Linda Bailey

Councillors and staff at the Council were very sad to learn of Linda Bailey’s passing last month, after a period of ill health. Linda was a familiar figure to Members of the Council and Council staff, with whom she worked for many years since she was first elected as a local Councillor in 1986, with a short break between 1994 and 1998.

Linda was passionate about using her Cabinet position to create new opportunities for our residents. She worked with the Leader of the Council to secure jobs for local people in many places, including the Ocado and Tesco centres in the north of the borough. She took a close interest in the regeneration of Erith Park and Thamesmead and the development at Erith Quarry. She was also a keen supporter of Bexley’s town centres,

working with local Opening of Morrisons in Welling businesses and on the successful campaign to encourage Waitrose to open in Sidcup. Her focus was initially on schools and children’s services and later in development, town planning and regeneration. Opening of little Waitrose in Sidcup Linda served as Councillor for Bexleyheath and Crook Log, the name and precise area changing over the years as a result of boundary changes. At the site of the Erith Quarry Make sure Opening of the Rumble Tums Café in Sidcup you have your say

Page 3 photo – Cllr Bailey and the Leader of the Council opening the Erith Park development

Major national award for Erith Hills development

In late November, the Anderson Group’s exciting development on the old Erith Quarry site won the National Housebuilder Award for ‘Best Regeneration Initiative’ in the country. The awards are the industry’s most prestigious and competitive, meaning the award is evidence of the success of the project so far.

Anderson Group wrote to the Leader of the Council and senior officers following the news, to thank them for their support for the project.

Work on the new primary school that is part of the development is progressing well and should be completed by the end of this year, in time for the first pupils to be admitted from September 2023. Construction is underway on another 849 homes on the site, on which the Anderson Group are working in partnership with L&Q. Local elections will take place this year on Thursday 5 May. You must be registered to vote to have your say in these important elections to elect your local Councillors.

Registering to vote is easy. All you need is five minutes and your National Insurance number.

Visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote If you are not sure if you are registered contact Bexley’s Election Office elections.office@bexley.gov.uk

Important deadlines

X Voter Registration deadline -

Thursday 14 April 2022 X Postal Vote applications deadline - 5pm on Tuesday 19 April 2022 X Proxy Vote applications deadline - 5pm on Tuesday 26 April 2022 Poll cards with details of your polling station will be sent out from 23 March.

to re-open Barnehurst Golf Course

American Golf has been named as the new operator for Barnehurst Golf club with plans underway to re-open the site in spring 2022. Investment into the Barnehurst Golf Complex will include a new sports and lounge bar, refurbished driving range with Toptracer technology and a new retail space planned for later this year. Toptracer technology is a practice tool, that takes the guesswork out of range sessions by offering datadriven experience.

Cabinet Member for Places, Cllr Peter Craske said:

“This is excellent news for the borough. Having such an established name running the course is exactly what is needed to help it develop and grow into a key golfing venue. The new operators are already brimming with ideas for the site and I’m looking forward to seeing them start work.” American Golf’s CEO, Gary Favell, said “We are delighted be a part of the Barnehurst community and look forward to welcoming past and new members to the club. Our vision is to make golf accessible and fun to everyone and for the community to enjoy the many health and wellbeing benefits it brings.” Membership details will be released in the coming weeks. You can follow the renovation developments here www.bexley. gov.uk/barnehurst-golf-club

Work continues on two new libraries

Sidcup Storyhouse

The new library and cinema on the site of the former Blockbuster store in Sidcup is progressing well.

Cinema operators Really Local Group and construction company Neillcott are working with the Council to build the town’s new three-screen cinema, library and nine flats.

The development will provide community activities and new homes in the heart of the town centre.

The project is part of the Sidcup Regeneration and Cultural Programme.

The Really Local Group will fit out and run the independent cinema.

BexleyCo will build new homes on the site of the current Sidcup library in Hadlow Road, when it becomes vacant. The Nest, Thamesmead

The new Thamesmead Library – The Nest - is being built in partnership with Peabody as part of the major redevelopment of the former Tavy Bridge area.

The library will have an outdoor terrace, a meeting room, computers and study spaces. The offices and community spaces that make up part of The Nest are managed by Peabody.

Visit www.bexley.gov.uk/ bexley-libraries for some special opening events later this year!

