New plans to revamp Erith’s Riverside Gardens – aimed at making the area a “vibrant riverside town again” –  have been opened up for public comment.

It comes as Bexley Council announced the appointment of Erect Architecture Ltd to the project, with the authority saying the firm will lead the design of the improved gardens.

In a statement, Cllr Louie French, Bexley’s deputy leader and cabinet member for growth said: “The support of the local community is essential to help Erith become a vibrant riverside town again…We want to ensure that the new designs for Riverside Gardens are developed in partnership with local people and community organisations.”

It’s the second round of consultation on the project, after initial work gathering feedback was held last year.

The work comes after funding was secured from the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund for Bexley Council’s Greater Erith programme, a regeneration campaign pushed by the authority.

Now residents are being invited to give their views on how the nearby Riverside Gardens can be improved, with a number of consultation events planned for the coming months.

The council will hold a ‘Meet the Architects’ event at The Exchange, Erith on Wednesday 15 January from 7pm – 9pm, to offer local people the chance to give their views. There will also be displays of case studies and images of their previous work.

Residents can register for the event at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/meet-the-architects-tickets-85234722349

They can also track progress of the project by visiting the Greater Erith website.

The consultation comes at the same time as the council weighs up the potential development of a nearby green space in West Street Park.

The authority submitted plans last year through their property arm, BexleyCo, to build 30 residential units at the junction of Macarthur Close and West Street.

The council says the part four-storey, part five-storey block would be an ideal utilization of an “under-used” site, though the proposal has already attracted opposition from community groups, including the Erith Think Tank, who launched a campaign in November to “save the green space”.

Among their key concerns is the loss of a “key” park area – saying there was few in the area.

“This would mean the loss of key green space in Erith. Aside from the Riverside Gardens there is very little open green space in Erith for communities to enjoy,” the group said in a statement last year.