Plumstead Manor has a vibrant and diverse Sixth Form, small enough to offer personalised support and guidance yet large enough to offer a broad curriculum and spectrum of subjects.
Our modern, purpose built Sixth Form Centre offers unique facilities, with a team of staff on hand, expert in Sixth Form life to ensure that all students secure progression onto chosen competitive course and employment pathways.
The education we provide is well rounded and based on ambition and excellence, giving all our students the platform to be stretched and challenged. With a proven pedigree of developing future leaders, the destinations of our students are testament to both the guidance they receive and the purpose they develop as global citizens.
Please visit our website for details of how to join us to ignite your lifelong love of learning and continued path to success.
Enrolment is from 10am on Thursday 21st and from 9am on Friday 22nd August for those candidates who have not yet secured their place for September 2025 entry.
TheGreenwich & Lewisham Weekender is an independent weekly newspaper, covering the boroughs of Greenwich and Lewisham.
We publish every Wednesday, covering every postcode sector of the borough, and boasting, by far, the highest weekly circulation in Greenwich. Each week, we deliver our paper to every Greenwich neighbourhood, with further copies stocked at convenient public stands. We are also the highest distribution newspaper in Lewisham.
You can also view each edition online, as well as daily news and events, on our website: www.weekender.co.uk
The Greenwich & Lewisham Weekender covers all aspects of life in the boroughs, including music, theatre, comedy, film, events, and food and drink, as well as all your community events and campaigns.
Weekender
The Greenwich and Lewisham Weekender is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (which regulates the UK’s magazine and newspaper industry).
We abide by the Editors’ Code of Practice and are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism. If you think that we have not met those standards and want to make a complaint, please contact 020 7231 5258. If we are unable to resolve your complaint, or if you would like more information about IPSO or the Editors’ Code, contact IPSO on 0300 123 2220 or visit www.ipso.co.uk
Weekender Editor: Kevin Quinn
Media Partnerships: Anthony Phillips
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Advertising support: Katie Boyd
Editorial: Michael Holland; Issy Clarke, Evie Flynn
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Published weekly on a Wednesday at: Community Matters Media Ltd
This family-friendly dance performance at Woolwich Works explores the growing issue of waste and excess packaging. The show is interactive and invites children and families to actively engage by building, dismantling and reusing packaging materials. There will be dance, sound and storytelling.
In these workshops, kids will engage in fun activities such as playing musical statues, balancing boxes instead of moving freely, recycling boxes to turn them into instruments, and using the materials to create new structures and creative movements. By making reuse a central part of the performance, the show encourages children to rethink waste and find their own imaginative solutions in everyday life.
Tickets: £11 per ticket, book here: https://www.woolwich.works/events/1-click-away
Sing to the Lord a New Song at the Old Royal Naval College:
An evening of music by the Monteverdi Choir, accompanied by the English Baroque Soloists, in the magnificent Chapel of St Peter and St Paul at the Old Royal Naval College. The Monteverdi Choir has been recognised as one of the greatest and most influential choirs in the world. Alongside the English Baroque Soloists, they will perform two of Bach’s miniature masterpieces, followed by Handel’s Dixit Dominus.
Date: Thursday 4 September
Time: 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Location: Chapel of St Peter & St Paul, Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich, London, SE10 9NN
Tickets: £49.50 for adults, £9 for children, £18 for students
A reminder of the month-long celebration of the River Thames, from 1 September - 30 September. There will be sound rituals, photography workshops, walking tours, and open days all over Greenwich and wider London throughout the month. For more information, visit: https:// thamesfestivaltrust.org/artistic-programme/totally-thames/
Date: 1 September - 30 September
Location: Various locations
Time Flys at Broadway Theatre:
Time Flys is an opportunity to reminisce back to the ‘90s in a play packed with laughs. 5 day passes, Avirex jackets, Choice FM radio and 20p mix ups and much more.
Is this South London’s quirkiest museum? The Fan Museum in Greenwich
By Evie Flynn
Greenwich is home to a museum dedicated to showcasing over 7,000 fan-related items from across different decades and cultures.
Situated inside a pair of beautifully restored Grade II Listed early Georgian townhouses, and with Her Majesty the Queen Camilla as the patron, The Fan Museum is a Greenwich hidden gem.
Since 1991, the Fan Museum has been striving to be ‘a museum unlike any other’, with a vast collection of fans that expand over 1,000 years of history and culture.
It’s been open to the public since 1991, founded by Hélène Alexander MBE (a world authority on fans) and her late husband, ‘Dickie’ A.V Alexander OBE. It was based on Hélène’s extensive fan collection, upon which the The Fan Museum was founded.
“The Museum is just about niche enough to be considered quirky,” Sophie, the General Manager, tells us.
“I think it’s great fun that when you move around the Museum you are
Five
essentially moving around what were at one point two separate houses.
“The Fan Museum proves itself to be a gem in South London, and South London is really the place to be, but maybe I’m biased, as a life-long and very grateful South East London resident!”
We asked Sophie what her favourite fan in the collection is: “I love the Brisé fan, Brisé meaning a fan without a leaf, made entirely of Mother of Pearl,” she explains. “It’s so beautiful, it stops you in your tracks.”
Collection highlights include works from artists like Paul Gauguin, fans from Japanese courts and a rare Elizabethan fan. The collection is enriched by a wide range of period costume, fan making tools, equipment and rare books.
Greenwich is the perfect location for the museum, immersed in a deep history and rich culture of arts and heritage. “There is also something to be said for the feeling of stepping back in time when one comes to Greenwich,” Sophie says. “You’re surrounded by a great range of architectural styles including Georgian, like that of the buildings in which the Museum is housed.”
