Parking, garages and bike storage

Parking

Residents of VPE can purchase a parking permit for one car and buy visitor parking vouchers. You can park anywhere on the estate with a valid permit or voucher.

Find out more and apply for a permit on the Royal Borough of Greenwich website.

Garages

Garages within the estate are available to let, along with other council-owned garages in the area, although there is currently a waiting list. Learn more about how to apply for a garage, then once you’ve applied, contact the Greenwich Tenancy West team on 020 8921 6364 which should speed things up.

Bike storage

There is also a waiting list for bike storage, but more units have been promised. For details and to apply contact the Greenwich Tenancy West team on the number above.

Recycling and waste

Communal bin stores can be found across the estate. There’s clear signage of what type of waste should be disposed of in each area, so please sort your rubbish accordingly.

The recycling bin stores are now locked to prevent contamination. Email waste.advisors@royalgreenwich.gov.uk to request your key to access the recycling bins.

Free, clear plastic bin liners for dry recycling can be ordered online via Greenwich council, but there is normally a three week wait – it’s much faster to head to one of the following local libraries for collection:

Just remember to bring proof of ID with you.

Food and garden waste can be contained in corn starch or paper sacks, which break down and can be used for composting. Again, you’ll find them on the Greenwich council website, although there is a small cost.

Bulky rubbish including broken furniture, old appliances and waste building materials can be disposed of at:

If you lack the necessary transport, you can leave bulky items for disposal outside the caretaker’s office. But please, don’t leave any bulky items inside or outside the bin chambers or on the road.

Residents’ Association

Each month, the Residents’ Association gets together to discuss all things VPE: chasing long-standing maintenance, liaising with the council and promoting social cohesion.

All-residents’ meetings take place three times a year (February, June and October) at our local community centre, Mycenae House, 90 Mycenae Road, SE3 7SE. Everyone who lives on the estate is welcome to join – look out for posters around the estate, or check back to this site for confirmation of dates.

If you need to get in touch with one of the VPERA members, email hello@vanbrughparkestate.com and someone will get back to you as soon as they can.

Residents’ Association Constitution

Our Residents’ Association was set up to represent those that live on Vanbrugh Park Estate, by helping to maintain and improve the estate, as well as promote community spirit. If you’d like to get involved or simply learn more about what the committee does, you can download the constitution document below.

Download constitution

Estate caretaker

Our caretaker’s office is found at the north-east corner of the estate (near the corner of Vanbrugh Park Road and Westcombe Park Road). The head of the caretaker team is Danielle, and she’s often in her office on weekdays between 7am and 11am. The team is available to help with maintenance, safety and cleanliness of communal areas.

Charges

Residents of Vanbrugh Park Estate pay council tax to LB Greenwich as well as service charges which are intended to cover basic maintenance and cleaning of the estate. These charges vary by property type and tenure.

Maisonettes above garages (leasehold)
Typical Service Charge per year
2021 — £1132
2020 — £610
2019 — £575

Repairs (council tenants only)

If you’re a council tenant, the Royal Borough of Greenwich is responsible for the upkeep of your home.

To get a non-urgent repair done, you must first call the council on 020 8921 8900. When reporting the repair, make sure you ask for a job number. Once you have that, the council is obliged to carry out non-urgent repairs within five weeks. If the repair is still outstanding after five weeks, call or text the VPERA chair on 07877 172032, quoting the job number and the date that you first reported it. The Residents’ Association will chase the relevant council managers on your behalf.

For urgent repairs outside of normal office hours, contact 020 8854 8888.

Important contacts

Greenwich council

Find out key information on how to to pay council tax, apply for a service, or report a problem on the Royal Borough of Greenwich website.

For general enquiries, phone 020 8854 8888. If you’re after a specific department, contact details can be found on their contact page.

Neighbourhood police

In any emergency where a crime is in progress, always call 999. Otherwise, call 101 to discuss anything suspicious. If you have information that might lead police to an arrest, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

If you’d like to talk to a local beat officer, call 020 8721 2635 or 07920 233 828. These only work when there is someone actually walking the beat, but you can leave a text message on the second number.

Local councillors

Ward councillors are elected to represent residents’ needs and concerns at Greenwich council meetings. Many of us have been helped at different times by talking to one of our local councillors about matters related to living on the estate, and our councillors all hold regular meetings with residents.

Our current Blackheath Westcombe ward councillors are:

Greenwich Community Directory

This directory helps you search for local information and services across health, social care and community. Get tips on how to live well, services for help at home, opportunities to join volunteer groups across the borough, and much more. For more information, visit Greenwich Community Directory or telephone 0800 470 4831.

