Greenwich Peninsula - Redevelopment Since Early 1990s

Redevelopment Since Early 1990s

Public and private investment since the early 1990s has brought about some dramatic changes in the Peninsula's topography. In 1997 the national regeneration agency, English Partnerships, (now named the Homes and Communities Agency) purchased 1.21 square kilometres (300 acres) of disused land on the Peninsula. The agency's investment of over £225m has helped to enhance the transport network and create new homes, commercial space and community facilities and to open up access to parkland along the river.

In addition to the construction of the Millennium Dome, new roads were built on the eastern side of the Peninsula in anticipation of new developments. New riverside walkways, cycle paths and public artworks were also created, including Antony Gormley's Quantum Cloud and A Slice of Reality the work by Richard Wilson.

Two phases of Greenwich Millennium Village, a mixed-tenure residential development, with a primary school, a medical centre, a nature reserve with associated education centre have been completed. A Holiday Inn hotel was also built nearby, and the Greenwich Yacht Club was relocated to a new site south-east of the Dome.

North Greenwich tube station on the Jubilee Line opened in 1999. It is one of the largest London Underground stations and also has a bus station. The North Greenwich Pier offering commuter boat service to other parts of London, both east and west, is located on the Thames just to the east of the tube station.

In 2004 outline planning permission was granted for further large-scale redevelopment of the site, including over 10,000 further homes, some facing the river or overlooking the park, 3,500,000 square feet (330,000 m2) of office space and the conversion of the Millennium Dome into an indoor arena, renamed The O₂. South of The O₂, new public realms have been created, Peninsula Square and Green Place. To the east of Peninsula Square is Ravensbourne College, which relocated to Greenwich Peninsula in September 2010. In 2011, the college's campus won an award in the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) Awards for London. From a shortlist of 55 schemes, the Ravensbourne building won the education and community category.

To the south east of the square, the six storey 14 Pier Walk building houses offices for Transport for London. Adjacent to this is the 11 storey 6 Mitre Passage office building. New restaurants and shops have opened facing onto Peninsula Square and Green Place.

Transport for London constructed a cable car over the River Thames for Summer of 2012 just before the 2012 Summer Olympics began. This runs from a riverside station south-east of the O2 over the river to the Royal Victoria Dock near the ExCeL Centre.

Adjacent to the cable car terminus is a large temporary building housing the London Soccer Dome, formerly the David Beckham Academy. Approximately 400m further south, is the Pilot Inn public house, one of the oldest remaining buildings on the Peninsula.

Central Park runs through the central spine of the Peninsula, with the Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park further south providing a haven for many different species of bird, plants and insects.