The Royal Borough of Greenwich is taking enforcement action against the Comer Homes Group’s Mast Quay Phase II development in Woolich.

According to the council, the build-to-rent complex rising 23 storeys above the Thames in south-east London differs “substantially” to the project originally permitted in 2012.

The local authority said: “The Royal Borough of Greenwich has taken the decision, as the local planning authority, to progress with enforcement action against the Comer Homes Group’s Mast Quay Phase II development of two residential towers, one of which is stepped, with 23, 11, nine and six storeys, located on Woolwich Church Street, London SE18.

“The council’s extensive investigation over the last year has concluded that the completed Mast Quay Phase II built-to-rent development has been built without planning permission and is therefore unlawful because it is so substantially different to the scheme that was originally permitted by the planning permission given in 2012.”

The council highlighted “at least 26” main deviations to the original planning permission, including:

• visible design changes to the external appearance of the towers – the final towers look more solid and bulky because of the removal of the stepped back top floor and the glazed curtain wall façade to Block E that would have given the appearance of a sail
• visible changes to the materials and windows – different cladding, less glazing, smaller balconies, smaller windows and no wraparound balconies resulting in a reduction of daylight and sunlight, and to a reduced outlook
• increasing the approved size of the footprint of both towers
• not providing the roof gardens for residents and the public, children’s play areas, green roofs or landscaped gardens
• lower quality residential accommodation
• non accessible ‘accessible’ apartments that have steps to the balconies so that wheelchair users cannot use their outdoor space
• provision of a residents’ gym in place of the approved commercial floorspace which is also not accessible to anyone who uses a wheelchair
• a reduction of the amount of commercial floorspace for offices, shops and cafes at ground-level
• failure to provide enough underground car parking so that car parking dominates at ground level replacing what should have been a landscaped garden area with trees and plants and less car parking overall that could place pressure on street parking
• a lack of disabled parking bays
• shared residential/commercial basement access that could lead to conflicts
• a poorer quality footbridge to Woolwich Church Street.

The Royal Borough of Greenwich added: “The council believes that the only reasonable and proportionate way to rectify the harm created by the finished Mast Quay Phase II development to the local area, and the tenants living there, because of the changes made during its construction is the complete demolition and the restoration of the land to its former condition.

“Therefore, the council issued an enforcement notice on Monday 25 September which is subject to appeal rights for a period of at least 28 days following the date of issue. To support the residents currently living in the development the council has written to them directly to provide them with support, assistance and advice.”

Cllr Anthony Okereke, leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: “This decision is not one that the Royal Borough of Greenwich has taken lightly, but I believe it is reasonable and proportionate to the scale and seriousness of the situation. Mast Quay Phase II represents two prominent high-rise buildings on Woolwich’s riverside that just are not good enough, and the reason that they are not good enough is because the development that was given planning permission is not the one that we can all see before us today.

“In Our Greenwich, our vision for the borough by 2030, I committed to development that delivers positive change to the area for existing and new communities, and this is simply not the case with Mast Quay Phase II.”

“The right thing to do is not usually the easy thing to do. That is why we will not stand by and allow poor quality and unlawful development anywhere in our borough and we are not afraid of taking difficult decisions when we believe it’s the right thing to do.”

Comer Homes Group has 28 days to appeal to the government’s planning inspectorate.