This coming year will see a number of big changes for Bromley residents including new driving charges, a potential new council headquarters, an iconic bandstand being returned to its former glory and an update on plans to demolish a shopping centre.
The expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) means drivers in the borough will be charged for driving daily if their vehicles are not deemed to be compliant.
As well as this, a shopping centre in the borough may be knocked down for a set of huge tower blocks stretching up to 18 storeys tall.
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With some changes already attracting controversy among residents, 2023 is set to be an exciting year in the development of Bromley as a borough.
Read below to see the major changes planned for the year.
Bromley Council could see a new headquarters
Last month, Bromley Council agreed to plans to auction off its current offices at the Bishop’s Palace in Stockwell Close, a historic building dating back to 1775. The decision came alongside news of a reported £164million maintenance and refurbishment bill for council-owned properties across the borough.
The council said it plans to move its headquarters to new offices at Churchill Court. The move has attracted criticism from opposition councillors, who were concerned about the haste in selling off historic buildings around the borough.
Bromley Council leader Colin Smith said in a statement: “Whilst leaving our current home is a real wrench and tinged with considerable sadness for those of us who have been there a while, this move is of its time given the well-publicised pressures on local governments’ finances and the opportunities it presents in terms of integrating our services more efficiently.”
The iconic park stage where David Bowie performed will be fixed
Bromley Council announced last November that the bandstand in Croydon Road Recreation Ground will be fixed as part of a £250,000 investment.
The stage, dating back to 1905, hosted a performance from Beckenham resident David Bowie in 1969, during the Growth Summer Festival.
Features in the restoration include updated paintwork, a repaired fence, as well as stage lighting.
A Historic England spokesperson said: “We are really pleased with this result and look forward to seeing this bandstand, which is culturally significant for its historic association with David Bowie, fully restored to its former glory.”
Work to restore the iconic bandstand will begin early this year, with the intention of reopening the space by the summer.
Penge shopping centre could be knocked down for tower blocks up to 18 storeys tall
Documents sent to Bromley Council last year from Hadley Property Group and Clarion Housing Group included plans to build a set of tower blocks up to 18 storeys tall in Penge.
The new towers would include 250 new homes for the area, 35per cent of which would be “affordable”.
The development would involve knocking down the existing Blenheim Shopping Centre, which currently houses an Iceland and Wilko on its ground floor.
Plans are yet to be approved but have been met with some criticism from locals.
Michael Payne, organiser of the Stop the Blenheim Centre Redevelopment campaign, said the plans were “out of proportion” and “out of character” for the area.
Regarding the campaign against the towers, a spokesperson from Clarion and Hadley said they were working closely with the residents and businesses of Penge before launching another round of consultation on the plans.
ULEZ will expand to cover the entire borough
Bromley drivers whose cars are not deemed environmentally friendly enough will have to pay £12.50 a day to drive through the borough under the new ULEZ expansion.
While the zone does not currently affect the borough, the entire area will be covered when the expansion comes into effect on August 29.
The council called the scheme a “cynical tax raid against the borough’s residents” last July, expressing concerns for drivers relying on vehicles for their businesses as well as older drivers.
Cllr Smith said: “Quite simply, this proposal is wrong on just about every level and is really about paving the way for the introduction of road charging taxes across the whole of ‘London’ by stealth.
“Our borough already has amongst, if not actually the best air quality levels in London, and if this were truly about improving air quality even further, which we obviously support, those responsible would be thinking far harder in terms of broadening the scrappage scheme for non-compliant vehicles and accelerating the roll-out of green vehicle charging points and buses.”
Regarding the ULEZ expansion, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said in a statement last November: “As mayor, I’m not willing to turn a blind eye because it’s clear the cost of inaction – to our economy, to livelihoods, to the environment and the health of Londoners – would be a far too high a price to pay.
"Expanding ULEZ is the right choice for our city and something that I know will help us to continue building a better, greener, fairer and healthier London for everyone.”
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