Council Reaffirms Its Commitment To Regeneration In Slade Green
A packed meeting of the Slade Green Community Forum earlier this month heard
the London Borough of Bexley's ideas for redeveloping the Howbury Centre site
in Slade Green.
Council representatives spoke to the Forum about some of the opportunities
presented by the site, and how plans for redeveloping it could stimulate the
regeneration of Slade Green and meet the needs of the local community.
In response to concerns expressed by residents, Cllr
John Waters, the Council's
Cabinet member for Regeneration & Housing said: "We have no plans
to close the library. We envisage replacing the existing library with something
similar, but exactly what form it will take will depend on the agreement we
enter into with the eventual developer and the final form of the Planning Brief
for the site."
The Council has no plans to close the Howbury Centre until it has built new
offices in Bexleyheath, which are currently programmed to open in Autumn 2012.
The current occupiers will be able to continue to use the Centre until that
time, subject to any existing arrangements and legal agreements.
Cllr Waters said he was pleased by the level of interest in the consultation
on the draft planning brief for Howbury. He emphasised that the Council is
listening carefully to what local people have to say on the issue.
Local people urged the Council to make sure that services for Slade Green's
young people, including the sports hall and community groups such as the Howbury
Tumblers and pre-school, continue to be offered while the site is redeveloped.
The Council is currently reviewing the uses within the Centre, to assess how
much accommodation will need to be reprovided to meet the needs of the local
community.
It has extended the period for comments on the draft planning brief at the
request of people who took part in the Forum meeting. The date for formal responses
is now Friday 29 February, but the Council will be flexible and will consider
responses received by Good Friday, 21 March.
The draft planning brief is available in Slade Green and Erith libraries and
on the Council's website at www.bexley.gov.uk/consultation. Following suggestions
made at the Forum meeting, comments can now be made more easily online.
The eight-hectare Howbury site will become available for redevelopment as
part of the Council's Bexley First business transformation programme.
