28 March (Part 3) - Erith. Itְ’s both good and not so good despite what Bexley Tories say
Bexley Conservatives are notorious for Tweeting half truths and untruths.
They were at it again earlier today when they decided to edit what visitors and residents have said about Erith.
Just to put the record straight here is what the Council’s survey actually found, good and not so good…
• The River Thames, Riverside Gardens, Erith Marshes, plus walking and cycling routes
• Riverside Shopping Centre - low vacancies and proactive management
• Morrison’s - as an employer and a footfall magnet
• Leisure offer - including Kassiopi Cove, Leisure Centre, Library, gyms, Erith
• Playhouse and Erith FC
• LSEC college campus
• Heritage assets - especially Erith Pier
• Community groups and services - and strong community will to improve Erith
• Diverse residents - many of whom live within walking distance
• New developments and potential new town centre customers
• Rowing and Yacht Clubs could help provide more links to the Thames
• Good quality public realm and public art in places
• The opening of the refurbished Carnegie by the Exchange
• Ongoing Greater Erith regeneration programme - bringing events such as the Erith
• Kitchen and potential for future investment
• Plenty of future development opportunities - Opportunity Area
• Future Crossrail connectivity - including potential C2E extension
• Traffic congestion, noise, air pollution and segregation caused by roads
• Visual amenity poor in places - e.g. overgrown planting and public realm
• Wayfinding and legibility of public spaces - poor connectivity with station, the river and wider residential area
• High obesity and diabetes rates in residential population
• Limited choice of food and beverage - and lots of fast food
• Lack of things to do - especially evenings and night time
• Anti-social behaviour, street drinking and perceptions of high crime
• Limited business/commercial space in the centre
• No business organisation or BID
• Lack of sense of arrival or a central focus
So it’s not all good and the bad is more inclined to be a Council responsibility than the good, and do any of the responses look like a genuine consultation?
Some look much more like what a Council bureaucrat might say.