| Charlton Riverside (New Charlton) | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Aerial view of Charlton Riverside, seen from the north looking south, 2018 | |
  Charlton Riverside (New Charlton) Location withinGreater London | |
| London borough | |
| Ceremonial county | Greater London |
| Region | |
| Country | England |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Post town | LONDON |
| Postcode district | SE7 |
| Dialling code | 020 |
| Police | Metropolitan |
| Fire | London |
| Ambulance | London |
| London Assembly | |
| 51°29′31″N0°02′16″E / 51.491939°N 0.037658°E /51.491939; 0.037658 | |
Charlton Riverside, previously known asNew Charlton, is the area along the south bank of theriver Thames atCharlton, London, which forms part of theRoyal Borough of Greenwich. It was formerly a primarily industrial zone, known for the glass and rope making industries, but is now an area of regeneration.[1]
The area formerly known as New Charlton is situated in the Greenwich wards of Peninsula and Woolwich Riverside. It is bounded by the river Thames in the north and theA206 (Woolwich Road) in the south. On the west it borders theGreenwich Peninsula at Horn Lane and Horn Link Way. On the east it bordersWoolwich at theThames Barrier and Eastmoor Street.
The Westminster Estate, the area between the Thames Barrier and Warspite Road, has at times been referred to as part of New Charlton. TheSurvey of London however regards it as a part of Woolwich, since it is situated in the historicparish of Woolwich. From 1863 until 1968 this was the site ofSiemens Brothers, where many who were living across the road in New Charlton worked. This is also whereCharlton Athletic F.C. played their first football matches at Siemens Meadow from 1905 until 1907.[2] In the Charlton Riverside Masterplan SPD the Westminster Estate is considered a part of Charlton Riverside. The SPD also includesCharlton railway station and a small section of Charlton Church Lane.[1]
Industrial development on the flat land adjoining the Thames at Charlton Riverside began in the middle of the 19th century, especially after the opening of a private railway branch line toAngerstein Wharf in 1852. A notable establishment was theSiemens Brothers Telegraph Works opened in 1863 (although the factory was largely in Woolwich). The company manufactured two newtransatlantic cables in the 1880s,[3] and contributed to thePLUTO project in World War II. Since the 1960s the area had sunk intoindustrial decline, with most of the original factories closing (Siemens Brothers in 1968).[2]
There have been several regeneration projects in the area, starting in the 1980s, after the opening of the Thames Barrier. It was identified as part of anOpportunity Area by theMayor of London in 2008 and, more clearly, in theLondon Plan of 2011. Regeneration of the area is now focused on the Charlton Riverside Masterplan agreed by the Royal Borough of Greenwich in April 2012 and updated in February 2017. The masterplan envisages a series of new neighbourhoods with medium-rise housing and a significant proportion of family homes. A network of streets and open spaces will be shaped by the area's industrial heritage.[1]
In 2013, Royal Greenwich UTC opened as part of this plan. The college failed to attract sufficient numbers of students and in 2016 was converted into afree school,Royal Greenwich Trust School.[4] Adjacent to it, also on Woolwich Road and officially in Woolwich, is Windrush Primary School, formerly Maryon Park School, from the 1990s until 2015Holborn College.
Recent commercial developments include the Greenwich Shopping Park,[5] the Peninsula Retail Park and Stone Lake Retail Park.[6] ASainsbury's superstore opened in 2015 between Woolwich Road and Bugsby's Way. Sainsbury's also has a large distribution centre in New Charlton; it was rebuilt and expanded in 2012 and re-opened by deputy prime ministerNick Clegg in 2013.[7] AnIKEA store opened in 2019.[8]
In total there are around 400 businesses in Charlton Riverside (including the section east of the Thames Barrier).[1] One of the few remaining industrial facilities on the riverside is theconstruction aggregate and ready mixcement works ofAggregate Industries atAngerstein Wharf adjacent to the Greenwich Peninsula.
The southern end of theThames Barrier which opened in 1983 is at Charlton Riverside. TheThames Path was laid out here shortly afterwards but officially only opened in 1996. There is only one functioningpublic house in the area, the Anchor & Hope, with an outdoor café overlooking the Thames. A set ofwatermen's stairs has survived here, reconstructed in concrete. The former Lads of the Village pub was later named the Thames Barrier Arms. It is now a veterinary clinic. A former industrial site near the Thames Barrier houses an indoorpaintball facility.
The southern part of Charlton Riverside along Woolwich Road and Bugsby's Road is now dominated by shopping centres,supermarkets andretail warehouses. Large retailers areAsda,Sainsbury's,Makro,Argos andMarks & Spencer. In the south-west corner, around Woolwich Road and Aldeburgh Street there is some housing, as well as along Anchor and Hope Lane. East of this street is Ropery Business Park with several small business.
