Everyone who lives, works or spends time in Royal Greenwich are being asked big questions this summer: what should this borough be like in 2050, and what needs to change to get there?
From 23 July, the council wants to hear what people love about the borough, what they would change, and what would make the biggest difference to their everyday lives.
The answers will do two things. They will guide the council’s priorities for the next four years, including where money goes at a time when every pound counts. And for the first time, they will set a long-term vision for the borough, looking ahead to 2050.
This builds on what residents have already said through surveys, events and the views the council hears every day. In the autumn, the council will publish what people said and the plan it produced.
Councillor Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said:
“One-hundred and fifty-eight years ago, a group of Greenwich workers decided to change their future. They lived and worked by one principle – each for all, and all for each. That spirit built this borough, and it is how we will build what comes next.
“There is no doubt Greenwich is special. We have a connection to time, history and science no other borough can claim, a unique relationship with the Thames, and communities as diverse as any in London. We are proud of that. But pride has to be earned, and the best way to earn it is by listening first.
“As our borough evolves, we want to make sure we keep what makes us special at the heart of what comes next. So tell us what you love, what you would change, and what matters most to you. There are no wrong answers. Every answer will be read, and in the autumn we will tell you what you said and what we are going to do about it. Each for all, and all for each.”
Why now?
Your feedback will help shape the borough’s next corporate plan, a roadmap for the next four years and – for the first time - our vision for 2050. It will inform where we prioritise resources and turn priorities into delivery on the ground so that you will see and feel the difference.
In September the Cabinet will be asked to approve the Corporate Plan 2026 to 2030 and Vision for 2050.
What is the council asking?
We want to know:
- what you love about the borough, and what makes it unlike anywhere else
- what you would change if you could change anything
- the most important thing facing you right now
- what would make the biggest difference to your everyday life
- what the borough must keep, and what you hope is different, by 2050.
There are no wrong answers. It is your experience of this place, and nobody knows it better than you.
How to take part
Taking part is quick and easy:
- go online at the council’s Community Conversations website
- pick up a paper copy in any Royal Greenwich library
- come and talk to us at a summer event, community forum or a library drop-in session.
We will be at summer events across the borough.
Monday 3 August - Community Forum - Woolwich Front Room, 105 Powis Street SE18 6JB - 6pm to 7.30pm (doors at 5.45pm)
Wednesday 5 August - Community Forum - Glyndon Community Centre, 75 Raglan Road SE18 7LB - 6pm to 7.30pm (doors at 5.45pm)
Monday 10 August - Community Forum - St Mary’s Community Centre, 180 Eltham High Street SE9 1BJ - 6pm to 7.30pm (doors at 5.45pm)
Thursday 13 August - Community Forum - Mycenae House, 90 Mycenae Road SE3 7SE - 6pm to 7.30pm (doors at 5.45pm)
Saturday 8 August - Thamesmead Festival - Southmere Park, Hartslock Drive, Thamesmead, SE2 9XA - 12noon to 7.30pm
Friday 21 August - 360, GDIF Launch - General Gordon Square, Woolwich SE18 - 6pm to 8pm
An easy read version is available, and support is there for people whose first language is not English. The council will also work directly with community and voluntary groups, and with young people through their own forum.