Woolwich’s Mast Quay towers can stay – but orange cladding must go, inspector rules

The controversial Mast Quay Phase 2 development by the River Thames at  Woolwich can stay, a planning inspector has ruled – but its orange cladding must be removed and other changes made.

Greenwich Council had ordered the developer, Comer Homes, to knock down the 204-flat development on Woolwich Church Street in September 2023 because it breached the planning permission given in 2012. The developer appealed against the ruling.

John Braithwaite, the inspector, gave Comer planning permission for the development as it was built – subject to changes aimed at improving its appearance. But he did not overturn the council’s demolition order, saying it should apply if Comer did not comply with his ruling.

The verdict, which was published on Thursday evening, followed an a public inquiry, held during the summer, and negotiations between the council and the developer. 

Comer had originally proposed building blocks with metal features and grey cladding, which councillors believed would complement the surroundings, the St Mary’s church opposite and the former cinemas by the Woolwich Ferry.

Greenwich had claimed 26 breaches of its planning permission, with Aidan Smith, who was then the cabinet member for regeneration, branding the block “a mutant development that is a blight on the landscape”.

But the inspector knocked the list down to 11 and made clear that the development would be acceptable if changes were made.  He said: “If it were not for the orange cladding, the as-built development would be a neutral element in the setting of the heritage assets.” 

Comer now has three years to fix the two riverside towers of 23 and 15 storeys, along with a smaller adjoining block. If it does not meet the conditions imposed by the inspector in that timeframe, then an amended version of the council’s demolition order would apply.

Orange cladding – branded “visually intrusive” by the inspector – will have to be removed and replaced with a colour to be approved by the council, while dark grey panelling would be installed below windows.

Flats which should have been accessible to wheelchair users will have to be adapted, while there will have to be improvements to the public realm around the blocks. Fire safety work will also need to be carried out, while Comer will have to pay £4.4 million towards “affordable” housing elsewhere because it did not include enough in the development.

While the inspector said that some Phase 2 residents lived in flats with not enough light, and 28 flats had no access to a balcony, Braithwaite concluded: “The benefits of the development include the provision of 204 residential units including 28 affordable housing units, in a borough where there is a woeful undersupply of housing, and the payment of an affordable housing contribution of £4,400,000 to [the council]. These benefits, in themselves and as a matter of planning judgement, are compelling.

“The adverse impacts of granting planning permission … do not significantly and demonstrably outweigh the compelling substantial benefits.”

Comer will also have to pay £2.3 million in community infrastructure levy to the council, a charge that did not exist when the original planning permission was given.

Greenwich came in for criticism for not acting sooner, with the inspector concluding that Comer was not taking part in “intentional unauthorised development” because the council was accepting amendments to the original planning permission until January 2023, when the blocks were nearly finished.

“Given the size of the development and the location of the site next to Woolwich Church Street, it would have been visually obvious that development was proceeding,” he wrote.

Mast Quay Phase 1, which was finished in 2007, 16 years before residents started moving into its neighbour, was not part of the row, although some of its residents backed the council’s demolition demand, with one telling the inspector at the public inquiry: “You can’t polish a turd.”

But many residents in Phase 2 supported Comer. One told the public inquiry said it was a “practical, no-nonsense building” and warned of a “political backlash” if demolition was allowed. 

The inspector made a partial award of costs against the Comer subsidiary behind the scheme, Fincraft Ltd, which he said had “acted unreasonably” in pursuing part of the appeal before dropping that element before the public inquiry.

Comer Homes said on Friday morning: “We’re happy with the decision made by the independent inquiry and pleased that a satisfactory outcome has been reached for the good of the residents of Mast Quay Phase 2. We look forward to now working closely with Greenwich Council to move forward and bring this situation to a positive end.”

Greenwich Council said on Monday afternoon: “This was a landmark case following unprecedented enforcement action. We stand by our decision to hold developers to account when unlawful development has taken place in our borough and we make no apologies for standing up for our residents and local communities. We look forward to commenting further in due course.”   

• The Mast Quay blocks overlook where 14-year-old Kelyan Bokassa was killed on a bus on Tuesday afternoon. Police are still hunting for his killer.

Updated on Monday afternoon with Greenwich Council statement.

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