Greenwich Council Approves Stone Foundries Open-Air Venue in Charlton Riverside 2026

Key Points

• On 19 August 2026, Greenwich Council’s Licensing Sub-Committee A has issued a premises licence for CW Bases Ltd.
• This outdoor venue that can accommodate up to 5,000 people will operate at the former Stone Foundries premises off Woolwich Road, Charlton Riverside (669 Woolwich Road, SE7 8HL).
• The proposed venue will stage a variety of different events, such as music concerts, corporate events, fashion shows, theatre productions, food festivals, and boxing/wrestling fights.
• The operating hours will include 09:00-23:00 hours each day, and the licensable activities will include music performance both live and recorded, films, plays and sale of alcohol until 22:30 or 23:00 hours.
• Noise objections were raised by a council officer who warned that construction of concrete buildings in the area would create sound reverberation, resulting in instant complaints from residents of Atlas Gardens and Derrick Gardens.
• The Metropolitan Police, Environmental Health, and Standard Licensing authorities withdrew their objections after attaching very stringent conditions to the licence.
• The capacity restrictions will apply as follows: not more than three events exceeding 1,000 people in 2026, no events exceeding 3,000 people in 2026, and up to 10 events exceeding 1,000 people in 2027 (but only six will be permitted with an attendance of up to 4,999 people).
• No event will be held on any day when Charlton Athletic Football Club is playing in its home stadium without approval from the council and police.

Charlton Riverside, (South London News), September 8, 2026 — Greenwich Council has formally approved a premises licence for a major new open-air entertainment and sports venue with a capacity of up to 5,000 people at the former Stone Foundries site off Woolwich Road in Charlton Riverside. Following a meeting of Licensing Sub-Committee A, applicant CW Bases Ltd was granted permission to transform the industrial plot into a flexible event space. The decision was reached despite opposition from the council’s own acoustic specialists regarding potential noise disturbances to nearby residential streets. Under the terms of the granted licence, the venue will operate between 09:00 and 23:00 daily, serving alcohol and hosting activities ranging from music concerts and fashion shows to corporate conventions and live boxing matches.

What specific conditions were attached to the Greenwich Council premises licence?

As reported by Cameron Blackshaw of MyLondon, Greenwich Council imposed a comprehensive list of operational rules to restrict capacity and regulate large-scale gatherings. The basic daily capacity for routine operations at the venue is capped at 999 attendees, excluding staff members.

For larger events, strict phasing controls have been mandated across the coming years:

• 2026 Limits: CW Bases Ltd agreed to requests from the Metropolitan Police and local authorities limiting the venue to no more than three events exceeding 1,000 visitors throughout 2026. Furthermore, no events with an attendance over 3,000 people will be permitted to take place during 2026.
• 2027 Phasing: Starting in 2027, the site will be permitted to hold a maximum of 10 events per year with over 1,000 attendees. Out of those 10 events, a maximum of six can host major crowds between 3,000 and 4,999 visitors.
• Advance Notice & Approval: Management must provide written notification to Greenwich Council and the police six months in advance of any major event exceeding 3,000 people. Events with over 1,000 attendees that fall below major thresholds require a 12-week advance notice.
• Football Match Day Restraints: No events are permitted to be held on days when Charlton Athletic Football Club plays a home fixture at The Valley, unless explicit prior written consent is provided by the licensing authority and Metropolitan Police.
• Dispersal & Public Transport: The venue operator must provide a detailed crowd management and dispersal strategy to prevent overcrowding at Charlton Railway Station.
• Operating Schedule: Licensable activities including the performance of plays, exhibition of films, live music, recorded music, and indoor sports matches are permitted between 09:00 and 23:00, while alcohol sales must cease at 22:30.

Why did Greenwich Council’s noise protection team object to the outdoor venue?

As reported by Cameron Blackshaw of MyLondon, the council’s Community Protection Team maintained a formal objection during the committee proceedings. A council noise officer stated during the hearing that he did not believe the open-air space could achieve the local authority’s required acoustic standards.

The officer explained that the physical composition of the Stone Foundries site, positioned between two large industrial warehouses with concrete flooring, risks causing sound to reverberate. The noise team expressed specific concern that residents living in nearby properties along Derrick Gardens and Atlas Gardens would be subjected to elevated sound levels and would “complain straight away”.