The diversity of visitors to South East London bring perspectives from all across the world- which Sophie says is knowledge to be gained from a place like The Fan Museum. The only other dedicated Fan Museum is in China.
outdoor summer events in South London you don’t want to miss
Enjoy outdoor and indoor activities in the car-free space right next to
Date: Saturday 23 August
Time: 2pm - 11pm
Location: Coulgate Street, SE4 2RW
Tickets: No ticket required, free entry
Pop-up Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet disco party:
A free, family-friendly afternoon disco party in the Beckenham Place Park outdoor courtyard. Groove to DJ Lord Anthony on the decks and dancing with be led by Lady Boo.
Nikki, founder on Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet, started the initiative to create an inclusive space people of all ages can dance to feel good music.
Date: Saturday 30 August
Location: The Homestead Cafe, Beckenham Place Park
Time: 3pm - 5pm
Tickets: Free, no ticket required
The team holds monthly Fan Making Workshops, designed to give you a taste of the ancient craft. Limited to groups of six people, the workshops are a three-hour, guided, deep dive on the first Saturday of each month. Each attendee will create two common types of fan and costs £40 per person.
Over the past 30 years the Museum and its small team have put on over eighty fan-themed exhibitions and welcomed over 300,000 visitors. Their current exhibition is Birds of a Feather, running until 13 September, which explores the fascination for birds as a source of decoration and embellishment on fans across multiple decades and cultures.
If you’d like to view the collection, you can book a guided tour for £10 per person, where the curatorial team explain the origins of the fans. Or, to browse the museum at your own pace, normal tickets are priced at just £5 for adults and £3 for children.
The Museum is a registered charity, with accessible ticket pricing and a small gift shop. They always welcome volunteers from the local community who would like to help run the Front of house, shop or exhibition space.
The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 11am – 5pm.
12 Crooms Hill, Greenwich, London, SE10 8ER thefanmuseum.org.uk
So Last Century’s Vintage Market 10th anniversary:
Celebrating 10 years of the vintage market and retro far, So Last Century are popping up at Beckenham Place Park Mansion on August Bank Holiday Monday.
This vintage market pops up almost monthly at several venues across south London, with 50 vintage traders and wonderful things to discover and buy. There are lots of mid 20th century furniture, lighting, homeware, posters, books, maps, clothes and more.
Most traders take card payments, and will deliver locally if you want to buy something big, like an armchair.
Date: Monday 25 August
Location: The Mansion, Beckenham Pl Park, Beckenham BR3 1SY Time: 10am-5pm
Big Band on the Bandstand:
Soak up the sounds of summer as the South London Jazz Orchestra take to the stage on the historic Horniman bandstand.
There will be delicious streetfood, picnic boxes and chilled drinks.
Date: Saturday 28 August
Time: From 6pm
Location: 100 London Rd, London SE23 3PQ
Tickets: £15.00 adults and £12.50 for under 12s. Book here: https://www. horniman.ac.uk/event/big-band-on-thebandstand/
be
There will be live music from the Big
Big
and DJs all afternoon. Come and support local brewers: BRE3WERY, Drop Project Brewing, Ignition Brewery, The Inkspot Brewery, The Kernel Brewery, Orbit Beers, Small BeerCo and Three Hounds Brewery.
Date: Saturday 23 August
Location: Beckhenham Place Park, BR3 1SY
Tickets: Free entry but RSVP online: https://www.thehomesteadcafe. co.uk/events/beer-festiv al-2025-2025-08-23-12-00-2/form
Beer Festival:
The Beer Festival will
returning to the Homestead in Beckenham Place Park.
Swim
Band
Parlez Culture Jam Festival:
An opportunity to celebrate Caribbean culture in Brockley with live Steel Pan, Carnival dancers, Caribbean food, and DJs like Sir Lloyd Coxsone and Melvina Moves.
Brockley station.
What plans are afoot?
Temporary changing rooms for Millwall Football Club’s players, a 10-bed House in Multiple Occupation (HMO) and 20 new flats are among the latest planning applications to pop up in a South London borough, writes Ruby Gregory, Local Democracy Reporter...
Each week Lewisham’s planning portal receives dozens of new applications from developers or residents who are hoping to get their plans approved in the near future.
Plans are submitted and validated by Lewisham Council, and are publicly available to residents who can have their say – regardless of whether they are supporting or objecting to a proposed development.
Most planning applications are determined by planning officers working for the council under delegated powers however, some will need to be decided by a local planning committee due to factors such as the size of the development and whether there has been a significant amount of public interest.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has compiled a list of some
of the most interesting applications which have been submitted to the planning portal since July 1, 2025.
A site in Sydenham has been earmarked for more than a dozen new homes. The applicant, known as Tengu Ltd in planning documents, has submitted plans to build 20 “high quality” homes, consisting of two-bed and three-bed flats.
The site, located at 27 Longton Aven ue, was once home to a two-storey detached house which was built in 1927 and was demolished in October 2023.
The site has been described in planning documents as vacant, with large, open space at the front of the site.
Planning permission was previously granted in April 2025 which consisted of building eight new homes on site however the latest plans look to increase the homes by more than double.
Millwall Football Club has submitted a planning application to build temporary changing rooms for players while on-site redevelopment takes place.
According to a planning document, some of the existing buildings have reached “the end of their economic life” and need to be demolished and replaced to meet the current needs of the club.
The club said in a planning statement:
“Three of the existing structures have been demolished and replaced with an improved space that meets the current needs of the club.
