The Royal Borough of Greenwich Planning Board met on 8 April 2025, and approved plans for residential development at 2B Rathmore Road in Charlton, and for recladding work at Greenwich Millennium Village.

2B Rathmore Road

The board approved full planning permission for the demolition of the existing building at 2B Rathmore Road and redevelopment of the site to provide residential units with associated amenity space, cycle and refuse storage. This decision followed a deferral at a previous meeting where concerns were raised about the use of the ground floor and basement as self-storage units, and the height of the building. The applicant, L.Land Group management Ltd and JBR Investors Ltd, addressed these concerns by omitting the top floor and the commercial use, reducing the number of dwellings from 20 to 18.

The updated proposal includes:

• 18 residential units (Use Class C3)
• 1 on-road accessible parking space
• 38 cycle parking spaces
• £220,000 contribution in lieu of affordable housing

Several local residents and the Charlton Society submitted objections to the revised scheme, citing concerns over the building's design, height, impact on neighbouring properties, and lack of parking. However, planning officers considered the revised scheme to be an improvement and recommended approval, subject to conditions and a Section 106 agreement¹.

The board agreed with the officer's recommendation, noting that the revised scheme addressed previous concerns and provided much-needed housing.

Greenwich Millennium Village

The board also approved full planning permission for the removal and replacement of combustible materials in the existing external cladding of several buildings within the original phases 1 & 2 of Greenwich Millennium Village. The affected buildings are Maurer Court, Metcalfe Court, Faraday Lodge, Alamaro Lodge, Da Vinci Lodge, Newton Lodge, Holly Court & New Becquerel Court.

The application was submitted by Greenwich Millennium Village Ltd, following a review of the external cladding and other elements which did not meet the appropriate standard for fire safety. The proposal involves replacing the existing materials with materials that have a combustibility classification of A1 or A2-s1, d0, in accordance with BS EN 13501-1².

The key changes include:

• Replacing rendered cladding with Sto Render Grain: Strukturmuster 1.0, colour matched to the existing render.
• Replacing timber cladding with Cedral Click Cocoa Brown, a fibre cement timber effect cladding board.
• Replacing timber decking with Ryno Balca Smart Quartz Grey aluminium decking.

While some residents raised concerns about the proposed materials and designs not preserving the original architectural character, planning officers considered the proposal acceptable, as it would improve fire safety standards while maintaining the overall appearance of the buildings. The board agreed with the officer's recommendation, subject to conditions, including the implementation of a Construction Management Plan.