About Greenwich

A borough of contrasts Greenwich is at a point of great change and opportunity. It sits at the pivotal point in the Thames Gateway with the reality of thousands of new jobs, new industries, homes and cultural opportunities on its riverfront. The population has huge contracts of affluence side by side with poverty and multiple deprivation. The Council, together with its partners, must raise aspirations and deliver on the hopes and ambitions of its residents.

Greenwich is one of 14 Inner London Boroughs. It is situated south east of Central London and is bounded to the north by the River Thames. With 8 miles of river frontage, the Borough has the longest river embankment of all London Boroughs. Twenty-five percent of the borough is green open land – which includes Oxleas Wood which has existed since the last ice age. There are views across London and to the south from Shooters Hill – the highest point in London at 129 metres.

The Borough includes three main town centres - Greenwich, Woolwich and Eltham, and also encompasses the areas of Charlton, Blackheath Standard, Kidbrooke, Plumstead, Abbey Wood and New Eltham. The new town of Thamesmead is also partly in the Borough, straddling Greenwich’s eastern boundary with Bexley.

Greenwich is a borough of contrasts, on the one hand a major destination for tourists attracted by majestic buildings, parks, views, the prime meridian and a wealth of history forming a unified whole of international importance reflected in the status of Greenwich Town Centre as a World Heritage Site. On the other hand, it is a borough with pockets of extreme poverty and deprivation. To combat this, Greenwich is undergoing great change, with a whole range of regeneration and restoration activities reshaping the area after a period of severe economic recession which devastated the local economy.

Enormous strides have been made to address the issues arising from this. One of the key successes in recent years has been the big reduction in unemployment in the Borough. Greenwich has been very successful in its regeneration work over many years. Headline achievements include:

Major remediation of almost all contaminated land
Substantial developments on large sites including Greenwich Peninsula, the Royal Arsenal and Thamesmead
Major new transportation infrastructure including the Jubilee Line and Docklands Light Railway and new piers at Woolwich and North Greenwich
Greater spend in Greenwich than any other London borough from each of the Single Regeneration Budgets, the National Lottery and English Partnerships
New parks, open spaces, river walks, cycleways and leisure centres
Major improvement programmes to large housing estates

Greenwich is also very proud and excited to be one of the 5 host boroughs for the 21012 Olympic and Paralympics Games.

Social Structure
The Borough has a population of 221,400 (ONS mid year estimate for 2002 which is expected to rise by 3% by 2006.

Minority ethnic groups will account for the majority of this increase, adding to Greenwich’s already rich mix of ethnicity, culture and languages, of which there are more than 100 spoken in the borough.

It is estimated that about 22.9% of the Borough’s population is from minority ethnic groups. These are mainly Black or Black British (11.1% of the Borough’s population), Asian or Asian British (6.8%), Mixed (2.7%) and Chinese and Other Ethnic Groups (2.3%) (2001 Census).

Greenwich has one of the lowest average incomes in London, and the lowest in South London (about £23,000). Within this picture, strong disparities in income across the borough exist. In Nightingale and St. Mary’s, 37% and 41% respectively of households earn less than £10,000 pa, whereas this figure falls to 10% in Deansfield and St. Alfege wards. (Statistics compiled before ward boundary changes).

One of the key successes in recent years has been the big reduction in unemployment in the Borough. The February 2002 rate saw unemployment at 6.2%, 1.4% above the rate for Greater London, and over time moving towards the less than 1% differential target set by the Council to be achieved by 2004/5.
There are approximately 92,819 properties in the borough, 30% of which are owned by the local authority.

It is estimated that in 1998 43% of households in the borough were reliant upon some form of means tested benefits, and 55% of children lived in families reliant upon means tested benefits. Many people are living below the poverty line, with an estimated £12 million worth of means tested benefits going unclaimed in Greenwich every year.

Modernising the Council

The Council is embarking on a major programme of modernisation that is aimed at improving dramatically the way in which we work and how we deliver services to local people.

The modernisation programme is made up of a number of ambitious projects and it marks an unprecedented investment in the future of the borough. It is co-ordinated by a modernisation programme team under the leadership of the Deputy to the Chief Executive

Three new service centres will be opened to provide better customer access to a wide range of council services and there will be major investment in IT systems to support service delivery. Services will be provided from modern, fit-for-purpose offices which local people will be able to access more conveniently. However, the modernisation programme is not just about new front office accommodation for the Council. It covers substantial improvements to housing, schools and early years provision. HR has a key role to play in supporting and leading our people through this modernisation and change.

Our Vision for the Borough

Our approach to achieving Our Vision will be built upon three key principles:

Inclusion: We will continue to promote access to opportunities and services, so that all our residents can take advantage of the benefits of living, working, learning and visiting our Borough.

Sustainability: Our actions will meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Prosperity: We will actively seek to make Greenwich competitive in economic terms, attracting investment and providing an environment that enables wealth to be created.

By 2015 Greenwich will have a vibrant mix of communities supported by quality housing, accessible transport links, vibrant open spaces, strong cultural attractions and a prosperous local economy.

Place to Live: we want Greenwich to be a place where everyone is able to afford a decent home of their choice, and where people feel proud, safe and able to contribute to the life of their local community
Place to Work: we will build a prosperous and vibrant business community in Greenwich that contributes to a strong, competitive and sustainable local economy and creates employment and business opportunities for all
Place to Learn: Greenwich – a place where learning and skills are accepted as vital to the well-being of individuals, families and communities and to our economic growth
Place to Visit – a Place of Culture: Greenwich will offer a vibrant mix of cultural, entertainment and arts events, positioning Greenwich as a prime visitor location
Greener Greenwich: Greenwich will have a high quality local environment where resources are used efficiently and are from renewable sources wherever possible. Greenwich recognises its place in the world and seeks to improve the quality of life for everyone, including future generations
Safer Greenwich: We want Greenwich to be a place free from crime, anti-social behaviour and substance misuse and where our residents and visitors feel safe.
Olympic Host Borough: the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will bring immense opportunity to Greenwich, creating an environment where physical activity and well-being becomes an integral part of everyday life