“The club has ambitions to move to the Premier League and there are further investments being planned to provide a permanent solution whilst the proposed changing provide an interim measure.”
The proposed development will include toilets, a shower and medical rooms to support the first team. Upstairs will contain an “admin support area” with four offices and meeting rooms for coaching staff.
Over the past month, several HMO’s have been submitted to Lewisham’s planning portal.
At 49 Rosenthal Road in Catford, plans have been submitted to convert a house into a 10-bed HMO. Each of the rooms would come with their own en-suite or wetroom and there are plans to build a basement for cycle storage.
More HMO plans have been submitted onto the portal including an 8-bed conversion at 143 Hazelbank Road in Hither Green and a 5-bed conversion at 86 Doggett Road in Catford.
Residents can keep up to date with applications lewisham.gov. uk/myservices/planning/findcomment-planning-applications
Google Street View
Plumstonian to Etonian: South East London schoolboy secured fully funded place at Eton College
From Woolwich Polytechnic to the halls of Eton, gifted student Judah Cummings has a funded place at the prestigious Sixth Form fit for princes, inspiring boys from South East London to follow in his footsteps, writes Evie Flynn...
Judah, 17, from Plumstead in Greenwich, attended Woolwich Polytechnic School for Boys, but his life changed course when he achieved the Orwell Award: a Sixth Form scholarship at Eton for boys whose opportunities have been limited by circumstance.
Woolwich Poly, like many South East London schools, faces the challenges common to areas with high economic deprivation. But Judah’s journey, from Plumstonian to Etonian, can serve as an inspiration to other South East London boys striving for more.
The 17-year-old joined the historic Eton College last September, an institution that has educated 20 British Prime Ministers and members of the royal family, including Prince William and Harry.
He has just completed Year 12, studying Physics, Economics and Further Maths. Due to his academic ability and exceptional GCSE performance at Woolwich Poly, Judah took A Level Maths two years early in Year 11 and achieved an A*.
During term time, Judah boards alongside 50 other boys and during the holidays, he comes back to London where his mother (a primary school teacher) and his father (an electrician) live with Judah’s older sister and two younger brothers.
Despite coming from a working class background, Judah had no
problem fitting in with the other boys at the £63,000 per year school, describing the other boys as “very welcoming and very warm.”
Life at Eton has broadened Judah’s horizons in ways he hadn’t anticipated. “The way I talk and present myself has got better since joining Eton,” he explains. “There are amazing speakers who come in to give talks, and loads of societies to join.”
Judah has made the most of all Eton has to offer, becoming part of the economics, politics and sport societies. He’s learnt how to play the piano and was even selected to be part of the prestigious Eton Society: a body of 20 prefects selected by students and teachers.
“I feel like my election to the Eton Society was really significant,” Judah says. “I’d only been at the school for under a year at that point.”
Not just academically gifted, Judah is also a keen sportsman and was selected to play for Eton’s First XI football team. “Football was a big part of my life prior to joining Eton and it helped me a lot with settling in,” Judah tells us. “I had to go to Eton a week early for pre-season, so by the time term started I had met lots of the boys.
“There was so much other stuff going on, including football training three times a week and other things to do that I found it easy to settle into the boarding aspect.”
He’s also noticed other odd quirks about attending a boarding school versus Woolwich Polytechnic. During the winter months, lessons stop from 1pm-4pm, allowing the boys to use the daylight hours for extra-curricular activities, before resuming in the late afternoon.
Judah first learned about the Orwell Award through his aunt, a former head of Sixth Form, who encouraged him to apply after one of her former students had successfully received the award.
The application process was long and challenging at times, but worth it, according to Judah: “You have to apply quite early, write a personal statement, share your reasons behind the subjects chosen and then thirty boys are shortlisted for interviews and tests at Eton,” he explains.
“You then have to go to Eton for a couple days and we were interviewed by the head of each subject we chose and then I found out about my place in mid-December.” Twelve boys receive the award each year, and means they don’t have to pay a penny towards tuition fees.
The next step in Judah’s already flourishing academic career is University and he has got big plans to eventually work in the finance sector. “I plan to apply to Cambridge to study economics,” he says “I might also apply to America as well, I’m still on the fence.”
These big dreams for his future are made possible through Eton, where he can receive tailored support previously unavailable:
“Anything you want to do there will be someone who can help or someone’s that done it before who can offer you some insight.”
“I think it’s been a really successful year, I’ve settled in really nicely and managed to make the most out of all the opportunities provided for me there.”
Judah manages to come back to Woolwich often enough, given the opportunity most weekends, and school holidays, which are longer than typical state schools. He has even been invited back to Woolwich Poly, which itself is rated outstanding by Ofsted, and has been asked to help the next cohort of boys who want to apply for the Orwell Award, following in Judah’s footsteps.
We asked Judah if he had any advice for South East London boys who are academically gifted, but see barriers to University within their own life. “You just have to go for it,” Judah urges. “If you work hard, you’re motivated and disciplined, you
can achieve whatever you want.”
To be eligible for the Orwell Award, boys in the UK need to meet the following criteria:
Attending a UK state school whose lack of achievement may have been held back due to personal circumstance
Based on academic potential and against specific criteria e.g refugee status, Looked After Child, first generation of his family to go to university, if he is in receipt of the Pupil Premium or if he currently attends a school Ofsted has identified as ‘requiring improvement’ or in ‘special measures’
Applications for September 2026 entry are now open. The deadline for applications is 21 September 2025. Students need to be entering Year 11 to apply.
