University of Greenwich slammed by councillor over parking changes
By Joe Coughlan, Local Democracy Reporter
Plans for a university have been blasted by a councillor due to the loss of parking in an area that’s already “absolutely log jammed” with cars.
Greenwich council has approved plans for University of Greenwich to build a new energy centre which provides totally renewable energy at its Avery Hill campus.
The change comes as part of the university’s plans to become carbon neutral by 2030. Council documents said the extension would also remove 30 parking spaces at the site.
Conservative councillor Pat Greenwell said at a planning meeting for Greenwich council last night that she disagreed with officers that the build would have little impact on roads in the area, which she said “couldn’t take” any more parking on its side roads.
She also asked Adele Brooks, the head of capital projects for the University of Greenwich, if it would be possible to discuss lowering the parking charge for the spaces on the campus.
Council officers said the university would fix the parking problem by moving storage containers that were currently blocking 30 other spaces elsewhere on the campus.
Andrew Harris, a planning officer for the council, said: “For this kind of application, a reduction [in spaces] isn’t required to make it accessible in planning terms. So we struck a balance in trying to maintain existing levels so there wouldn’t be any additional impact on the existing roads.”
Regarding Cllr Greenwell’s request to lower parking charges at the university, Labour Councillor Denise Hyland said Greenwich council had originally asked the university to add parking charges to the Avery Hill campus to discourage car use.
She said that councillors needed to “sort themselves out” before meeting applicants, and that the application should only be refused on planning grounds.
In response, Cllr Greenwell said that parking was a planning issue when it affects the amenity of the local area.
The planning board approved the plans for the new energy centre in a 7-1 vote.
Pictured top: The entrance to the Avery Hill campus for the University of Greenwich (Picture: Joe Coughlan)
