Film and TV studio planned for Greenwich Peninsula
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| Part of the proposed residential scheme |
With the 147 acre site now acquired from cash-strapped Quintain, Knight Dragon can now let their ambition off the leash and - with the UK's film studios running at full capacity and demand for UK-produced content growing, they want to attract production companies to Greenwich, bringing jobs and economic activity with them.
The developers have already signalled their intent by bringing in pop-up bars, restaurants and theatre performances to the Peninsula and opening a new visitors centre, to encourage visitors to North Greenwich to turn right, to explore the location, rather than be immediately swallowed up by The O2. They have also announced their intention to build a 5km running course around Greenwich Peninsula and to create a golf driving range. There is more to come.
With The O2 team developing a hotel at the end of the Peninsula and contracts being awarded for the next phase of residential construction, the promise of the location is finally being realised after a dismal decade, where nothing much happened.
In the new plans, all the social housing is now located at the southern end of the Peninsula and some locals have criticised the level of segregation between communities, but this is a brown-field site that has remained brown-field for far too long. There are no established communities being displaced and rich and poor will never be far apart, especially as there is a mixed community at the southern end of the Peninsula already.
Full disclosure: As part of my day job, I advised Knight Dragon for a short time in relation to this development, but I no-longer work for them.