To apply, visit: https://www.etoncollege.com/admissions/ scholarships-and-awards/orwell-award/
Judah’s previous school, Woolwich Polytechnic for Boys
Information from the Royal Borough of Greenwich for our residents
FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENTS COMING UP...
Our exciting, free Royal Greenwich Festivals programme continues this weekend, including the return of the globally renowned Greenwich and Docklands International Festival.
Greenwich and Docklands International Festival (GDIF) Above and Beyond Friday 22 August, 7pm Beresford Square Woolwich SE18 6AR
Opening the festival’s 30th anniversary with a UK premiere, French parkour artists Cie Lézards Bleus (France) will give a performance of heart-stopping, roof hopping excitement.
Arc & You: Nigerian Cultural Finesse Saturday 23 August, 12 noon to 6pm Eaglesfield Park, Eaglesfield Road, Shooters Hill SE18 3BX
Enjoy an afternoon of cultural displays, dance, seminars, theatre, and the showcase of a new documentary on Nigerian and British culture.
Greenwich and Docklands International Festival (GDIF) Greenwich Fair
Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 August, 1pm to 7pm, various shows all day General Wolfe Piazza, Observatory Hill, Greenwich Park SE10 8XJ
Family-friendly street theatre, circus, dance and games in a packed programme of 12 raucous shows framed by the best view of London.
See all events: royalgreenwich.gov.uk/rgf-25-lineup
Major stock condition survey underway of 26,000 council homes in Royal Greenwich
The Royal Borough of Greenwich has begun a major stock condition survey of all council homes to help ensure every resident has a safe, secure home. This is part of Housing Our Greenwich, our £430 million programme to improve council housing across the borough.
Over the next five years, we’ll be surveying all 26,000 council homes in the borough, covering around 4,000 each year. This will help us make the right improvements to the right homes at the right time.
The survey is a visual check inside and outside homes, looking at things like kitchens, windows, roofs, insulation, heating systems, and, for leaseholder properties, the external elements only.
The results will guide where we invest and help us spot any urgent health and safety issues, including damp, mould, and structural problems.
Cllr Pat Slattery, Cabinet Member for Housing Management, Neighbourhoods and Homelessness, said: “The data we collect from this survey will help us gather a fuller picture of the condition of our homes in the borough and the type of work we may need to do in homes that need it the most.
“This is important as it will help us prioritise any future investment and ultimately help to ensure our council homes can be safe, secure and meet modern standards.
“As we move around different areas of the borough, council residents can really help by responding to the letters - when contacted by our consultants –so they can arrange a visit to carry out this really important work on our behalf.
“All surveyors will carry an identification card with them and the survey will take no more than half an hour.”
I have been working away at all sorts of early local industry for another project and doing a lot of work on the history of the Royal Dockyards – because they are so early and so huge both in their output and in their number of staff. I don’t think I have ever done a proper article about Deptford Royal Dockyard. To be perfectly honest I’ve done so many of these articles that I’m not sure what I have done!
I should start with a disclaimer. The site of Deptford’s Royal Dockyard is now entirely within the London Borough of Lewishambut I feel I should include it as a Greenwich site. The whole of the Dockyard area was originally in Kent and would have been in St Nicholas parish. Half of it remained in the Metropolitan Borough of Greenwich, but eventually it was handed over to Lewisham in the 1970. This was mainly so that the London County Council constructed Pepys Estate could be administered as a single body by Lewisham Council.
The Greenwich area is remarkable in having two Royal Dockyards. This area had had a Royal presence since the Middle Ages. In the late 15th/early 16th century the Court gradually moved from Eltham Palace to Greenwich and it was the ambition of the monarch – Henries VII and VIII to build a Navy. It must have seemed obvious that nearby areas on the riverside could be used as the site. Henry VII had a storehouse here in Deptford and the site was greatly expanded under Henry VIII.
There is a vast amount of information
on Deptford Dockyard – and this is only a briefest summary. The archaeological report produced in 2014 is a substantial volume and there are many other articles and blogs. For many years I have been a Member of the Naval Dockyard Society which is based in Portsmouth, but which produces regular volumes - many of which refer to Deptford. In 2013 the Dockyard featured in a special conference at the Maritime Museum and which was opened by Joan Ruddock who was then the Member of parliament for Dartford.
The Society’s web site is https:// navaldockyards.org/ and their front page shows a grand picture of the launch of the Lenox. Followers of Deptford’s voluntary sector will know about the ‘build the Lenox campaign.’ https://www. buildthelenox.org/ but I really don’t know what has happened to them and I’m afraid they might just have given up in despair. Perhaps somebody would let me know.
The Dockyard itself was built around a naval store house built in 1517, to which moorings and a dock basin were added.
But it may have been sited here at first as the result of a natural pond, which may have been used since the 13th century to moor Royal ships and where repairs and maintenance could take place.
The Tudor ‘Great Store-house’ lasted for a century after the Dockyard closed, but was demolished by the Admiralty in 1951. Following some agitation the foundation stone was preserved and given to University College, London in 1953 by the London County Council. The University managed to cover it up and forget they had it. It was discovered a few years ago by Chris Mazieka from Shipwrights Palace and is now back on display. The storehouse building was parallel to the river and the Great Dock - a double-length dry dock - lay next to it. At the same time as docks were built there were also offices, stores and other amenity buildings. These included large houses for senior officers.
Deptford was the most important of the Royal Dockyards, and, as The King’s Yard, it was visited on occasion by the monarch to inspect new ships building there. Under Elizabeth the yard was expanded and it was associated with Sir Francis Drake’s Golden Hind and ships which opposed the Armada. Elizabeth is said to have knighted Francis Drake there in 1581.
