Royal Arsenal - Living Comfortably in a Pristine Community

Royal Arsenal - Living Comfortably in a Pristine Community

People normally link the Royal Arsenal with two things. First of all, it used to be a military area, set aside for armaments manufacturing and various other military pursuits. Secondly, a certain football club originated from there…

Today, the Royal Arsenal Riverside area has been transformed to house people, businesses, a park and various community projects. It’s become one of the key areas in London for developers and investors. Something people could only dream of post the millennium when the Woolwich area consisted of 98% council estates. So what happened?

How the Royal Arsenal Residential Area Came About

In 1994 the Ministry of Defence moved out and in 1997 English Partnerships, the Government’s regeneration agency took ownership over the Royal Arsenal from the Ministry of Defence. They paid a total of GBP 1 for the site. They also received GBP 43 million from the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury to decontaminate and make the structures safe. From there a masterplan was created for the area by architect Llewelyn Davies.

Back in 2000 the Berkeley Group won a bid to build 700 homes along the Royal Arsenal riverside. This soon turned into a plan to build around 3,000 homes and more businesses by Berkeley, as well as an overall plan to build an additional 2,000 homes. Property management companies, construction businesses, investors and letting agents in SE18 were suddenly having a party.

The Royal Arsenal Riverside was slowly transformed into a buzzing residential area, with plenty of public and community spaces too. That penthouse apartment in central London that costed a fortune was suddenly available for much less at the Royal Arsenal.

Photo by:Vital Energi Flickr

Transportation

Of course, you can’t market penthouse apartments to people who can’t afford to buy them. Cheap as they may be compared to penthouse apartments in central London, they still cost. And people willing to pay usually have jobs in central London.

As a result, it was necessary to create better transportation for the Woolwich area, which, as mentioned, up until this development started, consisted of ca. 98% council estates. Closer to Greenwich demographics look different, not least because of the region’s investment in arts, culture and tourism - as a result there are millions of visitors coming to the area every year. In turn it also supports 16,000 jobs.

Transportation to Greenwich is easy, however. When the Royal Arsenal Riverside development started it wasn’t easy to get there. It was only in 2009 the DLR was extended to Woolwich. Thanks to that it now takes only 7 minutes to London City Airport and it’s much quicker going to central London. Thames Clipper services also started running from the Royal Arsenal Riverside, making it a great option for commuting along the river.

In addition to this, a crossrail station is opening at the Royal Arsenal in 2018, meaning Bond Street will be a 22 minutes away, whilst Liverpool Street will be only 14 minutes away and Canary Wharf a mere 8. Needless to say, if you’re working in Canary Wharf or the City, you’ll get to work fast.

Photo by: Vital Energi Flickr

A Pristine Community

Due to the site being home to a lot of recently refurbished heritage site listed buildings, a park and new, high quality, high rises along the river, it offers a unique environment.

As everything is new, or newly refurbished, you don’t have to put up with drafty old houses. The developers have focused on creating a great community, offering a nursery, healthcare, dentist, gym, concierge services, etc. meaning you have the amenities you need around you.

You can soon choose between taking a super fast crossrail service to town, or float along the river with the Thames Clipper service.

From stunning views, leisurely strolls in the park, old buildings and picnics along the river to modern high rises and state of the art facilities, it’s a site that has it all.

If you are looking to find out more, you can make a day excursion to explore the Firepower - the Royal Artillery Museum or the Greenwich Heritage Centre.

You can also call a letting agent in SE18, or a property management company that deals with housing in the Royal Arsenal residential area.

You may give us a call, or you can schedule an appointment by sending us a message online by clicking here.

Greens Lettings is a property management company based in Shooters Hill, London. As your HMO expert in SE18, we continue to serve places in South East London such as SE2 (Abbey Wood), SE3 (Blackheath), SE7 (Charlton), SE9 (Eltham), SE10 (Greenwich South St), SE18 (Woolwich), SE23 (Lewisham) and SE28 (Bexley) — just to name a few. We are your local online letting agent specialising in HMO conversions and full management. We offer free consultation and free property valuation. Contact Greens Lettings here.