Plans for a 3,000-seat theatre on the Greenwich Peninsula have been given the go-ahead by councillors, with one saying it would be “our own National Theatre”.
The Troubadour Greenwich Peninsula will be next to the cable car terminal on a site facing the Thames which is currently occupied by a coach park and site offices for the Silvertown Tunnel construction project.
Troubadour already operates theatres at Wembley Park and Canary Wharf, and its planning representative Tim Humphries described Greenwich Peninsula as a “flagship venue” for the group.
There will be two 1,500-seat auditoriums, and the theatre will have permission to be on the site for ten years, with Troubadour hoping to open in February or March next year, councillors were told. The developer Knight Dragon eventually plans to build homes on the site.
Eight residents had complained about potential noise from the theatre and its visitors, with one even going as far as to compare it to the Ministry of Sound nightclub at the Elephant & Castle – a concern dismissed by Greenwich planners.
Councillors raised concerns about the “boxy” appearance of the building and its lighting, but the only resident to address the meeting spoke in support.
Sylvia Williams of the Greenwich Millennium Village Residents’ Association said: “For too long, the area has been dominated by housing development. A cultural facility of this kind would offer something different, something that enriches community life, rather than simply adding more residential density.”
But she raised concerns about the already-difficult traffic situation for buses leaving North Greenwich station after events at the O2 and asked for access for local schools and groups to be written into the permission.
Oliver Royds, the chief executive of Troubadour, said that a 50p levy on each ticket would fund community initiatives such as inviting schools to the theatre. “When we had War Horse at Wembley Park Theatre, we had Michael Morpugo stand up and give a talk to a full audience from local schools,” he said. “We had workshops for three weeks before that, which enabled schools to be a part of and actually understand the history we talked about.”
He pledged there would be a “proper scheduled plan” for loading equipment in and out of the theatre and crowds coming in and out would be managed.
Backing the scheme, Shooters Hill Green councillor Tamasin Rhymes said: “I quite like the idea of our own National Theatre. I quite like the design. I very much welcome the cultural benefit, the jobs, the training, all of that sounds great.”
David Gardner, a Labour councillor for the Greenwich Peninsula, said: “I represent this ward and I think it’s a tremendous application and innovation for the area, indeed for the wider borough and over the water as well.
“Already there’s quite a significant entertainment zone round the O2 that attracts tourists and so forth, as well as local people and people from across London. I think it’s excellent. It’s far better than the David Beckham Academy, which was on that site previously.
“It’s not my favourite design. I do think it’s boxy. It fits in slightly with the Design District, but not much else. It certainly doesn’t fit in with the heritage of the area, but I’m prepared to forego those slight misgivings in the greater good.”
Kidbrooke Village Labour councillor David Sullivan said he had visited the Wembley theatre and been impressed. He added: “I think we as a borough would be very proud to have a facility like that here on the peninsula.”
After the meeting, Justine Simons, London’s deputy mayor for culture, hailed the approval for the theatre as “fantastic news”.
She added: “London is the theatre capital of the world, drawing millions of visitors every year, and this 3,000-capacity venue will be a brilliant addition to this ever-growing creative district.”
Laura Flanagan, the director of Greenwich Peninsula for its developer, Knight Dragon, said the theatre plan “demonstrates the growing strength and ambition of our cultural district”.
Councillors also voted to defer an application for a 20-storey tower opposite the Ikea store on the peninsula after residents raised concerns about a loss of green space in the area.
📺 For transparency: The Greenwich Wire usually tries to attend meetings like this in person. Unfortunately, we could only cover this meeting via the webcast.
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