The London Borough of Bexley is calling on the Government to unlock major opportunities for job growth, new homes and greater value for money by taking the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) extension announced in the Budget beyond Thamesmead to Belvedere.
The Council’s Leader and Cabinet colleagues Cllr Richard Diment (Neighbourhoods) and Cllr Cafer Munur (Place Shaping) have written to the Government and the Mayor of London to highlight Belvedere’s significant potential, being central to a large cluster of development sites and hosting one of the largest but most poorly connected industrial areas in London.
The letter includes an invitation to visit Bexley, to understand the scale of potential for housing and employment growth in the area, seeks clarity on the funding for the extension, which has yet to be agreed between the Treasury and the Mayor, and also highlights the benefits of extending the Elizbeth Line through the Borough to Ebbsfleet as part of a comprehensive package of transport infrastructure investment. Cllr Leaf said:
We’ve been campaigning for years to get the DLR extended through into Belvedere and while the government re-announced in the Budget the extension to Thamesmead, they must go further. Bexley has ambitious pans for economic and housing growth. These can be achieved and delivered with a clear commitment to invest in new infrastructure, including extending the DLR into serving our Borough and bringing the Elizabeth Line through to Ebbsfleet. The government is missing an opportunity, and we urge them to get behind our plans.”
The letter states that “The right investment in transport would unlock the Government's priority to deliver housing on brownfield land, make a major contribution to London Plan targets and help create higher-value, higher-skilled jobs”.
With a national rail station in Belvedere, taking the DLR there would strengthen the business case for the extension, with the potential for significantly more travellers taking advantage of the rail interchange.
The letter also highlights that “As the scheme is likely to be financed from fare income, it seems massively wasteful to construct a tunnel under the Thames for a single station to serve just one development site.”
The letter has been sent following the green light being given in the Budget for the extension of the DLR to Thamesmead, although the Budget and OBR documents referred to the fact that the funding package between the Mayor and the Treasury had yet to be agreed.
“Failing to take forward the extension to Belvedere would be a major missed opportunity which would negatively affect Bexley residents for years to come,” say Bexley Council’s Leader, Cllr Leaf and his Cabinet colleagues.
The letter also explains how the potential of Bexley and the wider Estuary could be further untapped by, “finishing the job with the Elizabeth Line by taking it to Ebbsfleet. This would transform a much larger area, create jobs and deliver new housing settlements in an area well placed to absorb this growth.”
The Council has previously submitted to government a £4.5m business case developed by a partnership of authorities and other major Estuary stakeholders – but is still waiting to hear if and how the current government wants to take this forward.
The letter also notes that: “The London Borough of Bexley is ready to roll up our sleeves and build on the work already undertaken for both schemes – but we need government investment to do this. We urge you to demonstrate your commitment to unlocking growth in this part of London – one that has been overlooked by government for infrastructure investment for far too long.”