Belvedere to see luxury outlet shopping village and 8,000 homes? Just one idea in Bexley’s new Growth Strategy

Bexley Council have released a first draft of their new Growth Strategy that’ll guide development across the borough over the coming decade. Some tasty details are contained within.

We knew that increased housebuilding was an aim of Bexley Council. They stifled development for years which has led to their now precarious financial predicament. Bexley is Bonkers has covered much of it admirably.

Thamesmead plans commencing in months

So now they want to be on the front foot. And this document reveals some intriguing ideas. Firstly, let’s look at additional homes planned:

Thamesmead: 4,000+

Belvedere: 8,000+

Erith: 6,000+

Slade Green: 8,000+

Bexleyheath: 1,500

Welling: 400+

Sidcup: 400+

Crayford: 1000+

The City in the East report from the GLA last year projected 21,500 in Bexley borough in towns close to the riverside. This plan already increases that to 26,000, and that excludes Crayford. Yet they’ve included it in the red dotted outline below:

This is also a far higher rate of growth than seen in the council’s previous planning documents and the London Plan, which saw annual growth below 500 homes a year.

A new shopping hub

When delving down into each town’s plan a few snippets crop up. The most revealing is Belvedere. They are looking at turning Picardy Manorway into a High Street with an “outlet retail village”.

402 homes at Belvedere – the first stage of many more

I’m not sure how they came to that idea. Presumably as to not duplicate Bexleyheath as a major town centre, but it would detract from it. And a major outlet shopping centre in now being constructed at the o2 in North Greenwich.

This is from page 50 of the report:

growth strategy belvedere outlet village

Belvedere certainly has scope for many more shops and homes. The station currently has massive retail warehouses and vast car parks, alongside under-used land further north which is where they talk of this planned retail outlet.

There’s also talk of being able to “release large areas of industrial land for other uses”.

Crayford sees some plans for this, though it’s housing increase of 1000 homes seems very modest.

The town centre is a mess. A big one way system, numerous giant retail sheds and wastes of land. If Sainsbury’s had any sense they’d redevelop their store beside the station and place housing above and around the retail barn and car park.

That site alone could take hundreds of homes without a loss of parking places nor shop floor space through better design. And doing so would mean less building on greenery in the borough.

The same goes for various sites nearby. It’s a bit like Charlton and Greenwich Peninsula with all the disjointed retail units.

I suppose at least it’s in Zone 6 and not Zone 2/3 in Greenwich borough which is even more ludicrous given the pressing need for more homes.

I didn’t see mention of the Greyhound track. One of the few left in London. Will it survive?

A 359 home development did recently gain approval near the site. Developer Skillcrown gained permission for a scheme with no “affordable” housing whatsoever.

Here’s the location and a render of the scheme:

359 home site

359 home site render

Crossrail

Will this ever reach Erith?

A lot of it seems based on Crossrail extending past Abbey Wood. This is a long shot, at least in the next decade or two. Abbey Wood’s new station hasn’t even completed yet and seems to block extension of one track further east.

An article at London Reconnections looks at the case for extending Crossrail beyond Abbey Wood to Gravesend or Ebbsfleet.

Whatever happens, it wont be soon. And Bexley Council want and need income fast. And London’s booming population needs housing. Waiting for a Crossrail extension is nice, but probably not feasible anytime soon, so a decent amount of homes will be built long before.

Which makes a bit more of a mockery of the Department for Transport and Network Rail’s planning for the next South Eastern rail franchise. Along with buggering up housing projections and including a figure in their consultation document which is half of what is actually planned, Network Rail project no extra carriages for the line through Slade Green, Erith and Belvedere for 30-odd years. Hmmm. Is that based on this new growth strategy or older projections?

Housing numbers at Sidcup, Bexleyheath and Crayford are lower but they are on lines meeting towns further into London with huge housing plans such as Kidbrooke, Lewisham and New Cross. Network Rail’s 5% capacity increase in seven years on the Bexleyheath line needs highlighting here.

MAY 18th 2017 UPDATE: The document is now out for public consultation. Details here.

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J Smith

I've lived in south east London most of my life growing up in Greenwich borough and working in the area for many years. The site has contributors on occasion and we cover many different topics. Living and working in the area offers an insight into what is happening locally.

12 thoughts on “Belvedere to see luxury outlet shopping village and 8,000 homes? Just one idea in Bexley’s new Growth Strategy

  • Belvedere and Slade Green are both places which could do with vast improvements to retail, It’s great to see plans for Belvedere but the council need to think more about Slade Green especially with 8000+ new homes coming, Erith doesn’t have THAT much to offer.

    Reply
    • The improvements around Abbey Wood station (only a mile or so down the track) are already showing up Lower Belvedere – and will do so even more when they’re complete. The area around the station is unwelcoming and dominated by the B&Q/Asda retail barn and adjoining car park – rebuilding or getting rid of that and reconfiguring the space around it to connect with the station would go a long way to improving the profile of the area, and create a much nicer space for local shopping for residents at the bottom of the hill.

      Reply
  • Pretty much every station on the line in the borough has massive scope to improve around the station. Belevere has sorry looking buildings, car parks and a poor station environment. Erith is similar. Salad Green has lots of scrubland by the station.

    Reply
    • I agree – and the Bexleyheath line fares a lot better in that regard. The roads around Plumstead station are scheduled for a rebuild/refresh soon, if I remember correctly. Charlton could be made a lot more pedestrian-friendly, especially with the amount of retail outlets opening up nearby. East Greenwich in general needs a good seeing-to, Westcombe Park is just the tip of the iceberg – the Blackwall Tunnel approach road doesn’t help. And as for Greenwich, I’ve always found it a bit silly that Cutty Sark DLR is more central to the town than either of Greenwich or Maze Hill anyway…

      Reply
  • What should have been done when Crossrail was being designed was to have it run through to at least Dartford, if not further (perhaps Greenhithe, with a small branch from there to terminate at Bluewater). Not only would it then have connected up with the Bexleyheath and Sidcup lines at Dartford, but it would also have automatically ensured that areas round Belvedere, Erith and Slade Green stations would have been modernised.

    Reply
  • As Adam said above the Belvedere, Erith and Slade Green areas would benefit greatly from regeneration including new homes and retail development, The new retail village will also create new local jobs for the area.

    Reply
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  • belvedere station area needs more lights at night and lifts on dartford side as it is difficult with old people and people with leg problems this is modern age improve the area soon not after 50 years,

    Reply

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