Slade Green - Present and Future

Present and Future

The area is now mainly residential with a mixture of social housing and cheaper owned properties, with some industry confined to the site of the old works and the area adjacent to the railway which has large carriage depot for rolling stock on the line. There are two churches (Christian Fellowship – part of the Baptist Union, and St Augustine's Anglican parish church; a third church – Pentecostal – meets in the Anglican Church's hall), three pubs (a fourth pub, the Railway Tavern, was converted to create ten flats in 2005/6), a community centre, two social clubs and an amateur football team Slade Green FC, which plays in the Kent League. The Howbury Centre contains the local library, toddler group, pre-school and Bexley Council Social Services, as well as various social activities. Bexley Council are currently considering plans to redevelop the Howbury Centre site for housing. A Children's Centre in Lincoln Close is managed by Sure Start. Erith Yacht Club is at a site on the edge of Crayford Marshes between Slade Green and Erith.

Some nearby Green belt land directly next to local marshland is planned to become a large road/rail freight depot, promoted by ProLogis. It was the subject of a Public Inquiry, which started at the end of April 2007. The Inquiry essentially finished at the end of June 2007, but was adjourned rather than closed to allow minor changes to be made to the Environmental Statement, finally closing in September 2007. The result of the Public Inquiry was announced in December 2007 – ProLogis's appeal was upheld, allowing them to proceed with their plans, although they have not done so as at July 2009 (ProLogis have five years from the approval date in which to commence the work).