Greenwich Unitary Development Plan

9. TOURISM

GENERAL POLICY AND POLICY CONTEXT

9.1

The Plan promotes the protection of the concentration of tourism activities around key sites, particularly in the vicinity of Greenwich Town Centre, and the expansion of tourism in the Borough. The general policies for Tourism are:

ST1	The Council supports and promotes tourism, recognising that it has a positive and significant role to play in securing the economic and environmental regeneration of the Borough particularly in the Waterfront areas.

ST2	To promote the provision of facilities for tourists in appropriate locations, subject to the need to:
	i.	protect the housing stock, the amenities of the local community and the environment of the Borough;
	ii.	ensure that tourism is managed to provide benefits for local communities and businesses;
	iii.	diversify the tourism base of the Borough’s economy by seeking facilities which embrace a wide range of arts, culture, sporting and entertainment activities for participation and enjoyment by all sections of the community; and
	iv.	that major tourist facilities are well served by public transport.

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BOROUGH CONTEXT AND REASONS FOR PART ONE POLICIES

9.2

PPG21 Tourism (1992) and the London Plan(2004)stress the benefits of tourism and the need to ensure that tourism is sustainable. The latter supports the diversification of tourism across London and that the benefits are dispersed, and recognises Greenwich Riverside as a Strategic Cultural Area. PPS6: Planning for Town Centres (2005) and Policy TC16 promote retail, leisure and other key town centre uses which attract large numbers of people to locate within the Town Centres. The Greenwich Strategy aims to reinforce Greenwich as a world renowned and welcoming tourist destination, making the most of historic heritage, ancient woodlands, the riverside locations and creative potential. The Borough’s Tourism Strategy for 2004-2010 ‘Greenwich: A Place to Visit?’, both interacts with the UDP and aims to focus tourism delivery agencies towards achieving a sustainable tourism economy.

9.3

The policies in the UDP welcome tourism in appropriate locations and support the provision of hotels and conference centres in the light of the general shortage of hotel space in an area that has many high profile tourist attractions. The Council wishes to attract new hotel developments, in order to assist the local economy and increase the number and variety of jobs available locally.

9.4

Greenwich is undergoing great change as its maritime, industrial and military heritage is consolidated with new roles in providing sustainable communities, modern businesses, education, culture and tourism sectors. The choice of the Peninsula for the Millennium celebrations brought the Borough international status that is being drawn upon and channelled further into the local economies and communities.

9.5

In addition to the new development around the Peninsula, the Borough continues to capitalise upon its many historical assets, principally the National Maritime Museum, Cutty Sark, Old Royal Observatory and former Royal Naval College. Visitors come to see the royal, architectural, scientific and nautical legacy that has made Greenwich a site of World Heritage Importance. Other attractions including Eltham Palace, Charlton House, the Royal Arsenal, Thames Barrier and the Green Chain network of open spaces.

9.6

The concentration of tourism activities around key sites, particularly in the vicinity of Greenwich Town Centre, has caused problems associated with traffic congestion and erosion of the environment. With 6.9 million visitors to the Borough in 2001, (Greenwich: A Place to Visit? Tourism Strategy 2004-2010) these issues must be addressed, if those attracted to Greenwich are to be encouraged to lengthen their stay. The current level of spending per visitor is low; with a key factor being the under supply of visitor accommodation. Greenwich has an average of 3,500 serviced and non-serviced bedspaces available year round, however this includes seasonal University accommodation and a caravan park (Greenwich: A Place to Visit? Tourism Strategy 2004-2010). Since 2000, the number of graded bed and breakfast spaces has fallen by approximately 5% and there is a shortage of specialist types of business tourism facilities.

9.7

The full benefits of this growth can be achieved as a result of inward investment into the Borough. The connection of Greenwich Town Centre to the DLR and to the underground network at Greenwich Peninsula has provided stronger links between the Borough and Central London. The development of a Waterfront Transit link complements the picture, by linking areas across the Borough by a sustainable transport mode. Skill shortages and training needs have and continue to be met through training schemes, educational establishments and the Greenwich Local Labour and Business initiative. In addition, efforts must be made to use the Borough's strengths and take advantage of the opportunities available, including linking waterfront sites through design, environmental improvements, walkways, cycleways and improved public transport, promoting the World Heritage Site Status of Greenwich and seeking development of tourism support industries.

POLICIES

Location and Criteria

T1	The Council will welcome proposals for major tourism development including hotels (over 10 bed spaces), conference facilities or interactive attractions in town centres, within areas listed in the Mixed Use Schedules and in identified Waterfront locations with good public transport access (Policy W3). Such development will need to satisfy the following criteria:
	i.	a high standard of design which complies with the policies contained in the Design and Conservation and Waterfront Chapters;
	ii.	that parking, cycling and (where relevant) coach facilities be provided on site to accord with Policies M23, M26, M27, M32, M40 and M41;
	iii.	that the level of traffic generated by the development will not adversely impact on the surrounding environment (especially air quality) or on traffic congestion or bus services;
	iv.	that there will be no significant harm to the amenity of neighbouring residents and land users, particularly as a result of noise or disturbance. See also Policies E1 to E3 and E5 to E7;
	v.	that all aspects of the development are accessible to those with sensory or mobility impairments;
	vi.	that facilities associated with the development, such as hotel leisure facilities, can be used by local residents and businesses;
	vii.	that planning agreements are used as appropriate to secure community and workplace benefits, in accordance with Policy SC2; and
	viii.	that where development is proposed on sites adjacent to the River Thames or Deptford Creek, the Council will seek to ensure that the development uses the river for visitor transport.