Furthermore, as noted by Cameron Blackshaw, the protection team pointed out that the original sound assessment submitted by CW Bases Ltd as part of its licence application was tailored for an enclosed indoor venue rather than an outdoor installation. The team informed Sub-Committee A that it would not be satisfied until an updated acoustic report evaluating outdoor sound propagation was conducted.

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How did the venue management respond to resident and council concerns?

As reported by Cameron Blackshaw of MyLondon, Hugo Kibasi, manager for the proposed premises, acknowledged the acoustic concerns raised by municipal officers, characterising noise control as a “very valid concern” and an issue common to similar outdoor operational sites.

Addressing the licensing committee, Hugo Kibasi stated that:

“If there’s a framework agreed, there’s a framework agreed and we have to work within that”.

As reported by London Now, Hugo Kibasi stated that the applicant had worked in a constructive manner with the Metropolitan Police, Greenwich Council’s licensing department, and environmental health officers, leading all three authorities to withdraw their initial formal representations following the inclusion of the agreed operating conditions.

Hugo Kibasi clarified that the venue will host a “diverse mixture” of programming, including fashion shows, corporate conferences, theatre performances, food markets, and athletic fixtures, assuring committee members that the majority of booked events will not be music-led.

In relation to public consultation, Hugo Kibasi acknowledged that CW Bases Ltd had not conducted advance engagement with nearby residents in Derrick Gardens and Atlas Gardens prior to the sub-committee meeting, but stated that management intended to liaise with the local community once operations commence. He added that an exact public opening date for the complex has not yet been finalised.

Hugo Kibasi stated that:

“From our perspective, being able to operate as a venue is important to continue having it as an ongoing venture. We can only do that if we have the support of the community and if we obtain our premises licence and from our perspective we need to do everything we can to mitigate [noise concerns] and at all points we would consider what that local impact is”.

Hugo Kibasi further stated that:

“Our belief is that we can positively and collaboratively work together to bring something that adds value to the local area and the local community, and we can do that in a safe, respectful and collaborative manner both with all the responsible authorities but also local businesses and local residents”.

Background of the Charlton Riverside development zone

The former Stone Foundries site at 669 Woolwich Road forms part of the wider Charlton Riverside regeneration area in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Historically an industrial hub known for metal casting and heavy manufacturing, Stone Foundries ceased its long-standing operations on the land, leaving behind vacant industrial structures and hardstanding concrete ground.

Under Greenwich Council’s Charlton Riverside Masterplan, the surrounding riverside area has been designated for long-term urban renewal, intended to transition industrial land into mixed-use developments, creative hubs, commercial spaces, and thousands of new residential units. The grant of a premises licence to CW Bases Ltd allows for interim commercial deployment of the vacant industrial footprint while long-term structural redevelopment across the masterplan zone progresses.

How this development will affect local residents, transport, and businesses

The approval of a 5,000-capacity open-air event space will directly impact three distinct local stakeholder groups in the Charlton and Greenwich area:

1. Nearby Residential Communities

Residents living in immediate proximity to Woolwich Road, particularly households in Derrick Gardens and Atlas Gardens, face potential alterations to their ambient living environment. Despite the strict sound management protocols and 22:30/23:00 terminal hours imposed by the council, outdoor amplification on concrete ground presents a ongoing noise risk. Neighbors are likely to monitor acoustic levels closely during the initial phased events in 2026, with municipal complaint channels serving as the primary avenue for enforcement if sound leaks occur.

2. Transport Users and Commuters

The arrival of up to 5,000 visitors during peak event days will place additional demand on local transport infrastructure. Charlton Railway Station, located within walking distance, will experience concentrated bursts of foot traffic before and after scheduled performances. The condition requiring six months’ advance notice for major events, combined with mandatory coordination alongside Charlton Athletic FC fixtures, is designed to prevent severe station overcrowding and avoid conflicting crowds on match days.

3. Local Hospitality and Commercial Sector

For surrounding commercial operators, food retailers, and public houses along Woolwich Road, the venue will generate increased footfall. Corporate meetings, exhibitions, and athletic events will draw external visitors into Charlton Riverside, presenting commercial opportunities for local service providers, provided crowd dispersal remains orderly and anti-social behavior is mitigated by the venue’s security personnel.