A little-seen part of Greenwich town centre will be opened up to the public as part of plans to demolish a conference centre that have been approved by councillors.
The Grade II-listed Devonport House will be refurbished as part of the plans by the University of Greenwich, which will open up two new public squares, including one next to an entrance to the National Maritime Museum.
Gates that have been closed for many years will be unlocked to allow students and the public in from Romney Road, opening up new routes through the site to the National Maritime Museum.
A conference centre at the rear of Devonport House that was built less than 25 years ago will be demolished, with a new three-storey extension built in its place, linked to the older building by a glass atrium. A car park would also be removed.
Part of Devonport House dates back to 1783, when it was built as the Royal Navy Hospital. The rest was built as a nurses’ home in 1929 and remained in use until 1993.
In 1996 the university bought part of the site – including the old hospital – for student accommodation, while the rest became a hotel and the interiors were heavily altered with the conference centre added. That part of the site was sold to the university in 2018, which is now planning to restore it to its former glory.
The grounds includes the former graveyard of the Greenwich Hospital and the Devonport Mausoleum, the last resting place of some of Britain’s best-known naval figures.
There will also be renovations to the listed Cooper Building on King William Walk, with disused boiler rooms in the basement brought back into service to house plant and services.
Jane Harrington, the university’s vice-chancellor, said that opening the gates was “really important”.
“I’m very conscious that at the moment, Devonport House and grounds are not accessible,” she said. “They’re not attractive and they’re not as inviting as they could be. And they could really transform that area for the community, visitors and tourists.”
Harrington promised improved landscaping and “tranquil spaces that we hope everyone will enjoy”.
“I genuinely believe that the Devenport House project represents an exciting and transformational opportunity for both the local community and the university,” she said. “It’s a project that respects local heritage while embracing the future, delivering modern facilities, creating new opportunities, and enhancing the area for everyone.”
There were no objections to the proposal, with the Greenwich Society supporting the project, and the scheme was unanimously passed by the council’s planning board on Tuesday.
David Gardner, a Greenwich Peninsula Labour councillor, said he was “very pleased that this seems to have received almost unanimous support from the local community”.
He added: “I think it’s been handled extremely well. It’s important for the university and its growth, it adds to the overall permeability, the attractivness of active travel and it’s a car-free development.
“I’m not a fan of demolition, especially of a building built so recently, but I can see it will create significant benefits here.”
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