Street changes proposed between Plumstead High Street and Abbey Wood station
Greenwich Council have revealed plans for street changes including a cycle route running from lower Plumstead to a spot near Abbey Wood station, with consultation now underway.
It’s not the most transformative scheme you’ve ever seen, with much of the route long in existence and changes amounting to little more than some paint and signs when it comes to those on two wheels. And little for those on foot.
It’s very limited stuff. You can see it here. And as for proposed landscaping being maintained? Well, the odds aren’t great.
Starting at Barth Road in Plumstead (the crossing beside Plumstead High Street’s car park being mentioned is just odd as that does nothing for cycling and not much else for those on foot as it’s already a raised crossing) it goes through what is already part of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods dating back 30 years, so these streets are pretty quiet, and the route will see little in the way of any dedicated cycle lanes.
Landscaping at the car park in Plumstead was recently installed as part of major upgrade. That went well.
As an aside, it was always interesting seeing the LTN debates in the recent past seen recently given this neck of the woods has had them since about the 1980s, so not much is altered along the route.
Anyway, from Barth Road in Plumstead the route goes east along Blithdale Road in Abbey Wood crossing Basildon Road via long standing LTN barriers.
As seen below in this photo recently taken, what’s proposed isn’t much different to what exists. It’s already an LTN with signage for cyclists.
Like many LTN gates in the area, action against parking blocking emergency service access is rarely ever enforced.
From there it continues east towards Abbey Wood station much as the existing route does. An LTN and cycle route has been here for decades and little substantive changes on that front in the new plan.
Previous failure
However one part in the plan – possibly the only part of any note – did immediately set off alarm bells and that is the last part near Abbey Wood station.
Not all of the proposal here is bad, granted. Wider pavements proposed are good and on paper it’s all very nice.
Certainly not awful per se, though flawed in so far as to what will almost inevitably happen once it goes in.
The area in question includes extensive landscaping beside the former Abbey Wood Post Office close to Wilton Road. That’s an area that saw improvement works about a decade ago then was immediately left to rot.
Tarmac patches were put in along Wilton Road shortly after work completed rather than create and look after an attractive space over the long term.
Given how the authority have treated Abbey Wood for about 40 years when it comes to street maintenance, it’s likely the newly installed greenery will either be strewn in rubbish or covered in asphalt in the near future.
There’s a spot right beside the proposed landscaping where rubbish bags are dumped pretty much every other day and have been for years. It’ll all blow into the planting. Then the planting will be removed. It’s been seen it time and again.
Oh, and Greenwich do next to nothing about continual parking on double yellows and at dropped kerbs here so expect vehicles to park on any new paving space.
Inevitable?
I’ll tell you now; they will have zero plan to look after it if nearby areas are any guide. It’d probably fail in most areas of the borough but here? Almost a given.
When people highlight downfalls in public realm maintenance since covid or since 2010 under austerity it always raises a wry smile for those of us who know places like Abbey Wood.
Abbey Wood has been all but ignored a lot, lot longer than since 2020, or 2010.
Ignoring public space in the neglected town is standard stuff for decades (see much of Abbey Wood estate for a great example of a place which saw little investment in the 1990s or 2000s) and the subsequent arrival of the Elizabeth line arrival didn’t see much improve.
A modest £300,000 upgrade around the corner on Wilton Road was ignored from day one when Greenwich Council – and not utility companies – threw down large patches of tarmac rather than look after the area.
They’re great at hiring external consultants for projects with no idea whatsoever of how to look after them post-completion.
Abbey Wood station is one of the most stark examples.
Cycle parking
The idea of enabling more to cycle to reach the station brings another issue to light; where will cyclists actually park near the station?
There’s some racks on Wilton Road but you’d have be to very brave or foolish to use them.
Exposed and easy to steal from, they’re of little appeal. Perhaps secure parking could be installed there?
Meanwhile on the other side of the station at Felixstowe Road there’s an expanse of far more secure racks installed by TfL almost a decade ago beneath Harrow manorway flyover
Yet Bexley council have never opened them to the public.
Ten years of inaction.
Both authorities have badly let the town down for decades including looking after recent improvements funded by outside organisations.
Neglected
Perhaps there’s a clandestine competition from both to see who can ignore the place the most as neither appear to give a damn. There’s only so far incompetence and disinterest can explain it.
It’s incredible how two councils, given a once in a century opportunity like the Elizabeth line, can be so out of their depth.
But never fear, as yet another strategy is being drawn up for the area. Anyway, that’s for another post and in terms of the cycle lane and related public realm work it’ll just fall apart without:
- A plan to maintain it. If there is none ensure what goes in isn’t an eyesore in weeks and then promptly removed.
- Secure cycle parking being open and accessible at Abbey Wood station.
Given what we’ve seen for many years, don’t bank on either happening.
Without that the whole project will amount to some paint on roads and little else in a couple of years. As often with Abbey Wood what we see is the smallest sort of small change with zero thought for how it’ll ever be looked after.
Given how the town is rarely ever looked after, this plan seems little more than tokenism.
Does seem like a waste of money. Anyone who cycles that way regularly knows the quiet streets route and it’s already okay.
Like some of the recent Plumstead works it will just wither away. They’d do better replanting already dead trees from the last improvement works in Plumstead than spending money on this.
Go have a look at the state of Wilton Road now! The pavement hasnt ever been cleaned I think. What a sight when you get off the train!!! As a visitor I’d get right back on the train and leave.
The state of the pavements is partly due to the hot weather. With no rainfall, the natural “cleaning” of pavements thanks to the moisture and people’s feet hasn’t happened, so they look particularly grubby.
This is so sad. Whenever I see the photos on your articles it’s just unbelievable how unloved, and almost dystopian the places look. The whole problem is that the bar for both elected council officials and unelected council workers (are they part of the executive? not sure what they are called exactly) seems to be incredibly low, and most people are beaten down by life that they don’t know how or have the will to try to change things.