Focus on Bexley

Leader of the Council, Cllr Baroness O’Neill of Bexley OBE was joined by Cabinet Member for Place Shaping, Cllr Munur and the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, Cllr Diment to celebrate the completion of Erith Riverside Gardens on 30 June and to mark the end of the major refurbishment and construction of the new community space at 68 Pier Road.

The transformed gardens were opened to the public in stages and will bring residents and visitors closer to the River Thames with new seating, a playground, an outdoor fitness zone and a community gardening area.

Some minor finishing work including planting and the installation of a ramp will continue after the gardens are opened to the public.

'The new community space, named '68' by local residents, is due to open in late July and will be operated by charity GCDA.'

It will feature a kitchen, hireable events area and meeting rooms, as well as a Changing Place toilet facility. An indoor courtyard can also be used for outdoor events and for local people to meet and relax in. www.greatererith.com

Erith Town Centre has been selected as one of 12 London high streets to receive £50,000 in funding through the High Street Place Labs (HSPL) initiative.

This investment will support the London Borough of Bexley in driving forward its regeneration plans for Erith.

As part of this initiative, the Council will collaborate closely with local residents and town centre users, while also strengthening partnerships and deepening community engagement. It is hoped that this initiative will act as a catalyst for further investment, helping to transform Erith into a more vibrant and thriving town centre.

The funding for the HSPL initiative has been provided by the Mayor of London and the government's UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

More information on HSPL can be found online at: www.london.gov.uk/programmesstrategies/shaping-local-spaces/highstreets/high-streets-place-labs

London Borough of Bexley has raised concerns with the Mayor of London regarding unfair Silvertown Tunnel charges leaving its residents at a disadvantage when compared to the residents of neighbouring boroughs.

Leader of the Council, Councillor Baroness O’Neill of Bexley OBE, set out these concerns in a letter to the Mayor ahead of Andy Lord’s report to Transport for London (TfL) regarding the tunnel’s usage.

Despite TfL offering discounts to small businesses based in the neighbouring boroughs of Greenwich, Newham and Tower Hamlets, Bexley does not enjoy the same privilege and are left with no other option but to use the tunnels if they are to serve customers north of the river.

The uni-directional peak-hour surcharge on cross river journeys through the tunnel means Bexley businesses and residents travelling northbound in the morning peak and south in the evening will be paying hundreds of pounds more yearly compared to someone whose journey starts north of the river.

The Leader noted this places Bexley residents working north of the river at a significant financial disadvantage.

It was also highlighted that none of the improved bus services, detailed in Andy Lord’s report to the TfL, offer direct services into Bexley.

The Leader urged TfL to consider extending discounts to Bexley businesses, ending the surcharge for Bexley residents starting their journey from south of the river and a review of the cross-river bus network to offer the Borough’s residents direct services north of the river.

An extension to the DLR beyond the planned extension to Thamesmead into Bexley, as well as an extension of the Elizabeth Line east from Abbey Wood were called for by the Leader.