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8
Annual Report 1954
SECTION A:—STATISTICS AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS
OF THE AREA
A (1) Physical Situation and Amenities
Erith is situated in the north-west corner of Kent and is
bounded on the north-east by the River Thames to which it
has a frontage of about 4 miles, on the west by the Metropolitan
Borough of Woolwich and the Borough of Bexley, and on the
south by the Borough of Bexley and the Urban District of
Crayford. The shopping facilities though not concentrated,
are nevertheless advantageous having regard to the disposition
of the six wards of the Borough, and there is a copious supply
of pure water which is provided and maintained by the Metropolitan
Water Board.
The existing chief industries are light engineering, edible
oil refining, manufacture of chemicals, coal shipping and
lighterage and the production of building materials, i.e.,
asbestos, plasterboard, and stoneware drain pipes. Manufacture
of radio equipment and toys are also established
industries.
Industrial expansion within the Borough is again demonstrated
by the commercial acquirement of factory premises
in which the first Transatlantic telephone cable is being
constructed and this has necessitated considerable adaptation
and enlarging of the existing premises. Progress has also
been made in the erection and equipping of a local engineering
factory's new turbine shop which will be one of the largest
in the country. It is expected that this new shop will be
opened and come into production early in 1955. The proposed
new Electric Power Station at Norman Road, Belvedere
has now progressed from the blue-print stage to that of intial
lay-out and preparatory site works.
A new Grammar School at Northumberland Heath was
officially opened and dedicated by the Archbishop of Canterbury
on 3rd December.