The Greenwich Meridian

Currently viewing images from 05 Jul 2012

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This site on the Greenwich Peninsula is currently awaiting redevelopment. In 2002, plans were put forward to build 2500 homes on the site which at that time was given the name Meridian Gardens. Plans lodged with Greenwich Council during 2012, showed a small garden development with the Thames Path running though it. A second path alongside and to the east was centred along the line of the Meridian which it was intended to mark with a steel strip. The two paths are shown as converging at the northern extremity of the site. It was also proposed to develop a new pier to be known as Meridian Pier. In a separate development, there are there are/were also plans to mark the Meridian at Delta Wharf around 300 m to the south. In 2013, the site effectively changed ownership and a new masterplan was approved by the Council in 2015. By then, the site was being referred to as Peninsula Quays, later changed to Meridian Quays. In the new plans, there is a proposal for a new riverside linear park to be known as Meridian Quays Park. The proposal for a pier of jetty also remains.If built, it is likely to be known as Meridian Quays pier or jetty.

In 2012, as can be seen from the three image sets from that year, works were carried out to renew the pilings at the edge of the site on the Thames embankment. In 2014, the north east corner of the site was given over to the Meantime Brewing Company so that they could develop a small hop farm on the line of the Greenwich Meridian. The planting site was regrettably only temporary and as things turned out, the hop farm had a very short life. The first harvest was in 2014 and the last in 2015. During 2016, the hop farm became increasing dilapidated before being cleared from the site to make way for the Corona SunSets festival which was held on the site on 30 July.

Confusingly, the green space about 200 m to the north of this site and to the west of the O2 Arena (the former Millennium Dome), was simultaneously also referred to as Meridian Gardens from about 1999 until at least 2012.