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Reasons

9.8

Tourism development in the past has tended to be opportunistic rather than planned. This has resulted in the Borough experiencing many of the environmental problems associated with intensive tourism related uses whilst receiving few of the benefits. The sequential approach towards major tourist development, will help to structure future provision, and focus the efforts of the Council, in actively promoting major tourist development e.g. hotels and visitor attractions in the Borough. In meeting the demand for accommodation in particular, and securing economic benefits for local people, the identification of sites for tourism development will also help avoid piecemeal development, enabling them to be co-ordinated with other areas of economic regeneration, particularly on the Waterfront (see Policy SW1).

9.9

This approach has a number of advantages; it raises the profile of the area, encourages environmental improvements and induces investment, facilitates links between attractions, encourages joint marketing and provides a strong base for facilities serving the tourist market, particularly shops, hotels and restaurants.

9.10

The Council has prepared a guide of Hotel Sites for the Millennium, as part of its commitment towards encouraging tourism development within the Borough. It is necessary to assess major hotel development against criteria as listed above, encouraging sensitive location for what can often constitute an intensive form of land use and can create severe environmental problems in surrounding areas if the implications are not fully explored. The Council will continue to review the need for hotel sites and to identify further suitable locations in future planning briefs.

9.11

Where major tourist development, including hotels and associated ancillary visitor facilities provide sport and recreation, or other leisure facilities, the Council will seek to secure public access to them, thus ensuring the optimum use of the site. The use of the River Thames and Deptford Creek for tourism is supported. Tourism related developments adjacent the Borough’s waterways will be encouraged to make use of the river wherever possible, be it through design, the siting of buildings and activity or the use of the river itself.

9.12

Most major tourist developments will provide benefits such as leisure facilities or job opportunities, although these may not necessarily meet the needs of the community. In trying to maximise the benefits of such developments towards the community and to avoid any problems arising from new development the Council will use planning agreements. In particular developers of major tourist developments will be expected to use Greenwich Local Labour and Business (Policy J14).

Small Hotels, Bed and Breakfast Accommodation and Guesthouses

T2	The Council will give favourable consideration to the development and extension of small hotels (up to 10 bed-spaces), bed and breakfast accommodation and guesthouses including permitting conversions of buildings from other uses providing that the following criteria are fulfilled:
	i.	The site is close to existing public transport facilities.
	ii.	The site is close to existing public transport facilities.

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Reasons

9.13

Over the plan period Greenwich will have established a number of hotels, and other forms of visitor accommodation that need to be safeguarded for their contribution to the Borough wide tourism strategy and to meeting local needs. According to the London Plan (2004), a further 36,000 hotel rooms should be provided in the period up to 2016 and in particular, there is an identifiable shortage of ‘value for money’ hotel accommodation. It is not envisaged that this demand could be fully met through the construction of new hotels. The Borough is home to a range of accommodation and whilst it has a reputation of good value accommodation for the independent traveller, there is limited group accommodation provision. The ability to promote Greenwich as an overnight tourist destination or as an alternative place to stay as part of a London visit is undermined by a shortage of hotel stock (Greenwich: A Place to Visit? Tourism Strategy 2004-2010). Conversions should, however, be strictly controlled to ensure that they do not have a negative impact on adjoining areas, particularly residential areas.

Diversification

T3	The Council will seek to diversify the tourism base of the Borough by encouraging the provision of a range of tourist facilities andensuring that a geographical spread of sites are available for good quality tourism development.

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Reasons

9.14

This approach seeks to upgrade the quality and diversity of tourism development and by doing so to improve the quality of tourism related employment available to local people across the Borough and provide key elements of the local business infrastructure. Diversification of tourism within the Borough should include developing facilities for conferences, exhibitions and other high revenue generating developments. The Council has prepared a Cultural Strategy and a Tourism Strategy which address the need to diversify tourism in the Borough.

9.15

Through managing tourism activities and promoting the attractions found wider afield within the Borough such as Eltham Palace, Well Hall Pleasaunce, Charlton House and Oxleas Woods, the benefits of tourism can be dispersed and built upon. It is through this diversification of the tourism product found in Greenwich that a more sustainable tourism economy could be developed, with visitors being actively encouraged to lengthen their stay, thus increasing their level of spending.

9.16

In Greenwich Town Centre future effort and resources will be concentrated on improving existing facilities and relieving congestion. Significant improvements have resulted from the development of the DLR into Greenwich town centre. Deptford Creek is an area for focused tourism, cultural and creative development contributing to mixed use policies and wider regeneration (see London Plan, 2004). In Woolwich, the emphasis will be on providing basic tourist infrastructure to establish a secondary focus for the development of tourism in the Borough. The Royal Arsenal, including the Firepower Museum and the GreenwichHeritage Centre, has the potential to be a tourism focus for Woolwich - the variety of buildings, quality of architecture and accessible location lends this site to development that incorporates tourism facilities. Future tourism development in Eltham Town Centre should be geared towards providing ancillary facilities serving tourist attractions such as Eltham Palace in the Eltham area as a whole.

Camping and Caravanning

T4	The Council will seek to provide additional, and protect existing, facilities for camping and caravanning in the Borough.

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Reasons

9.17

The existing camping and caravanning site at the Abbey Wood Caravan Club is well used. Camping and caravanning facilities also help to meet the need for budget accommodation.

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