28 June - Erith. Hard to get to and who wants to anyway?
Erith Placemaking was on
the Scrutiny meeting agenda. Who
comes up with these ridiculous names? Councillor Philip Read (Conservative, West Heath) said that Erith is
an awful concrete monstrosity which died. Not for the first time he pointed out
that you cannot get to Erith from the North because it is more than a little wet
on that side and it is blocked from the South because of idiotic road closures. It is
much easier for the bulk of Erith’s residents to shop elsewhere.
Another
problem is vandalism; refurbished areas are wrecked within 24 or 48 hours of
reopening and recently the pier was set on fire. What is being done about it, he asked.
(Photo 2, library picture.)
The Council officer said he was very aware of Erith being divided by the railway
and the dual carriageway and blamed TfL for nothing being done about it since
Philip’s suggestion was first put forward
six years ago. “It is a tricky issue” he said.
(More recent reference.)
Designing out vandalism is another tricky one. You don’t want the place “looking like a fortress”.
Philip Read repeated his view that until access to Erith from its “hinterland” is
improved, “it is going to struggle.” It requires another access into the town and reopening Avenue Road is the obvious solution.
Councillor Stefano Borella (Labour, Slade Green) supported Councillor Read.
“Erith is a 1960s planning disaster.” There should have been a fly-under where the fish roundabout
is now and Thameslink trains should stop there.
A Council officer said that Erith was “talked down but it has a lot of strengths
like its accessibility”. Maybe he had not been listening earlier on.
Councillor Lucia-Hennis
(Conservative, Crayford) remembered Erith in its prime but “we have lost the
river police and the deep water wharves. Greenwich got the cruise liners that could
have come to Erith. Erith was built on its river”.
Cabinet Member Cafer Munur said that Erith’s jetty (and pier) was handicapped by being
fixed and didn’t rise and fall with the tide. The pontoon was removed with the
Morrison’s development and its absence precludes use as a commuter river boat terminal and
the financial case for one is not there. Councillor Munur slipped into
the debate an assurance that the Morrison’s supermarket is not in any danger of
closure. He had met the bosses recently. “Erith can look forward to substantial changes [for the better].” It
will look more like a traditional High Street.
Councillor Sue Gower (Conservative, Bexleyheath) said that some of the shops in
Erith were plagued by shop lifting and anti-social
behaviour to the extent that customers avoided them to stay safe.
Councillor Sally Hinkley (Labour, Belvedere) spoke highly of the regenerated River Gardens. “They
are brilliant, really good and beautiful.” The Council officer said the
remodelled gardens opened up the river to the town in a way never seen before.
They were so enthusiastic that I took myself there last Thursday to see how much
better they are now than before. Maybe I went to the wrong place because I
couldn’t see how they were any different to what they have always been.
And they were closed. Like may people, I won’t be in a hurry to go back to Erith.
N.B. Photo 4 is of the jetty and not the long pier which is a few hundred yards to the East.