Bexley celebrates LGBT+ History Month

February marked the start of LGBT+ History month. LGBT stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and + for those questioning their identity.

To mark the start of LGBT+ History Month, the Mayor of Bexley, the Commissioned Representative Deputy Lieutenant, Sir David Evennett MP, Louie French MP, Councillors and Council staff came together to raise the Progress flag outside the Civic Offices on Tuesday 1 February.

The flag was flown to show that diversity is celebrated in Bexley and that all members of the LGBTQ+ community are supported.

LGBT+ History Month aims to raise awareness of, and combat prejudice against the LGBTQ+ community ,while celebrating its achievements and making diversity more visible. www.lgbtplus historymonth.co.uk

Supporting new businesses

Two new pop-up shops have opened in the Borough giving 16 new traders the chance to showcase and sell their products in prime retail space. The first ‘Bexley Originals’ shop opened in the Broadway Shopping Centre in Bexleyheath and a second shop beside the Print Room at 70 Bellegrove Road, in Welling High Street.

Both shops sell specialist and ethically sourced products and have been launched as part of a scheme to help support small and start-up businesses. The aim is to enable a wide range of local businesses to gain their first experience of trading on the high street, adding to their business skills in the process.

With the support of Retail Revival, an experienced business support and high street regeneration specialist, 40 applicants were shortlisted, 24 interviewed and from these 11 have been selected to trade in the Bexleyheath shop and five in the Welling shop. Both pop-up shops will remain open until the end of March 2022. The Bexley Originals initiative has been developed and is managed and run by the Council as part of its post-COVID Economic Recovery Strategy.

Bexley Libraries support business owners in 2022

Bexley Libraries are providing an exciting range of new resources to support anyone wishing to start or grow a business this year. One of these is the Business Knowledge Hub. The Hub is free to use for anyone who has created an account with Bexley Libraries. The resources are: X Cobra – a comprehensive business encyclopaedia. The first stop for anyone looking to get information on starting up a huge range of businesses and information for business owners. X Kompass – a comprehensive directory of businesses, suppliers, and manufacturers. Can be used to help find new suppliers, understand a market or research the competition in a sector. X Mintel – the gold standard of market research and industry analysis – exclusive to the Central Library, Bexleyheath. Reports provided on key business markets to help identify opportunities and provide market analysis X Webinars and workshops for business management skills – provided online and in libraries. These new resources will only be available during 2022. Find out more or create your library account at www.bexley.gov. uk/bexley-libraries

Next stop - Hall Place and Gardens

Excitement is building as the countdown is on for the opening of the Welling and District Model Engineering Society’s (WDMES) railway later this Spring. Cabinet Member for Places, Cllr Peter Craske said:

“We are all very excited to bring the WDMES trains to Hall Place and make our historic site their new home.”

“Hall Place already has some stunning gardens and attractions and this will really give people even more reasons to get on board.”

Alan Philpot from WDMES said: “The Society welcome the chance to work with the team at Hall Place to bring the enchantment of steam back again into the Borough” The railway will join the Bexley Butterfly House, Plant Centre and Jambs Owls experience as a further attraction at Hall Place and Gardens. For more information on the WDMES, or if you are interested in joining the society

Councillor Craske and WDMES member Alan at the new Hall Place railway

visit https://wdmes.co.uk www.hallplace.org.uk

Erith update

Riverside Gardens

Planning permission has been granted for works to improve the Riverside Gardens in Erith. Work is due to begin in early summer and will take around six months.

The improvements have been developed in partnership with the community and include a new playground and outdoor fitness equipment on the riverside terrace. The space will be rearranged to make it more accessible and to improve views of the River Thames. New planting, including a dedicated growing space for the Friends of Riverside Gardens, will be created.

Pier Square

Improvements to Pier Square are complete. The public space has been extended with new seating and a layout that provides more space for community events and recreation. When the weather warms up shrubbery will be planted.

Riverside Shopping Centre

The Council has welcomed the shopping centre’s new leaseholder, property investment and development company BYM Capital. The Leader of the Council, Councillor Teresa O’Neill OBE, joined Cabinet Member for Growth, Cllr Cafer Munur for a meeting with the new owners and all parties agreed on the importance of working closely with local businesses and the community.