See the new Powis Street in Woolwich as changes now evident along shopping street

Powis Street in Woolwich has seen new paving laid as the first glimpse of the town’s main shopping street’s transformation can be seen.

As part of a wider £25 million project the street will be remade from the DLR station at Green’s End up to the junction with Hare Street.

I won’t bore everyone by going about the project’s detail again. I’ve been covering it for years and if you want to know more use the search tool above.

It will extend a few hundred metres up to the junction with Hare Street. Work will progress down in coming months and finish near Poundland.

I did notice again taking photos the juxtaposition of remaining elements of a previous 1980s town centre revamp (removed in the 1990s as a failure) close to where the 2020s revamp is underway.

Back to the future

We’re going full circle really. And of course, the 1980s raised planter that remains and seen on this visit to capture progress full of rubbish and looking scruffy.

The walk also saw many cars parked on pavements across the town centre.

No sign at all Greenwich departments and senior staff are in a position to maintain these new changes.

Much like they never maintained the 1980s changes, then the 1990s changes and then most of the early 2010s changes. Regardless of the wider funding situations they’ve failed.

And that failure still lives on. Go there tonight and you’ll almost certainly see the same.

A massive shame really as I really want it to work. I’ve seen enough mistakes for years and the town is stuffed full of wonderful buildings and the potential to be a great town centre.

But walking around seeing the state of areas that aren’t to be touched near areas now seeing work it’s was bloody tough to be positive. Come on Greenwich. Get a grip.

As it is Greenwich departments and staff – often supported to the hilt by councillors who never ask tough questions – can’t do the basics. Systemic cultural failure remains.