Hospitals

Estate residents are covered by two local hospitals:

  • Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Stadium Road, SE18 4QH
  • Lewisham University Hospital, Lewisham High Street, SE13 6LH

Both have A&E departments.

Gamers - play for free in London

GAMERS in the UK might not know about it, but there's an attraction that will let them play games consoles for free as much as they like.

Gaming can be an expensive hobby, but there are ways to still get your fix, including places like the The Microsoft Experience Centre’s Xbox Lounge

There you can find the free-to-play gaming zone, that opened in Spring last year.

The centre in Regent Street, London has three dedicated gaming areas, with 21 gaming screens for people to enjoy.

Those three zones include the Cloud Gaming Zone, with 55” Neo QLED Smart TVs for game streaming via the Samsung Gaming Hub - an online gaming service with no downloads, storage limits, or console required.

There's also the Living Room Zone with 98” Neo QLED 4K HDR Smart TVs and the Tournament Zone containing 12 24” inch Odyssey G3 Gaming Monitors for people to engage in some friendly competition.

The lounge is open daily from 10am to 7pm Monday to Saturday and from 12pm to 6pm on Sundays.

Ahead of its opening, Gus Grimaldi from Samsung Services said: “We are very excited to be opening the Gaming Zone at the Microsoft Experience Centre in the heart of London.

"We're offering guests of all ages and abilities the chance to enjoy unlimited free play across Samsung’s latest gaming Smart TVs and monitors.

"With Samsung Gaming Hub, individuals can enjoy the best of gaming, all in one place and play instantly without a console.

"Develop your skills in gaming, play against friends and even enter a tournament to battle against others for the ultimate gaming experience.

"From racing and sports to fun and strategy such as Minecraft Legends, there’s a game for everyone to enjoy.”

The centre in London has immersive gaming experiences on offer for its visitors too.

According to Visit London, people can test their skills "in a life-size Halo Warthog driving simulator".

Gamers can also "hop in and experience the feeling of driving the roads of Mexico in Forza Horizon 5 Gameplay".

GAMERS in the UK might not know about it, but there's an attraction that will let them play games consoles for free as much as they like.

Gaming can be an expensive hobby, but there are ways to still get your fix, including places like the The Microsoft Experience Centre’s Xbox Lounge.

There are three different gaming zones in the Microsoft CentreCredit:

Special gaming events are held on certain days throughout the yearCredit: Getty

The gaming zone has some special cutting edge gaming systems for people to useCredit: Getty

There you can find the free-to-play gaming zone, that opened in Spring last year.

The centre in Regent Street, London has three dedicated gaming areas, with 21 gaming screens for people to enjoy.

Those three zones include the Cloud Gaming Zone, with 55” Neo QLED Smart TVs for game streaming via the Samsung Gaming Hub - an online gaming service with no downloads, storage limits, or console required.

There's also the Living Room Zone with 98” Neo QLED 4K HDR Smart TVs and the Tournament Zone containing 12 24” inch Odyssey G3 Gaming Monitors for people to engage in some friendly competition.

The lounge is open daily from 10am to 7pm Monday to Saturday and from 12pm to 6pm on Sundays.

Ahead of its opening, Gus Grimaldi from Samsung Services said: “We are very excited to be opening the Gaming Zone at the Microsoft Experience Centre in the heart of London.

"We're offering guests of all ages and abilities the chance to enjoy unlimited free play across Samsung’s latest gaming Smart TVs and monitors.

"With Samsung Gaming Hub, individuals can enjoy the best of gaming, all in one place and play instantly without a console

Three cheap staycations in Dorset & New Forest that have free activities

"Develop your skills in gaming, play against friends and even enter a tournament to battle against others for the ultimate gaming experience.

"From racing and sports to fun and strategy such as Minecraft Legends, there’s a game for everyone to enjoy.”

The centre in London has immersive gaming experiences on offer for its visitors too.

According to Visit London, people can test their skills "in a life-size Halo Warthog driving simulator".

Gamers can also "hop in and experience the feeling of driving the roads of Mexico in Forza Horizon 5 Gameplay".

The centre also sometimes hosts special events, including Minecraft building challenges, on weekends.

Although none are currently in the calendar, it's worth keeping an eye out for future gaming events, which often need to be pre-booked in advance.

For general gaming at the centre, booking isn't required, with people able to just turn up and play.

And you can watch 95,000 films and TV shows for free at this little-known UK attraction.!