The developer behind plans to build 66 flats on the site of a historic Abbey Wood pub says it is rethinking its plans so they comply with new fire safety rules.
Peabody won the backing of Bexley councillors three years ago for a 10-storey block on land once occupied by the Harrow Inn, on the borough border with Greenwich.
But the full paperwork wasn’t completed – and the housing association now says it is looking again at the site, which has become a local eyesore.
Changes to planning rules after the Grenfell Tower fire mean that the block would be unlikely to be allowed now because it only had one stairwell, while Peabody said the scheme had also been held up because of the pandemic and the poor state of the economy.
Despite the arrival of the Elizabeth Line last year and investment by both councils in improving the original “village” centre of Abbey Wood, two major sites at its southern end have sat derelict for years.
Plans for 30 flats on the site of the old crown post office were approved by Greenwich Council in December 2019, but the building has been allowed to fall into disrepair since then. Developers finally submitted plans to demolish the building last month – an indication, but not a guarantee, that work could be about to progress.
But across the road, the site of the Harrow Inn has been empty since the pub was demolished by a private developer in 2009. A pub had existed on the site for nearly 300 years before that.
Peabody, which now owns much of nearby Thamesmead and has demolished some of the town’s original late-1960s estates, later took on the land. In February 2020 – three weeks before the first coronavirus lockdown – a Bexley planning committee approved plans for a 10-storey block.
While some more paperwork was filed later in 2020, no formal agreement with Bexley was ever signed.
But the approved development only had one stairwell serving its top seven floors. City Hall said earlier this year that it would not approve any blocks of more than 30 metres tall – about 10 storeys – in London, meaning Peabody will have to go back to the drawing board. National rules on the issue are also expected soon.
The new rules come after the disaster at Grenfell Tower, which only had a single stairwell. A number of other developments have had to be reworked since then, including Woolwich’s Tesco tower. More developments, including a major Berkeley Homes tower in Woolwich and a block on the Charlton Riverside, will need to go back before councillors to be approved again in the coming months.
A Peabody spokesperson told The Greenwich Wire: “We’re working with Thamesmead’s local communities to improve, grow and look after the town for the long term. As well as building new homes this is about investing in existing homes and spaces and improving our services locally. It’s also about community and cultural investment, looking after the natural environment and creating opportunities for people to flourish and thrive.
“We’re prioritising investment in improving our existing homes, buildings and services but are continuing to bring new homes forward, where we can, to help tackle the housing crisis.
“We’ve provided over 550 new homes in the area so far with thousands more in the pipeline, including the site at Abbey Road. This 66-home scheme has unfortunately been delayed due to a combination of factors including the pandemic, challenging economic conditions, and changing regulations and requirements.
“We’re looking again at the design of the Abbey Road development taking these changed circumstances into account.”
Bexley Council told The Greenwich Wire: “The decision was subject to the completion of a legal agreement to secure an extensive list of planning obligations, legal agreements are still ongoing.”
Story updated at 1.30pm on Tuesday to include Bexley Council statement.
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