By the 17th century the yard covered a large area and included several storehouses. The Great Dock was lengthened and enlarged in 1610, several slipways were remodelled and in 1620 a second dry dock was built, with a third was authorised in 1623. After 1688 a Great New Storehouse was built.
Diarist Samuel Pepys was Clerk to the Navy Board 1660-1689 and Deptford was well within his remit. In 1675 he said that 305 shipwrights were needed to build one ship and Deptford Dockyard had a huge workforce of tradesmen, labourers and clerks with a Master Shipwright
at their head. A century later on 14th September 1755 there were 1,066 workers at the yard. Industrial action was far from unknown and I have written an an earlier article about the constant disputes and an action which was not then known as ‘a strike’ but came to the same thing.
In 1698 Tsar Peter the Great came to learn about work in the yard and the damage done to Evelyn’s Sayes Court by his entourage –‘right nasty’ – is well known. A group of rather strange statues on the Deptford riverside is said to commemorate his visit.
Clearly many important and very beautiful ships were built at Deptford. I am not going to try to describe them at all - after all that’s what the Maritime Museum is here to do and I am sure that whatever I say will look very silly compared to what they have to say.
As warfare increased through the 18th century so there was a massive growth in naval power and the Royal Dockyards were at the heart of foreign policy. They were not only massive industrial complexes in themselves but generated many additional industries. But as the smallest Dockyard, upriver Deptford was difficult to access by large vessels but convenient for Navy Board officials based at Somerset House. Deptford was increasingly used as a depot for the distribution of naval supplies. In the Hanoverian period, voyages by James Cook, Martin Frobisher and George Vancouver began here.
After 1763 Britain’s naval perspective altered and was less concerned with foreign wars. “There was a more competent bureaucracy, a thriving maritime economy... and British maritime ascendancy”. From Deptford were launched several ships for Nelson’s Navy including ships which fought at Trafalgar. As well as the site of the launching of over three hundred ships it was the point of departure for countless journeys of exploration,
voyages of discovery and naval battle Machinery and steam power were becoming important. The second steam dredger was built at Deptford in 1807 and the navy’s first steam vessel, Congo, launched here in 1816. But it was in Woolwich and other yards that the steam Navy was built.
River walls were constructed in the early 19th century including work by John Rennie, with Jolliffe and Bank as contractors, dating from 1815-16. These are now listed along with the eastern boundary wall along Upper Watergate, which is also the current borough boundary.
The yard was closed in 1830 – but reopened in 1843 with a restriction on the size of vessels. Some of the largest roof structures of the time were built in iron over the ship building slips. One remains on the site known as the Olympia warehouse. The yard finally closed, along with Woolwich, in 1869 as part of a general government cost cutting exercise. Its 800 remaining workers were transferred elsewhere. This site was used as City of London’s foreign cattle market and then by a number of military and naval bodies. In 1984 it was sold to Convoys paper warehousing for News International.
What remains are many great paintings of important ships under construction or repair, reflecting their glamour and fame. There is also an exact model of the yard prepared for George III now in the National Maritime Museum. The bell tower of the quadrangle storehouse is now a feature of a supermarket in Thamesmead.
At the extreme downriver end of the dockyard site is a large and rambling building. It dates from 1708, but was added to and used as the Master Shipwright’s house and offices. It was sold separately by Convoys to two young men who have since restored the building - as
Mary Mills
The Olympia ship sheds with revolutionary roofs to cover boat building slips the shipwrights
Shipwright’s Palace
The Deptford Clock Tower is floated downriver to thamesmead
The Shipwrights Palace and they have undertaken much meticulous research on the site. The Former Master Shipwright’s House, Olympia and the former Office Building are both Grade II* listed.
In 2025 the remaining Dockyard site still remains largely derelict and awaiting development. I am very aware of a number of people who have projects they would like to undertake on the site and I am also
aware of the very lively and involved local community - many of whom have had great ideas about the future of this important site. Constant delays by developers and others still mean its future is unknown.
At The Heart Of The Community NEWS FROM CHARLTON ATHLETIC COMMUNITY
CACT & WILL MANNION SUPPORT TEENS UNITE EVENT
Charlton men’s first-team goalkeeper Will Mannion visited Teens Unite’s Big Family Kick-Off event at Bluewater recently, in support of young people living with cancer.
The event, which was held at the state-of-the-art Ballerz air dome, was supported by Charlton Athletic Community Trust providing coaching to young people on the day, while Mannion was on hand to both manage and play for a team in a mini tournament to cap off a special afternoon.
Teens Unite provides free activities for teenagers and young adults (aged 13-24) who have experienced cancer, helping them to rebuild confidence, make friends and develop new skills while offering support to their families.
The charity’s programmes aim to address the social, emotional and physical impacts of cancer, allowing young people to live positively with and beyond their diagnosis and overcome the challenges they face.
“It’s a great initiative for the Trust and the club to be supporting,” explained Mannion.
“It’s something that’s close to my heart, personally, so it’s great to see the young people have smiles on their faces and just having the chance to be normal kids.
“Being here gives them a community and
network around them of people who are going through a similar sort of thing and they can bounce off of each other and get through what’s going on together.”
“The standard was good and I picked up a second trophy in two games after Wembley!” he smiled.
“But it was great fun and it was great to see the kids getting stuck in and having a good time.”
Roxanne Lawrance, CEO of Teens Unite added: “The event at Ballerz gave young people the opportunity to enjoy a Sunday with their family to mix and learn some skills from some fantastic coaches and really re-discover their love for physical activity and sport, which is something their cancer diagnosis has got in the way of previously.
