It’s Thursday lunchtime and eerily quiet on the high street in Erith, south-east London.
A man who runs a fruit and vegetable stall outside a shopping center tells me that every day is as quiet as today – as it dwindles, more shops are closing, so “we’re stuck in a vicious circle,” he explains.
Nearly half of the units in the mall are boarded up and empty, while the others are nearly empty.
“All we have left is Farmfoods, Island and Greggs,” one man tells me as I walk through the shopping centre. “Is that all Erith is allowed? I want to know why all the shops are gone.”
Located in the London Borough of Bexley, Erith High Street wasn’t always so deserted.
Elaine Brew has lived in the area all her life and was born here in the 1950s.
“There used to be beautiful shops here, big department stores where people came from all over, but now it’s not the same,” he says.
“It’s sad to see the decline in business, but also the number of people who are struggling and out of work.”
Elaine works in a charity shop in a shopping center and says that recently “the amount of stuff we’re selling has gone up, which is a reflection of people not being able to afford to buy new stuff”.
She has always voted but has now “lost faith in politicians” and is undecided about what to do in the upcoming July 4 general election.
Down the road in Woolwich, not everyone is happy with the high street, but there’s certainly a more upbeat feel.
This is in part due to the £25 million Greenwich Council has received from the Future High Street Fund to regenerate and improve the high street and town centre.
Aaron Soto tells me the regeneration has helped improve the area’s community spirit and “it’s a lot nicer and cleaner” than it used to be.
However, the 22-year-old says that despite the investment, “not many businesses here last and every year they close and new ones open”.
He would also like more investment in the area as a whole, as the specific funding that has gone into improving the town hall means that “the other parts that surround it are suffering”.
However, not everyone is satisfied with the progress of the regeneration project.
One man who has lived in the area all his life is Ahmet, who says the council is taking much longer than promised to complete the project and parts of the high street, including one area that was once a lively market, are still construction sites.
As well as the high street issue, people in Erith and Woolwich tell me they are worried about an increase in crime.
In a barber shop on a London bus I speak to some locals who say they are concerned about the amount of theft that is happening.
“People are really struggling and I’ve noticed an increase in petty crime, homelessness and drug use,” says 39-year-old Derek Vaughan.
He noted that many more young people were becoming involved in crime and would like to see the parties commit to investing more in youth programs and services, such as community centers and after-school activities.
Outside the barbers I speak to another man, Vic Santoro, who agrees with Derek and tells me “all the community centers in South East London are closed or have no funding and I think it’s so important that we sort this out now”.
“The summer holidays are coming up and young people will just hang around and get into trouble if they have nowhere to go.”
The 28-year-old says Woolwich has become a great place for young professionals thanks to improved transport routes such as the Elizabeth Line, but this has also driven up house prices.
“We need someone to fix the housing crisis and the unaffordable rents – we need more genuinely affordable housing or people will be priced out of this great area,” he says.
The BBC contacted local parties in the parliamentary constituencies of Erith & Thamesmead and Greenwich & Woolwich for their views on the issues raised by residents ahead of the election.
Lib Dem candidate for Greenwich & Woolwich Chris Annous said he “will campaign for business rates to be replaced with a system that is fairer for our core businesses” and “that all new development in Woolwich is accompanied by appropriate community infrastructure, services and equipment”.
The other candidates have not yet commented.
Bexley and Greenwich councils have also been contacted for comment.
- The full list of candidates in Thamesmead & Erith is as follows (in alphabetical order):
Sarah Barry, Green Party
Pierce Chalmers, Liberal Democrats
Diana Diamond, Independent
Richard Mark, Conservative
Abena Oppong-Asare, Labor
Michael Pastor, Reform UK
Mohammed Shahed, Labor Party of Britain
- The full list of candidates in Greenwich & Woolwich is as follows (in alphabetical order):
Chris Annous, Liberal Democrat
Priyank Bakshi, Climate Party
Jonathan Goff, Conservative
Abdoul Ndiaye, Reform UK
Niko Omilana, independent
Matthew Pennycook, Labour
Sheikh Raquib, Labor Party of Britain
Stacy Smith, Green Party