These streets will see new tarmac this year across Greenwich borough

Greenwich Council have drawn up a list of streets they intend to lay tarmac this financial year.

These schemes are part of the HILLs project which see apprentices trained on street upgrade work. Unfortunately, whilst in the past this scheme covered entire streets including paving and pedestrian space it now appears limited to roads only.

This is the type of scheme they previously used to proposed from this fund (though did it ever happen?)

Greenwich Council are receiving less from Tfl for principal street work but are seeing increased money from central Government and have their own funds for  schemes.

For all the talk and reports drawn up regarding encouraging walking and cycling it would appear actions speak louder than words, with little if anything planned for public realm under this round of the HILLs scheme.

This follows news that Greenwich plan to spend substantially less on improving public realm using developer and parking income than every other London Labour council through Local Implementation Plan 2 work. Even accounting for money needed to fund the Woolwich Crossrail station, differences in spending from those sources are vast. Here’s comparable London boroughs:

• Greenwich – £206k
• Lewisham – £4 million
• Lambeth – £18.9 million
• Southwark – £20.8 million
• Hammersmith & Fulham – £87 million
• Hounslow – £5.3 million
• Ealing – £3.9 million
• Brent – £6 million
• Camden – £5.26m

To compensate Greenwich Council intend to obtain money from reserves and capital income. Those funds are then not available to spend on health, education, parks, housing and much more.