“Not only did we have the incredible skills and experience of the coaches from CACT, but they managed to make the activities fully inclusive and accessible which is a really important part of the support that Teens Unite provides.
“They’ve brought passion and enthusiasm and we were really privileged to have Will [Mannion] come along as well which was an extra special silver lining for the young people that were here, so we’re absolutely honoured to have a brand and a football club like Charlton Athletic to lend their support and endorse our work.”
The Addicks stopper managed a team to victory in the tournament, as well as taking his place between the sticks - his second successive
final success after keeping a clean sheet to help Charlton win promotion to League One in the play-off final victory over Leyton Orient in May!
Notice under Section 4 of the Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002
Date 30/07/2025
1. PROPOSED HOUSING ASSISTANCE POLICY.
In accordance with Section 4 of the Regulatory Reform (Housing Assistance) (England and Wales) Order 2002 (“the Order”), the Royal Borough of Greenwich HEREBY gives notice of its intention to introduce a revised Housing Assistance Policy under Article 3 of the Order.
The proposed policy will set out the circumstances in which the authority will provide assistance (including financial assistance) for the repair improvement or adaptation of housing in the borough.
2. NATURE OF ASSISTANCE.
The proposed policy includes but is not limited to:
- Discretionary Disabled Facilities Grants and Loans for people with disabilities
- Home repair or improvement loans/grants for vulnerable households
- Handyperson Service for minor adaptations and repairs
- Support for empty homes to bring them back into use
3. CONSULTATION AND COMMENTS.
A copy of the Draft Housing Assistance Policy will be available for public access and inspection
- At Woolwich Town Hall Wellington Street London SE18 6PW
- On the Council's website: https://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/downloads/download/1308/housing_assistance_policy
Any person wishing to comment on the proposed policy should do so in writing by 31st August 2025 addressed to The Disability and Home Improvement Service, Housing and Safer Communities, The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street London SE18 6HQ or by email to dhit.-admin@royalgreenwich.gov.uk
4. DATE OF ADOPTION.
Following consideration of any comments received, the revised policy is expected to be adopted on 14th September 2025
Signed:
Jamie Carswell
Deputy Chief Executive & Director of Housing & Safer Communities
Dated: 24/07/2025
ROYAL BOROUGH OF GREENWICH PROHIBITION OF ITINERANT ICE CREAM TRADING
Section 37, London Local Authorities Act 1990
Take NOTICE that the Council of the Royal Borough of Greenwich by Resolution dated 25th June 2025 designated King William Walk, London, SE10 as a prohibited street for itinerant ice cream trading in the interests of preventing obstruction to traffic, or undue interference or inconvenience to persons using King William Walk.
The Resolution shall take effect on 12th September 2025
Any person who contravenes the prohibition shall be guilty of an offence and may be liable to prosecution.
Signed:
Dated: 6th August 2025
Alan Evans Interim Director Places & Growth For and on behalf of the Royal Borough of Greenwich
ROYAL BOROUGH OF GREENWICH LOCALISM ACT 2011 – ASSETS OF COMMUNITY VALUE
THE STAR OF GREENWICH, 60 OLD WOOLWICH ROAD, SE10 9NY NOTICE OF DISPOSAL
Notice is hereby given that the owner of the above property intends to dispose of their freehold interest.
The Localism Act requires that the intent to dispose of property or land that is listed as an Asset of Community Value is advertised in order to allow any community interest group to make a written request to the Council to be treated as a potential bidder.
The purpose of this notice is to alert community interest groups to the proposed disposal. Any such group that wishes to be treated as a potential bidder should submit written confirmation to community-assets@royalgreenwich.gov.uk or by writing to the address given below.
Written requests to be treated as bidders are required to be submitted within an initial six week period. The deadline for receipt of such requests is 4th September 2025.
If such a written request is made to the Council during the above period, the owner may not dispose of the Asset of Community Value, except to a community interest group, during the full six month moratorium period which will expire on 23rd February 2026, six months from the date of the notification of the owner’s disposal.
6th August 2025.
Jonathan Burt
ROYAL BOROUGH of GREENWICH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - Section 14(1) GODSTOW ROAD
PLANNED ROAD CLOSURE (ORDER)
1. The Royal Borough of Greenwich intends to make this Order in exercise of powers under section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. This is to facilitate works by Alexander James who need to carry out Water, power and drainage connections.
2. The Order will come into operation on 01/09/2025 and would continue to be valid for 18 months. However, the works are expected to take until 26/09/2025 The duration of the Order can be extended with the approval of the Secretary of State f2025.nsport.
3. The effect of the Order would be to temporarily prohibit vehicles from entering, exiting, proceeding, or waiting (including waiting for the purposes of loading or unloading), IN THE SIDE ROADS OF GODSTOW ROAD from 43 to 147 GODSTOW ROAD AND OPPOSITE SIDE ROADS.
4. Whilst the Order is in operation traffic will be diverted via the placing of the appropriate signage. Prohibitions remain in force; pedestrians are not affected, and vehicle access will be maintained wherever possible.
5. Nothing in this Notice will apply to anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform or traffic warden, to emergency service vehicles, or to vehicles being used in connection with the works.
6. The restrictions described above will apply only during such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by traffic signs as prescribed by the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016.
7. Queries concerning these works should be directed to the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s Directorate of Regeneration, Enterprise & Skills on 020 8921 6340.
