Bexley (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Transport for London (TfL) plan to extend the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Thamesmead in Bexley has drawn an apathetic response from the local community.
The Thamesmead development was hailed as a future “town for the 21st century” when it was built in the late 1960s.
The Brutalist estate included a system of canals and raised walkways to alleviate London’s post-war housing problem.
However, some believe Thamesmead has fallen short of expectations more than half a century after its first inhabitants arrived.
TfL claims that the neighbourhood has “pockets of high deprivation” and that public transport accessibility is poor due to the lack of a train station.
There have been multiple proposals throughout the years to improve train connections for Thamesmead residents, including one to expand the Jubilee line in the 1970s.
Since no such plan has ever been implemented, residents must rely on the London bus system to get outside of their immediate region.
With Thamesmead set to become a station as part of a DLR extension from Gallions Reach to Beckton Riverside, all of this could soon alter.
TfL has backed the plan, but in order to move forward, government support would be required.
The extension is widely supported, according to transport officials, who said that most respondents to a consultation last year believed it would speed up their travels.
What was the response of the local community following the DLR extension by TfL?
The majority of residents in Thamesmead expressed mixed reactions to the proposals.
One man, who claimed to have lived in the neighborhood for the past 15 years, remarked outside the clock tower during the retail parade that he believed it would be better to build a road bridge across the river that would connect Thamesmead to east London.
Another person described Thamesmead as a “wonderful location” where buses go to all places. “Personally, I don’t think a station is needed,” he added.
However, among those spoken to, only one resident supported the plan, while others shared different perspectives.
“It would be a lot easier if there was a station within walking distance and you didn’t have to get a bus.
Especially in the rush hour when the kids are going to school and everyone’s trying to get to work on time”,
The woman said.
According to TfL, “a lack of public transport connections to the wider area” is one of the reasons why a significant portion of the planned development in Thamesmead by Peabody has not yet been completed.
Additionally, some Thamesmead residents questioned if this was the real reason for the push to extend the DLR to them.
According to Andrew, a longtime local, the initiative was “for the politicians” rather than the people.
He said:
“I would rather they didn’t build a station, because it brings in more people and then more pollution.
We have links to London with all the bus stops. Even with my walking stick, I can get over Abbey Wood.
They’re going to do what they’re going to do, but I’m not bothered with the station.”
TfL has said that if money for the expansion is secured, construction could begin as early as 2028, and passengers would be able to use the line within the following ten years.