This meeting was scheduled to include updates on how the council manages its highways assets, and the risks associated with them. Councillors were also scheduled to be provided with an update on the council’s 10-year regeneration plan and hear about several of the capital projects underway in the borough.

Highways Asset and Risk Management

Councillors were scheduled to be provided with an update on the council’s new approach to managing and maintaining highways assets. This new approach centres on a Highway Infrastructure Asset Management Plan, which the council is currently developing in line with the Code of Practice for Well-Managed Highways.¹

The new plan will introduce a fully risk-based method for deciding how the council prioritises work on highways, replacing the previous system that was based on how roads are categorised:

The Network Hierarchy is the assignment of every street in the Royal Borough to a grouping of roads with similar functionalities and usages. By defining a risk-based Network Hierarchy, the Council will understand where risk is highest in the Royal Borough of Greenwich (e.g. around schools, bus routes, town centres and tourist attractions) and allocate resources accordingly.

For example, the council currently cleans all of the drainage gullies in the borough once a year, but under the new scheme, this will change:

By considering factors relating to flood risk and drainage asset criticality (such as risk of surface water flooding models, historic reports, as well as the Network Hierarchy), the Council will refine its Gully Cleansing Regime to ensure that the highest risk gullies are cleansed more frequently (and low risk gullies less frequently) to make the best use of limited resources.

The report also notes that:

• The council has less money available to spend on maintaining highways than in previous years
• The cost of undertaking maintenance work has increased
• Greenwich Council spends much less on maintaining its roads than other London boroughs, and less than the average London borough.

Because of this, councillors were scheduled to be asked to consider how these financial constraints might affect the new plan.

As part of the new plan, the council is developing ways to better record information about the state of its highways assets:

To employ a data-driven approach, the Royal Borough of Greenwich will first ensure it holds robust and relevant information on its highway assets and the network as a whole. As part of the HIAMP, the Council will develop the fundamental building blocks to a new Data Management Strategy which sets out its approach to collecting, managing and recording data.

Councillors were scheduled to be told that the council is also developing new software dashboards to more easily access and understand this data, replacing the existing system, Symology.²

The report also provided an update on the following key highways assets:

• Creek Road Bridge
• Pettman Crescent bridge
• The Greenwich Foot Tunnel
• The Woolwich Foot Tunnel

10-Year Regeneration Plan (2024-2034)

This report was scheduled to update councillors on the progress of the council’s 10-year regeneration plan, focusing on Abbey Wood, Charlton Riverside, and Plumstead.

Councillors were scheduled to be told that the council is developing Urban Regeneration Frameworks for each of the three areas, and had appointed consultant architects Karakusevic Carson Architects³ to lead a review of the existing Charlton Riverside Masterplan⁴, which was originally adopted in 2017.

Councillors were scheduled to be told that the council has allocated £725,000 from its 2024/25 budget to spend on the plan, with another £595,000 allocated from the 2025/26 budget. They were scheduled to hear that the council will be consulting with the public on the plan in September 2025, and that drafts of the plans would be presented to the council’s cabinet in July 2025 and February 2026.

Capital Projects Update

This report was scheduled to update councillors on the progress of the following three capital projects:

• Birchmere Depot feasibility study
• Accessibility improvements at:
  • Arnott Close
  • Leslie Smith Square
  • Cutty Sark Gardens
• Woolwich Leisure Centre

Birchmere

Councillors were scheduled to hear that a feasibility study into the future of the Birchmere depot in Thamesmead was underway. Birchmere is the council’s main depot and is used by several council services including:

• Street Services
• Fleet & Waste Strategy
• Buying & Central Contracts Service
• Housing Repairs & Investment
• Caretaking
• GS Plus

Councillors were scheduled to be told that the buildings on the site were in poor condition, and that it had become very congested. They were scheduled to hear that the feasibility study was considering a range of options including:

• Possible redevelopment of the site
• Reconfiguration of the existing site
• How to upgrade the site to accommodate the electrification of the council’s fleet of vehicles

Councillors were scheduled to hear that the feasibility study would be complete in December 2024 and would be followed by a business case outlining the costs of the preferred option for the site.

Accessibility Improvements

Councillors were scheduled to hear that work was due to begin in early 2025 on accessibility improvements at three locations in the borough, funded by a grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund:

• Cutty Sark Gardens: Installation of illuminated handrails, improved visibility of the steps, enhanced lighting and new signs.
• Leslie Smith Square: Construction of a new outdoor play space and public realm improvements.
• Arnott Close: Construction of a new ramp to improve access to community facilities.

Councillors were scheduled to hear that consultation had been completed on the plans and the council was in the process of appointing a contractor to undertake the work.

Woolwich Leisure Centre

Councillors were scheduled to be provided with an update on the construction of the new Woolwich Leisure Centre, which is due to open in Autumn 2025. The new leisure centre will include:

• 25m, eight lane swimming pool with moveable floor
• leisure water with flumes/slides
• teaching/training pool with moveable floor
• health suite and spa with sauna and steam room
• café overlooking General Gordon Square
• fitness suites across two levels
• six-court sports hall
• five-a-side hall
• multi-purpose exercise studios
• squash courts
• creche, soft play area and party rooms
• flexible and accessible community spaces

Commissioning of Future Reports

Councillors were scheduled to be asked to note the work items scheduled for discussion at their next meeting on 6 February 2025.

These included:

• An Annual Transport Scrutiny, with updates from transport providers operating in the borough.
• A report on Third Party Strategic Projects (Transport).