Ryan Nibbs Assistant Director, Transport. The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ
Dated 24/07/2025
INTERNAL REF - EM/ /LIC No 74290 / LA 490431 / FN 806
ROYAL BOROUGH of GREENWICH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - Section 14(1) EREBUS DRIVE FOOTPATH CLOSURE (ORDER)
1. The Royal Borough of Greenwich makes this Order in exercise of powers under section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. This is to facilitate works by Guildmore who need to carry out external wall cladding replacement.
2. The Order will come into operation on 17/08/2025 and would continue to be valid for 18 months. The duration of the Order can be extended with the approval of the Secretary of State for Transport.
3. The effect of the Order would be to temporarily prohibit vehicles and pedestrian from entering, exiting, proceeding, or waiting (including waiting for the purposes of loading or unloading) on the foot paths on Erebus Drive opposite Pier Way, Livesley Close and Tuppy Street. This will be prohibited from using each footway and fire path between the towers and the Thames Path. Only one point will be closed at any one time.
4. Prohibitions remain in force; pedestrians will be diverted via the placing of the appropriate signage, and vehicle access will be maintained wherever possible.
5. Nothing in this Notice will apply to anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform or traffic warden, to emergency service vehicles, or to vehicles being used in connection with the works.
6. The restrictions described above will apply only during such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by traffic signs as prescribed by the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016.
7. Queries concerning these works should be directed to the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s Directorate of Regeneration, Enterprise & Skills on 020 8921 6340.
Ryan Nibbs Assistant Director, Transport. The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ
Dated 16/07/2025
INTERNAL REF - FN 804 /LIC No 72101
ROYAL BOROUGH of GREENWICH ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984 - SECTION 14(1) HORN PARK LANE PLANNED PARKING RESTRICTION (ORDER)
1. The Royal Borough of Greenwich makes this Order in exercise of powers under section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. This is to facilitate works by Colfes School for delivery of abnormal loads.
2. The Order will come into operation on 27/08/25 and would continue to be valid for 18 months. However, the works are expected to take 1 day. The duration of the Order can be extended with the approval of the Secretary of State for Transport.
3. The effect of the Order would be to temporarily prohibit vehicles from waiting (including waiting for the purposes of loading or unloading), in Horn Park Lane from the junction of Eltham Road to outside 57 (odd number side).
4. Whilst the Order is in operation traffic will not need to be diverted. Prohibitions remain in force; pedestrians are not affected, and vehicle access will be maintained wherever possible.
5. Nothing in this Notice will apply to anything done with the permission or at the direction of a police constable in uniform or traffic warden, to emergency service vehicles, or to vehicles being used in connection with the works.
6. The restrictions described above will apply only during such times and to such extent as shall be indicated by traffic signs as prescribed by the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016.
7. Queries concerning these works should be directed to the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s Directorate of Regeneration, Enterprise & Skills on 020 8921 6340.
Ryan Nibbs Assistant Director, Transport. The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, SE18 6HQ
Dated: 16/07/25
INTERNAL REF: PL / FN 803 / Lic. No: 74210
Royal Borough of Greenwich
Town & Country Planning Act 1990 (AS AMENDED)
Town & Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015 Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Act 1990 (AS AMENDED) Planning (Listed Buildings & Conservation Areas) Regulations 1990 (AS AMENDED)
Notice is hereby given that application(s) have been made to The Royal Borough of Greenwich in respect of the under mentioned premises/sites.
You can see the submissions and any plans at http://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/planning.
If development proposals affect Conservation Areas and/or Statutorily Listed Buildings under the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Area) Act 1990 (As Amended) this will be shown within the item below.
Anyone who wishes to comment on these applications should be made in writing to Development Planning within 22 days of the date of this notice.
Please quote the appropriate reference number.
Date: 20/08/2025
Victoria Geoghegan
Assistant Director - Planning and Building Control
List of Press Advertisements - 20/08/2025
Publicity for Planning Applications
Applicant: Mr Guy Pocock Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust 24/0406/F
Site Address: Stadium Road and Baker Road, Woolwich, SE18
Development: Proposed upgrading of Stadium Road and Baker Road by reconstructing the existing carriageway and footways, providing appropriate carriageway width and constructing a cycleway along the eastern margin to allow for adoption by the Highway Authority to become public highway. RECONSULTATION due to submission of tree mitigation proposals documents. (This development may impact the character and setting of the Woolwich Common Conservation Area) (DEPARTURE FROM THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN)
Conservation Area: WOOLWICH COMMON
Applicant: Greenwich Enterprise Board 25/1915/SD
Site Address: ROYAL ARSENAL GATEHOUSE, BERESFORD SQUARE, LONDON, SE18 6AR
Development: Submission of details pursuant to discharge Document reference: 192 RAG - Discharge Condition 5 (24.0316.L Providing details of proposed lighting installations) of planning permission reference 24/0316/L dated 26/03/2024
Conservation Area: Woolwich Conservation Area
Applicant: Mr Mark Johnson-Brown 25/2003/F
Site Address: VANBRUGH COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION, MYCENAE HOUSE, 90 MYCENAE ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 7SE
Development: Construction of a masonry lift shaft to the side (east) elevation of Mycenae House. (This may affect the setting of the adjacent Grade II* Listed Building).
Conservation Area: WESTCOMBE PARK
Applicant: InstaVolt Ltd
25/2363/F
Site Address: MCDONALD'S, RUSTON ROAD, WOOLWICH, LONDON, SE18 5NS
Development: Installation of two additional rapid electric vehicle charging stations and the upgrade of the two existing EV chargers and ancillary equipment in addition to the loss of a parking space within the car park of McDonalds, Woolwich - Church Street. The existing feeder pillar is to be removed and replaced with updated kiosk to house metering equipment for additional chargers on site and all other associated works.
