage site and jeopardises protected views, going against our local plan.' Scott Fitzgerald of the Millennium Quay Residents Association (a residential development nearby the proposal site) said: 'The public consultations held by YOURTribe have repeatedly failed to address reasonable concerns.' The concerns he focused on were those of access to the site via Clarence Road which measures 3.5 metres wide, and fears that the site does not have adequate space if an evacuation was needed. He said: 'This development is about short-term economic gain, not long-term community diversity… It prioritises financial return over inclusive, sustainable living and would turn Greenwich Quay into a de facto student dormitory, not a diverse residential neighbourhood.' Another Greenwich resident opposed to the plans, Charlotte Kiddie, said: 'Who benefits from this proposal? Not those on the social housing register, not local residents, not London which risks losing one of only four UNESCO sites, not Greenwich Council, unable to generate council tax, nor even the students who are being overcharged. The only party that benefits in this is the property developer.' Phoebe Juggins, senior planning manager at YOURTribe, spoke in support of the application. She said: 'We expect that through delivering 590 purpose-built student accommodation units, we will free up the equivalent of 236 homes in Greenwich, and will importantly mean that students are living in a well-managed and supportive environment. 'We want this scheme to not only invest in the education of the next generation, but to the local area, delivering £7.3 million annually to the local economy, 43 full-time jobs plus over 500 construction jobs.' Ms Juggins also responded to queries brought up by councillors and objectors, assuring that all the necessary hoops had been jumped through to ensure the development has a robust fire safety and evacuation strategy. Planning committee member Cllr David Gardner asked what students would actually be able to afford this accommodation, calculating that other rent prices offered by YOURTribe in London exceed the maximum student loan for living costs. YOURTribe director Nick Lawrence responded: 'I think it's a misnomer that all students are poor. We are having high demand for our accommodation, and in conjunction with the universities we set the rent.' Cllr David Gardner proposed a site visit because he thought the committee needed to look at 'the impact on the neighbouring development Millennium Quay'. This was seconded by Cllr Olu Babatola, who thought a site visit would help him assess the fire safety concerns raised at the meeting. The committee voted for this site visit proposal, and a final decision on whether planning permission will be granted has been deferred until after a visit has been made.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Popular Greenwich pub fights order to remove riverside seating
The Trafalgar Tavern in Greenwich is appealing an enforcement notice by Greenwich Council ordering the removal of its outdoor seating area which extends onto the Thames Path. The council argues that the pub's use of the riverside walkway for tables and chairs restricts access for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles. It also claims the furniture adds visual clutter to the historic area, which sits within the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. The council said: 'We confident we'll find a sensible solution that doesn't stop people enjoying the pub's view, or using the Thames Path." The Trafalgar Tavern was built in 1837 and is a Grade II listed pub located directly on the River Thames. The venue's outdoor seating has long been a draw for locals and visitors, offering picturesque views across the water. It was recently named number 14 in Enjoy Travel's list of the 30 Best Beer Gardens in Great Britain with the extended seating along the Thames being a key highlight. The Trafalgar Tavern wrote on Facebook: 'Thank you to everyone who's voted for us as Best Beer Garden, Best Pub with Views and Best Pub to Sit Outside In – and to Enjoy Travel for naming us no.14 in their 30 Best Beer Gardens in Great Britain! 'It's an honour to be recognised for our riverside space – a spot enjoyed by generations and one of London's most iconic places for an al fresco pint by the Thames. 'Sadly, while visitors celebrate what makes the Trafalgar special, Greenwich Council has served an Enforcement Notice demanding we remove our outdoor seating, threatening a space that's brought joy to locals, tourists and the wider community for decades.' This section of seating is what is subject to the enforcement and is situated on a narrow part of the Thames Path which is a public right of way. The council says it has received complaints, and that the area must remain accessible to all users, including wheelchair users and people with pushchairs. Representations opposing the notice can be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate until June 12, 2025. Anyone wishing to comment must quote appeal reference APP/E5330/C/25/3364847 or case number 3364847. A spokesperson for the Royal Borough of Greenwich said: 'We're really proud of Greenwich Town Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage site visited by millions of people every year. 'Tourists love the vibrant businesses and beautiful scenery, and we do too – that's why we're committed to making sure the area is as accessible as possible, for everyone to enjoy. "Whilst it's not always appropriate to comment on individual cases, we know that The Trafalgar Tavern is a much-loved, historic venue - but we have had some complaints about the extended outdoor seating onto the Thames Path, and so there needs to be a balance. 'The Thames Path is very narrow, and it's important that everyone can use it easily - including people in wheelchairs, the elderly or people with pushchairs. "There are planning policies in place that we need to follow, but we're confident we'll find a sensible solution that doesn't stop people enjoying the pub's view, or using the Thames Path."
