Residents of the former Royal Military Academy in Woolwich are demanding action after the site's gym closed last year and promised community spaces have never materialized. Greenwich Council has been called upon to enforce penalties, but the council says no planning agreements have been breached.
Background of the Development
The Royal Military Academy, once used to train commissioned officers, was sold in 2006 to be converted into housing. The Durkan Group purchased the site from the Ministry of Defence for £15 million and led a £35 million project to transform the facility into over 300 homes. As part of the original redevelopment proposals, the Grade II listed chapel and great hall were to be retained and revamped for community use.
Over the years, the freeholds of these buildings have been bought and sold. The chapel has since been converted into flats, and the great hall remains dilapidated and unused. Planning permission for the great hall to become community space was granted in August 2009 but never enacted. The hall is now up for sale, along with the east lecture house.
Residents' Frustrations
Susan Haroutunian, part of Residents Action, The Royal Military Academy SE18, which represents over 100 households, said residents are “fed up.” She noted that many bought properties expecting community facilities, particularly the gym, which became increasingly used since the pandemic. The only remaining public facility is the concierge, but even that may be turned into flats.
“It’s a shame. It's a lovely little building that at the moment is just staying like that [unused], and the bottom line is this was meant to be a community space, both of them,” Haroutunian said. She called the situation “depressing and demotivating” and wants the council to step in.
Council's Response
Greenwich’s Green leader Tamasin Rhymes acknowledged the frustration, noting that planning applications over the years were not all joined up, leaving residents without community space. She said the great hall is “stunning and interesting” but decaying through atrophy.
A council spokesperson stated: “We understand some residents are concerned about community facilities at the Royal Military Academy development in Woolwich. The matters raised have previously been investigated by the council's planning officers and no breach of the planning agreement that would justify enforcement action was found.” The agreement requires community space to be made available free of charge for up to 12 days per year, but does not specify a particular building. The council says no requests for community space have been refused.
