Three historic tram shelters in Eltham which date back more than 100 years will go up for auction next month, along with a car park in Blackheath which was pulled from sale last year.

The buildings in Well Hall Road once formed part of a terminus at St John’s Church, but served as public toilets after the tram network closed in 1952. One building dates back to 1912, with the other two following a decade later. They have been disused for many years.

The three buildings, which are on the council’s heritage list, are being sold separately by Strettons on September 10: two have a guide price of between £35,000 to £40,000, the smaller building has a suggested price tag of between £18,000 and £20,000.

Greenwich Council will also mount a second attempt to sell a car park on Old Dover Road in Blackheath at the same auction, despite protests from local businesses who say the reduction in space for vehicles will harm their trade. 

Tram shelters and church
The shelters became public toilets after the tram network closed. Image: The Greenwich Wire

The car park was due to be sold in December but was pulled from the auction due to a legal issue with electric car park charging points. It has a guide price of £500,000.

While the tram shelter sales have been relatively uncontroversial – local Conservative councillors have long pressed to have them brought back into use – there was a furore last year about council’s policy of offloading car parks and other assets to chip away at its budget deficit.

The sales are part of a £33 million package of cuts approved by the Labour council’s cabinet in October 2024. The council has said the car parks are little-used, a claim that has been hotly disputed by opponents of what the former Conservative leader Matt Hartley called a “fire sale”. 

Car park in use
The council claims the Old Dover Road car park is little-used. Image: The Greenwich Wire

Last year a car park at Abery Street, Plumstead, was sold for £1.4 million – more than three times its reserve price – after 20 minutes of bidding. The site has remained as a car park under its new owner.

Another car park, in Charlton Village, fetched £410,000, against a guide price of £230,000, and has since been fenced off by its new owners. 

A long-closed public toilet in Rodmere Street, east Greenwich, is also due to go under the hammer on September 10, with a guide price of £175,000.

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