Woolwich Barracks could be used as a home for Greenwich’s archives after all – after the council ruled out the main building being used as a home for the borough’s heritage centre.
But developers will have to find a location and ensure a proposal works among demands for cheaper housing and other issues.
Since the sudden closure of the Greenwich Heritage Centre in 2018 the borough has had no civic museum or walk-in access to its records and collections.
The council reneged on a pledge to allow the centre to return to the Royal Arsenal after the immersive theatre company Punchdrunk was given a lease on the planned building; what was the heritage centre is now the Woolwich Works cultural hub.
With the Army due to leave most of the Woolwich Barracks site in 2028, Greenwich Council began a consultation last October on what it wants potential buyers to do with the land, including the Grade II*-listed main building with its Georgian frontage, the accommodation behind it, the crumbling Rotunda, and the surrounding green space.
Up to 1,920 homes could be built on the site, including in the main building – with the town hall expecting 50 per cent of homes to be “affordable”, which can mean anything from social rent to homes sold at a discount.
The council was insistent that the main barracks building would not be suitable for the archive, and remains so, even though it does not own the site. But has conceded that a home could be found elsewhere on the site.
“it may be possible to locate the Greenwich Archives elsewhere within the site if development timescales, design considerations, viability, and other relevant factors align,” a paper due to go before the council’s cabinet on Wednesday says.
“The [masterplan] has been updated to reflect this possibility within the list of potential uses. It is important to note however, that the council does not own the site; therefore, while cultural uses such as the Greenwich Archives and Heritage Centre can be encouraged as part of any redevelopment, the final mix of uses will be determined through a future planning application and viability will have an impact.”
The reference to “viability” is key, with the masterplan signalling that the council will not want developers rowing back on providing cheaper housing – which will be a policy requirement – to provide an archive. In addition, the council is likely to want as many homes as possible, with both the housing crisis and Woolwich’s viability as a major town centre in mind.
“If the archives were to be included as part of the redevelopment, it would be for the developer to identify the most appropriate location, balancing this against other policy requirements and site considerations,” the document adds.
The masterplan only found lukewarm support for the council’s plans, with 52 per cent of respondents somewhat supporting the proposals, and 27 per cent opposing them altogether – apparently opposed to any development at all on the site, despite the ugly Army accommodation that will be left behind. Only 21 per cent fully supported the plans.
Greenwich’s archives are currently based on an industrial unit on the Charlton riverside, with limited access for researchers. There are plans to open up a space for researchers in Charlton House – which, like the archives, is run by the Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust – but no firm details have emerged.
The masterplan and consultation results will be presented to Greenwich Council’s cabinet on Wednesday afternoon.
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