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Living and working in Bexley

Bexley green heart

Bexley lies within the south-east corner of Greater London and borders the River Thames in the north and Kent in the South, with good transport links to Central London, Kent Countryside and the Coast, it’s the best of both worlds.

We are a diverse and growing borough. By 2030 our population will be over 260,000 and almost 300,000 by 2050. Almost 25% of our population is Black and Asian Multi-Ethnic. 30% of our residents are young people (under the age of 25) which makes us the 15th youngest borough in London.

Our Climate Change Statement and Action Plan is linked to our Bexley Plan 2022-26. We will encourage residents, businesses and partners to join us in making changes, big and small, that protect our environment and help mitigate and adapt to the impact of climate change.

Getting Around

Here in Bexley, our residents and workers alike can benefit from the new high-speed and well-connected Elizabeth Line which can take you from Abbey Wood, here in Bexley, all the way to Reading, Southeast England. With the Elizabeth Line you will be able to get from Abbey Wood to Paddington in only 29 minutes!

Along with the well-connected train system here in Bexley, we also offer great bus links both further into London and then also into Kent.

Our employees can join our pool car scheme which enable them to book an electric or hybrid cars to use when travelling to meetings that are bookable in advance.

Aside from vehicular transport, many of Bexley’s staff walk to work. This is mainly made up of workers in Bexley who also live in the borough.

Recycling

  • We are the fourth highest borough in London for recycling household waste
  • Almost 50% of our household waste is recycled
     

Flexible Working

At Bexley, we offer a number of flexible working options aimed at helping you achieve a better work-life balance, while still meeting service requirements. We do this in a number of ways including:

  • reducing the number of working hours (Job sharing, Part-time work)
  • flexibility in the arrangement of working hours (Term-time working, Annual hours contract, Compressed work weeks/fortnights, Staggered working hours)
  • taking a break from employment (Career break scheme, Career return scheme)
  • hybrid Working, we operate a Hybrid working model dependant on the area that you work in and further information on team working arrangements can be discussed at interview stage

Employee Support

  • Confidential Employee Assistance programme available for staff to access 24/7.
  • In-House Occupational Health Service.
  • We have a commitment to ensuring equality and diversity in the workplace. Our staff network groups support and encourage networking between staff and Bexley’s processes.
  • Access to our employee benefits scheme, which includes access to a cycle-to-work scheme and other discounts.

Education

In Bexley, there are:

  • 59 primary schools of which 16% were judged as ‘Outstanding’ and 75% were judged as ‘Good’ by Ofsted
  • 15 secondary schools including four selective schools and one all-through school in the borough

We are the 6th highest London borough for rising numbers of students going into higher education.

Leisure

We have over 100 parks and woodland areas in Bexley, making it one of the greenest boroughs in London. We also have great attractions including Hall Place and Gardens, Danson House and Park to name but a few.

The borough also boasts:

  • 12 libraries
  • 5 music venues
  • 2 museums
  • 1 major outdoor cultural space (Danson Park)
  • 4 theatres
  • 67 listed buildings
  • 16 community centres
  • 85 pubs and bars

So there are plenty of things to do in your free time here in Bexley.

The Council has also been involved with local cultural events in the past few years, including:

  • Faith in the Community Awards
  • Windrush Day celebrations
  • LGBTQ+ Pride football tournament
  • Holocaust Memorial Day

Safety

Bexley is one of the safest boroughs (consistently in the top 5 for safety) in London, with a low number of offences compared to the rest of London.

When asked ‘How safe do you feel in Bexley?’ most respondents answered 8/10, with 1 being the least safe and 10 being the safest.
 

Affordable housing

  • 71% of households in the borough own their own homes
  • the average house price in 2021 was £385,000, which is lower than most of London

Green Spaces

Bexley is one of London’s greenest boroughs.

We have:

  • 105 parks and open spaces
  • 32 playgrounds in Bexley
  • 1110 hectares of designated Green Belt Land making us the 9th highest borough in London for green space with 18% of Bexley being green belt land

Bexley also contains:

  • two geological Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) - Lesnes Abbey Woods in Belvedere and Wansunt Pit, in Crayford
  • three Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS) - North End Pit (Erith Park), Chalky Dell (Lesnes Abbey Woods) and Erith Submerged Forest and Saltings
  • one Locally Important Geological Site (LIGS) - Parish's Pit in Erith
  • 62 Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC)
  • 23 conservation areas

More information about Bexley's services