Conservation Area: THAMES BARRIER & BOWATER ROAD
Applicant: L&Q
25/2404/F
Site Address: Flats A & B, 298 PLUMSTEAD COMMON ROAD, PLUMSTEAD, LONDON, SE18 2RT
Development: Replacement of the existing single glazed timber windows with new Timber double glazed units to the front elevations, and new uPVC units to the rear elevations. Replacement of the front entrance door with a new double-glazed unit (like for like fenestration) and replacement of rear door with new double glazed uPVC unit to match the proposed windows on this elevation.
Conservation Area: PLUMSTEAD COMMON
Applicant: L&Q 25/2405/F
Site Address: 48 & 48A, ST NICHOLAS ROAD, PLUMSTEAD, LONDON, SE18 1HH
Development: Replacement of the existing First-floor single glazed timber windows with new Timber double glazed units to the front elevations, and uPVC units to the rear elevations. Replacement of the front entrance door with a new double glazed timber unit (like for like fenestration) and replacement of rear door with new double glazed uPVC unit to match the proposed windows on this elevation.
Conservation Area: PLUMSTEAD COMMON
Applicant: Mr Richard Blight
25/2423/F
Site Address: 26 COLOMB STREET, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 9EW
Development: Replacement of all existing timber windows and front entrance door.
Conservation Area: EAST GREENWICH
Applicant: Ms Kathryn Ellington 25/2426/F
Site Address: 53B DEVONSHIRE DRIVE, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 8JZ
Development: Replacement all of the existing timber windows with like-for-like double glazed timber windows.
Conservation Area: ASHBURNHAM TRIANGLE
Applicant: Sarah Wheatstone 25/2461/HD
Site Address: 62 FOYLE ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 7RH
Development: Construction of ground floor side extension to rea including 1no. skylight.
Conservation Area: WESTCOMBE PARK
Applicant: Mrs and Mr Masumabanu & Muj Master 25/2485/F
Site Address: Flats 1 and 2, 15 Vicarage Park, London SE18 7SX
Development: Reconfiguration of existing ground floor and first floor flats to create an accessible layout and separate carer's flat, in addition to the construction of rear extensions to ground floor and first floor, provision of a Juliet balcony and all other associated works
Conservation Area: PLUMSTEAD COMMON
Applicant: Saira Jurkowsky 25/2503/HD
Site Address: 61 ASHBURNHAM GROVE, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 8UJ
Development: Construction of a first-floor rear extension.
Conservation Area: ASHBURNHAM TRIANGLE
Applicant: Saira Jurkowsky
25/2507/HD
Site Address: 61 ASHBURNHAM GROVE, GREENWICH, LONDON, SE10 8UJ
Development: Construction of a rear extension to the lower ground floor with associated internal alterations.
Conservation Area: ASHBURNHAM TRIANGLE
Applicant: Mr Low 25/2514/HD
Site Address: 125 COLERAINE ROAD, BLACKHEATH, LONDON, SE3 7NT
Development: Construction of a single-storey rear extension, associated external alterations and all associated works.
Conservation Area: WESTCOMBE PARK
Applicant: Mr Rashbrook-Cooper 25/2574/HD
Site Address: 76 ARSENAL ROAD, ELTHAM, LONDON, SE9 1JY
Development: Demolition of existing rear ground floor extension and conservatory and construction of single storey rear extension. Loft conversion with two rear rooflights and replacement of existing windows and front entrance door.
Development: Submission of details pursuant to Condition 4 (Detailed schedule/ plans/ section drawings) of planning permission dated 16/04/2025, Ref: 24/3240/L.
Conservation Area: WEST GREENWICH
Applicant: Mr and Mrs Freeman 25/2587/HD
Site Address: 36 MAUDSLAY ROAD, ELTHAM, LONDON, SE9 1LJ
Development: Erection of a single storey rear extension installation of a single rear dormer roof extension and two roof lights to roof, replacement of windows and front door and installation of porch light, associated external alterations, and all associated works.
Conservation Area: PROGRESS ESTATE
Publicity for Listed Building Consent
Applicant: Boparan Restaurant Group 25/2520/L
Site Address: SLIM CHICKENS, 45 GREENWICH CHURCH STREET, LONDON, SE10 9BL
Development: Retrospective application for the external painting of the front façade of the building, replacement of front door and all associated works.
Conservation Area: WEST GREENWICH
Listed Building: Grade 2
CLASSIFIED
Sustainable Streets: Shooters Hill and Plumstead consultation ends
We keep our proposals under constant review. Following reconsideration, we have adjusted our Sustainable Streets proposals to focus on the four areas we believe could benefit most from the scheme: Charlton, Kidbrooke and Blackheath, Thamesmead West, and Woolwich.
These are either town centre locations with good transport links, areas with high levels of new development, or places that would be affected by parking displacement from neighbouring areas.
As a result, we will be withdrawing the proposals for Shooters Hill and Plumstead. The consultation for these areas is now closed, and we will not be bringing forward permit parking proposals there. This decision will not affect any existing Controlled Parking Zones (CPZs) in these locations.
We thank everyone in these areas who has contributed. The in-person events at Woolwich Town Hall today (Wednesday 20 August - Shooters Hill) and tomorrow (Thursday 21 August - Plumstead) have been cancelled. Those who registered to attend have been notified.
This decision does not affect the remainder of the consultation for Charlton, Kidbrooke and Blackheath, Thamesmead West, and Woolwich, which closes on 30 September.
We continue to welcome your comments and feedback for these four areas: royalgreenwich.gov.uk/sustainablestreets
