The South London high street that’s so ‘disgusting’ locals say it’s too ‘upsetting’ to walk down

South London residents have said the high street in their area is so filthy that it’s “disgusting” and too “upsetting” to walk down. Located just a 25 minute train from London Bridge, Plumstead in Greenwich sits just east of Woolwich town centre.

The area is known for its scenic common and lively high street. However, some locals in the area have said rubbish around the area’s main shopping stretch has become such a problem that they are actively avoiding it.

Niamh, who did not wish to give her second name, said she had lived in Plumstead since 2006. She said she rarely uses the high street as it’s “disgusting” and that rubbish is a “big problem” in the area.

READ MORE: The iconic South East London pub beloved by locals that’s reopening after nearly 2 years

A local said they thought the state of the street was “disgusting”(Image: Joe Coughlan)

She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “There’s also a lot of homelessness, there’s a lot of drugs. It’s actually just upsetting to come up that street. So I tend to just stay away from Plumstead High Street.”

In February this year, Greenwich Council reduced the frequency of black bin collections in the borough from weekly to every two weeks. The council said in a statement that the change came after a six week consultation in 2020 and had been done to reduce vehicle emissions by doing fewer collections and incinerating less waste overall.

Stephen Rookes, 64, said he was born in Plumstead but returned to live in the area several years ago. He said he has noticed rubbish on the high street but that local waste collectors are doing their best to keep on top of the issue.