Work on an 18-storey Travelodge on the Greenwich Peninsula has stopped after the developer failed to pay a £2 million bill to the council.

Plans for the building, which is set to feature a distinctive “sail” design on the roof, were approved in January 2021 and signed off last year. Councillors had demanded a landmark building on the site, which faces the A102 and the exits from both the new Silvertown Tunnel and the Blackwall Tunnel.

The previous building on the site at Boord Street – the old headquarters of the construction company O’Keefe – was knocked down earlier this year. 

But a pile of rubble remains after Greenwich Council issued a “stop notice” on August 9 over an unpaid bill for £2,034,350.03. A warning notice sent the previous month is also attached to the fencing surrounding the site.

Mozano, the developer behind the project, said it was working on obtaining new funding for the project, and awaiting permission for changes to the proposed building which would increase room numbers from 300 to 367. It hoped to resume work next year.

Render of silver tower
Ahoy there: The planned hotel with a distinctive sail design. Image: Mountford Pigott/Mozano UK

The missing money is community infrastructure levy (CIL), a charge on developers that is meant to help pay for local transport, healthcare and other facilities. Government funding cuts mean this cash has become more important to councils in recent years. 

In Greenwich, CIL income was earmarked for the Woolwich Elizabeth Line station, but with the final Crossrail bill paid off, that money is now available to the council to spend on other new projects. 

Last month, councillors approved plans for 352 homes and 340 student rooms, with towers of up to 26 storeys, on a site next door that used to be a lorry park. That development contained a “black-box” self-storage unit, and in criticising its design, planning chair Gary Dillion said councillors had demanded a “landmark building” for the Travelodge.

Paper documents attached to a fence
A demand notice was attached to the site in July. The diggers seen behind have since been removed. Image: The Greenwich Wire

At present the site is empty after two digger trucks were removed in recent weeks. An information board for workers suggests that the last date the site was in use was July 20.

Planned changes to the design include more rooms and a second staircase, to take into account new rules following the Grenfell Tower fire. 

Papers attached to fencing
Stop right now, thank you very much: A formal demand to halt work was posted on August 9.

Travelodge declined to comment. Mozano told The Greenwich Wire: “The community infrastructure levy payment has not been settled yet as we are currently finalising the next funding tranche. Permanent works on the site have been paused as we are awaiting the final design approval based on the Section 73 amendments to ensure compliance with the new building regulations.

“The existing building has been completely demolished, and we are preparing for the next phase. Subject to finalising the funding rounds and discharging the remaining planning conditions, we anticipate that permanent works will commence during the first quarter next year.”

View of street and building
The site in May 2021, with the O’Keefe building. Dreadnought Street, with its bus stop, has been replaced by the Silvertown Tunnel exit while a new footbridge across the A102 has been put in place. Image: The Greenwich Wire

A Greenwich Council spokesperson said: “We are committed to making sure new developments deliver positive change to an area for existing and new communities. The community infrastructure levy plays an important role in allowing us to do that.

“The developers of 1 Boord Street will need to pay its CIL charge to allow works to continue.”

Update: The developer paid the money in November 2024 but did not specify a date for work to restart.

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