D-Day for "Mutant" tower blocks

An inquiry into the Royal Borough of Greenwich Council's decision to demolish two tower blocks begins this week.

The tower block, described as "mutant", containing 204 homes, at the Mast Quay development in Woolwich was ordered to be torn down by the Royal Borough of Greenwich, following at least 26 main deviations to the original planning permission. These include: 

• visible design changes to the external appearance of the towers – the final towers look more solid and bulky because of the removal of the stepped back top floor and the glazed curtain wall façade to Block E that would have given the appearance of a sail.  
• visible changes to the materials and windows – different cladding, less glazing, smaller balconies, smaller windows and no wraparound balconies resulting in a reduction of daylight and sunlight, and to a reduced outlook.  
• increasing the approved size of the footprint of both towers 
• not providing the roof gardens for residents and the public, children’s play areas, green roofs or landscaped gardens 
• lower quality residential accommodation 
• non accessible ‘accessible’ apartments that have steps to the balconies so that wheelchair users cannot use their outdoor space. 
• provision of a residents’ gym in place of the approved commercial floorspace which is also not accessible to anyone who uses a wheelchair 
• a reduction of the amount of commercial floorspace for offices, shops and cafes at ground-level 
• failure to provide enough underground car parking so that car parking dominates at ground level replacing what should have been a landscaped garden area with trees and plants and less car parking overall that could place pressure on street parking 
• a lack of disabled parking bays  
• shared residential/commercial basement access that could lead to conflicts 
• a poorer quality footbridge to Woolwich Church Street 

Additionally, residents were promised amenities including shops, gardens and a children's playground. None of these materialised.

Comer Homes appealed against the council’s enforcement notice telling it to demolish phase 2 of the Mast Quay development, known as Sky Sail House and Star Sail House, respectively, which was finished at the end of 2023.

Councillor Aidan Smith, the council's cabinet member for regeneration, described the blocks as a "mutant development".

"We cannot let what has been delivered at Mast Quay Phase II go unchallenged," he said.

Some residents in the buildings affected have launched a petition to try and save the blocks from the bulldozer.  Meanwhile, estate agents, Hamptons, continued to rent out apartments in the buildings, despite the threat of demolition.

The lower-rise blocks built in phase one of the development are not affected by the council's order.

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesman said: “We are aware that the Royal Borough of Greenwich has taken enforcement action against the Mast Quay development in Woolwich, and this has been appealed by the developer.

“The appeal will be determined by the planning inspectorate, and it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

A spokesman for the Royal Borough of Greenwich added: “We have not seen a petition from local residents and are unable to comment further, as the applicant has exercised their right to appeal the enforcement notice.”

The hearing begins on Tuesday 23rd July.

Picture: Steph Watts