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The Royal Borough of Greenwich is starting work next month on an exciting range of improvements to make Woolwich town centre’s main market and high street a more vibrant place to live, work and shop.

The improvements include:

Powis Street: giving the street a refresh by removing clutter, installing new paving, more planting to complement the tree-lined street, public seating, new play spaces and better lighting.

Beresford Square: transforming the market and creating a more flexible and friendly public space with a new urban garden, terraced seating, lighting and an interactive water fountain.

Market pavilion: a striking new market pavilion building with a café, seating, lush planting, play spaces for children and fully accessible public toilets with a changing places facility.

Royal Arsenal Gatehouse: working with the Greenwich Enterprise Board to reopen the gates of the Grade II listed Royal Arsenal Gatehouse for the first time in nearly 25 years, and lighting the building at night to create an attractive focal point in the town centre.

Nearly £25 million funding for the work, and other improvements to Woolwich town centre, has been awarded from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Future High Street Fund (FHSF) and Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ), complemented by match funding from the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

Four inspiring new murals have been unveiled in Woolwich town centre as part of the Council’s work to showcase the area’s rich cultural heritage and celebrate the local community.

The distinctive, colourful murals were made by local artists, designed in collaboration with Royal Greenwich residents, schools and community groups.

An excited group of pupils from Nightingale Primary School joined Cllr Adel Khaireh, Cllr Aidan Smith, Cllr Sam Littlewood and artist Haffeera Cader Saul to unveil a mural on Barnard Close last week, which they had helped to create. Haffeera produced the “Area of Prosperity” mural following a series of workshops with year 4 pupils and local residents.

Artist Ellen Strachan also joined Cllrs to unveil her mural “Work in Woolwich” on Calderwood Street, designed with pictures and stories from people who work in Woolwich or have worked there in the past.

Cllr Adel Khaireh, Cabinet Member for Equality, Culture and Communities, said: “These stunning murals tell the personal stories and aspirations of our community, bringing creativity and colour to Woolwich town centre. It’s fantastic to see how proud the artists and the Nightingale pupils are of their artwork, and to see Woolwich’s rich history brought to life.

“On behalf of the Council, I’d like to thank all the different artists, community groups, schools and people who got involved and shared their memories and ideas. I hope they will all be enjoyed for many years to come.”

Lisa Risby, Child Welfare Officer at Nightingale Primary School, said: "We were delighted when Haffeera approached us to work with her on the mural. We have a strong sense of community here at Nightingale, and local heritage is important to us, so we were honoured to be part of a project that ties these themes together. The children really enjoyed the workshop and have been looking forward to seeing their work on show. It's great to see how the flowers they have drawn have been incorporated into the wider piece.”

Royal Greenwich Councillors visited the site of the new Woolwich leisure centre recently to see how preparations for a new state of the art leisure centre are going.

The Viscount House site on General Gordon Square is currently being cleared, in preparation for construction of a high-quality sports and leisure facility, which is expected to begin in spring 2023. Cabinet Members Cllr Okereke, Cllr Smith and Cllr Khaireh visited with ward members to see how demolition of the site is progressing.

Cllr Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Council, said:

“The Council's state-of-the-art leisure centre with a pool, gym and spa, nearly 500 high quality homes, commercial space and a community square in Woolwich town centre has got another step closer, following on from planning permission being granted in September. These facilities are at the heart of our investment in the town centre alongside the refurbishment of Tramshed Theatre and improving public areas around Powis Street and Beresford Square."

Cllr Adel Khaireh, Cabinet Member for Equality, Culture and Communities, said:

"The Woolwich Leisure Centre scheme will offer a range of facilities, including swimming pools, a gym, and spa, sports hall, squash and badminton courts, and five-a-side football pitch. Flexible community spaces, a creche, soft play area and a café will also be provided.

"The first phase has seen major refurbishment works taking place at the Tramshed Theatre next door. The refurbished theatre is due to reopen in December with an exciting programme of activities for young people and adults, including those with learning difficulties.

"With top quality venues like Woolwich Works and Tramshed, Woolwich’s cultural scene has so much to offer, both to local families and visitors from across London - there will be something for everyone."

Cllr Aidan Smith, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said:

"The Woolwich Leisure Centre scheme will bring so many benefits for local people - accessible, high quality leisure facilities, affordable new homes and nearly 140 construction jobs alone as well as apprenticeships and training opportunities.

"Four hundred and eighty-two new homes will built by our development partner, The Hill Group, including 168 affordable homes, made up of 117 homes for shared ownership and 51 homes for rent by local people on the Council's housing list."

We're inviting expressions of interest from local artists for four new artworks in Woolwich by 15 August 2022.

We're looking for a collection of local artists to animate blank walls and facades at four sites in Woolwich town centre. The artworks will highlight Woolwich's historic high street, add colour and creativity, and celebrate the local people who make up Woolwich today.

The murals will make Woolwich more attractive and vibrant for residents, businesses and shoppers.

The Royal Borough of Greenwich has received further funding of £74,500 from Historic England and National Lottery Heritage Fund to bring the history of local people alive, as part of a two-year culture and arts project, to attract more people back to Woolwich town centre.

This cultural programme will be run on the Council's behalf by the established arts organisation Emergency Exit Arts to complement the physical improvements being made to heritage buildings in the area through the Woolwich Heritage Action Zone.

To create an arts trail in and around Powis Street the Council is looking for artists to create four unique murals that tell a story of Woolwich’s history and future. Architecture practice Turner Works will manage the commissioning process on behalf of the Council.

The proposed locations are:

Cllr Adel Khaireh, Cabinet Member for Culture, Communities and Equalities, said: “Our cultural programme will celebrate the diverse stories of our communities in Woolwich and delve more intimately into the lives and experiences of our community, showing just how connected we all are. I can’t wait to see how local artists will also creatively reinterpret the local people’s stories to build a trail that is immersive, captivating and real.”

Cllr Aidan Smith, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “Woolwich is a priority area for the Council. We are investing in a brand-new leisure centre as well as refurbishing Tramshed Theatre and leading the makeover of the town centre’s civic spaces and heritage buildings. We want to attract residents from nearby communities to Beresford market and the high street, increasing spend and footfall, supporting local businesses and increasing the diversity of what’s on offer in the town centre for residents.”

Tomorrow (2 July) from 10am to 1pm, our team are in Beresford Square talking to residents and shoppers about our exciting new design proposals for Woolwich town centre.

Come along to check out the proposals to improve Beresford Square and Powis Street, and give your feedback.

Our consultation is open until Friday 17 July 2022 and you can still get involved in a number of different ways.

We're asking local people to share their views on exciting new proposals that will make Woolwich a more attractive and accessible place to shop, work and live. The proposals have been developed in consultation with the local community to improve the look and feel of the town centre.

The proposals include:

• improving the layout of Beresford Square and Powis Street to encourage more shoppers and visitors

• providing flexible space for community events and al-fresco dining for local cafes and restaurants

• improving facilities for market traders

• a new interactive water feature, play spaces and planting

• improving lighting to make the town centre feel safer and support the night-time economy

• improving paving and providing more public seating

• artwork celebrating Woolwich’s unique history

• removing street clutter

• improving connections with local bus stops and train stations