The London Borough of Bexley has submitted a £300,000 bid to the Greater London Authority’s Green Roots Fund to develop plans over the next two years to transform London’s longest pier into a greener, more inclusive, sustainable and community-focused destination.

The Erith Garden Pier Project has created much excitement and interest and already has the backing of 17 partner organisations, including the Environment Agency, Thames Estuary Partnership, the Port of London Authority, the RNLI and WM Morrisons supermarket. This broad coalition of public, private, voluntary and community partners reflect the scale of opportunity and ambition.

The project will deliver a new multi-layered vision for Erith Pier and its surroundings, that aims to restore and enhance shoreline habitats to boost river biodiversity, create safer and more inclusive access for all, strengthen climate resilience through new tree and shrub planting, and open up opportunities for education and research that deepen understanding of the Thames’ unique ecology. In doing so we will hope to create a cleaner, healthier and more biodiverse river, increase interest in and engagement with this important natural resource, deliver high quality public realm for everyone to enjoy and ensure the pier becomes a sustainable and well run facility in partnership with the local community.

Councillor Cafer Munur, Cabinet Member for Place Shaping at Bexley, said:

This project is a massive opportunity for transformational change, and it is only possible because of the strength of the partnerships behind it. By reimagining Erith Pier as an inclusive place the whole community can use, we will make this stretch of the Thames cleaner and healthier for wildlife, protect and enhance its biodiversity, and create a welcoming space that supports health and wellbeing for all.

The community will be central to shaping the pier’s future, ensuring it is a sustainable resource that reflects local needs while celebrating the natural, cultural and historic importance of the Thames."

The project sits within an established town centre and transport hub identified as a growth and regeneration priority. The Greater Erith regeneration programme is already delivering improved public spaces, such as Riverside Gardens, a new square at the pier entrance and the opening of a new community space on Pier Road, named 68. The improvement of the pier structure and associated habitats is the next logical step.

The pier’s potential as a major local attraction is already proven, with festivals on the site attracting over 4,000 visitors in a single day in 2019 and more recently Erith Pride parades. Stretching across the mudflats and into the Thames navigational channel, it offers unrivalled opportunities for public access to the river and could, with investment, become one of London’s most important riverside destinations.

Partners supporting the bid include: Environment Agency, Thames Estuary Partnership, Port of London Authority, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, WM Morrison Supermarkets Ltd, Thames21, Orbit, London South East Colleges, The Exchange, GCDA, Erith Town Partnership, Peabody, London Borough of Bexley Public Health, Friends of Riverside Gardens, North West Kent Countryside Partnership, Cory Environmental Ltd. and Thamesmead’s Best Beaks.

A decision on the Green Roots Fund bid is expected in November 2025.

Find out more about regeneration and placemaking projects in Erith