Government Office for London Annual Review 2001-2002 | Download the Complete Review in PDF Format here
Greenwich Reborn
The Greenwich Peninsula in South East London is a model for sustainable development. Extraordinary challenges have become success stories. For instance, buildings in the Millennium Village have achieved an 80% reduction in primary energy consumption. Solar power and water recycling technology have made the peninsula home to Britain's first ever low-energy supermarket, as well as a cinema that employs a new energy efficient system to air-condition audiences based on the amount of tickets sold.
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(The Dome on the Greenwich Peninsula) |
The Government Office for London has played - and continues to play - a key role in these innovative regeneration projects, supporting the Greenwich Peninsula Partnership and working closely with the London Development Agency (LDA) on Woolwich Arsenal regeneration. Both of these projects are being carried out on contaminated land sites. Before redevelopment, a major gasworks and a chemical plant dominated the Greenwich Peninsula - in the most contaminated area, up to 15 metres of clean material had to be used to fill the ground. Woolwich Arsenal, having been used as a military establishment until 1994, required an extensive land clearance project as a first step towards regeneration. |
A primary consideration of both these projects has been 'affordability'. 20% of the houses on Greenwich Peninsula will be social housing and, with their built-in energy efficiency, should significantly reduce the fuel bills for occupants. Meanwhile, improved transport links are better integrating these previously isolated areas of South East London. Now the peninsula has an extensive range of cycleways and footpaths, a new pier, a major bus terminal and, in North Greenwich, the largest underground station in the whole of Europe. Innovative practice is now flourishing in the area - for example, at the Holiday Inn, a reduced rate is offered to those who arrive by public transport.
Further south-east, Woolwich is currently the focal point for a wide array of planned projects. Proposed improvements at Royal Arsenal include a DLR extension to the City Airport and onto Woolwich Arsenal. North of the River, Beckton, Barking and Ilford may well have new rapid transit links to the area via a Thames Gateway Bridge currently under deliberation, and connections with the new Millennium Pier.
Business development is essential to ensure that regeneration will be sustainable. At Royal Arsenal, the creation of light industrial units, offices, housing, restaurants, bars, museums, sport and leisure facilities will encourage and cultivate growth. Around 2000 jobs should result from the redevelopment, and new visitors are already being attracted to the 'Firepower' artillery museum there. Up in Greenwich, the peninsula will become the home of 7000 Londoners, and is expected to create 6,500 jobs in total. But the work is still going on, and GOL continues to play a key role in these flagship regeneration projects - ensuring the Government's objectives are met.
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London's population is projected to increase by nearly
800,000 by 2016, placing huge additional pressures on London's housing
stock. In 1999, London's Gross Domestic Product was £123billion
- equivalent to 18% of UK economic activity. 4.7 million jobs in the rest of the UK depend on
London's demands for products. |
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