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The Royal Borough of Greenwich is starting work next month on an exciting range of improvements to make Woolwich town centre’s main market and high street a more vibrant place to live, work and shop.

The improvements include:

Powis Street: giving the street a refresh by removing clutter, installing new paving, more planting to complement the tree-lined street, public seating, new play spaces and better lighting.

Beresford Square: transforming the market and creating a more flexible and friendly public space with a new urban garden, terraced seating, lighting and an interactive water fountain.

Market pavilion:a striking new market pavilion building with a café, seating, lush planting, play spaces for children and fully accessible public toilets with a changing places facility.

Royal Arsenal Gatehouse: working with the Greenwich Enterprise Board to reopen the gates of the Grade II listed Royal Arsenal Gatehouse for the first time in nearly 25 years, and lighting the building at night to create an attractive focal point in the town centre.

Nearly £25 million funding for the work, and other improvements to Woolwich town centre, has been awarded from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Future High Street Fund (FHSF) and Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ), complemented by match funding from the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Construction work is underway on a top quality new leisure centre in the heart of Woolwich.

Royal Greenwich councillors celebrated the start of construction work with pupils from Plumstead Manor School and local sportswoman, professional cricketer Phoebe Franklin.

The new three storey building will offer space for a wealth of sports including cricket, basketball, football, squash and much more, alongside swimming pools, extensive fitness suites, spa, café, creche, soft play area and flexible community rooms.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Anthony Okereke said: “This is a flagship project for the Council and will be one of the best leisure centres in the country. I’m really proud of what we’re delivering for our residents, setting a new benchmark for high quality design. As well as facilities for lots of different sports and leisure activities, it’s been created to be truly accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities and those with dementia. I’m delighted Phoebe and the Plumstead Manor School students were able to join us and I hope more local schools will visit to see this impressive building in construction.”

Phoebe joined Cllr Okereke to break ground on the new development, which is expected to take around 30 months to build. The South East Stars’ allrounder and Royal Greenwich resident heard about the new facilities and all the different sports it will cater for.

Phoebe Franklin said: “It’s fantastic to help construction get underway on such an exciting project. This will give local people access to top quality sporting facilities, so people of any age can try out a new sport that they might find a love for. It would have been amazing to have indoor facilities like this when I was young, to have the chance to train all year round in any kind of weather. I’m looking forward to coming along and trying out the new nets.”

Royal Greenwich Councillors visited the site of the new Woolwich leisure centre recently to see how preparations for a new state of the art leisure centre are going.

The Viscount House site on General Gordon Square is currently being cleared, in preparation for construction of a high-quality sports and leisure facility, which is expected to begin in spring 2023. Cabinet Members Cllr Okereke, Cllr Smith and Cllr Khaireh visited with ward members to see how demolition of the site is progressing.

Cllr Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Council, said:

“The Council's state-of-the-art leisure centre with a pool, gym and spa, nearly 500 high quality homes, commercial space and a community square in Woolwich town centre has got another step closer, following on from planning permission being granted in September. These facilities are at the heart of our investment in the town centre alongside the refurbishment of Tramshed Theatre and improving public areas around Powis Street and Beresford Square."

Cllr Adel Khaireh, Cabinet Member for Equality, Culture and Communities, said:

"The Woolwich Leisure Centre scheme will offer a range of facilities, including swimming pools, a gym, and spa, sports hall, squash and badminton courts, and five-a-side football pitch. Flexible community spaces, a creche, soft play area and a café will also be provided.

"The first phase has seen major refurbishment works taking place at the Tramshed Theatre next door. The refurbished theatre is due to reopen in December with an exciting programme of activities for young people and adults, including those with learning difficulties.

"With top quality venues like Woolwich Works and Tramshed, Woolwich’s cultural scene has so much to offer, both to local families and visitors from across London - there will be something for everyone."

Cllr Aidan Smith, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said:

"The Woolwich Leisure Centre scheme will bring so many benefits for local people - accessible, high quality leisure facilities, affordable new homes and nearly 140 construction jobs alone as well as apprenticeships and training opportunities.

"Four hundred and eighty-two new homes will built by our development partner, The Hill Group, including 168 affordable homes, made up of 117 homes for shared ownership and 51 homes for rent by local people on the Council's housing list."

Planning permission has been granted unanimously by the Royal Greenwich Planning Board for an impressive new leisure centre, high quality homes, commercial floorspace and a new community square, in the heart of Woolwich town centre.

The state of the art leisure centre will provide space for a wide range of sports and leisure facilities, including swimming pools for serious swimmers, learners and those who just want to have fun. The centre includes a gym and spa, sports hall, squash and badminton courts, and five-a-side football pitch, along with a café, creche, soft play area and flexible community spaces.

The scheme will also provide 482 one, two and three bedroom apartments which will be built by the Council’s development partner, The Hill Group. This includes 168 affordable homes, made up of 117 homes for shared ownership and 51 homes for rent by local people on the Council's housing list.

The approved plans include new commercial space which will offer places to eat and workspace, complemented by new public spaces for everyone to enjoy.

The Council's decision is still subject to referral to the Mayor of London for final approval, before construction can begin.