The
first building in Slade Green came with the new railway to Dartford
from London via Woolwich. Slade Green was chosen as the place
for a huge engine shed with maintenance depot and everything
else to do with the railway was situated in Slade Green.
Well
over 100 years later Slade Green still has a railway maintenance
depot here as well as sidings. The depot is responsible for
looking after most of the trains which operate Connex South
Eastern services into London. It is a huge task, and the depot
is probably Slade Green largest employer.
Slade Green and the railways have always had a love affair for
each other, or it seems that way.
Apart
from the trains, Slade Green has many warehouses as we are close
to the M25, large companies like Boots and Linpac own distributing
centres here.
Also
just there are many factories in the area. The amount of lorry
traffic was huge until the council built a kind of lorry bypass
so most lorries could take the new road behind some houses out
toward the River Thames and the factories. There are still problem
for residents living near the factories on Manor Road which
lead up to Erith but Central Slade Green is now, with the help
of a width restriction, nearly lorry free.
Apart
from the small shops we have here and primary school, there
is really only one other employer and that is the local council.
A few years back Bexley Council closed Slade Green secondary
school and took the building over and now uses it as one of
the main offices in the area.
However
with good railway and road link to London and the South East
of England it is easy to commute to other place to get a job.
Many like the hundreds of commuters who travel by train into
London everyday do Commute to work.
