PLANS to transform one of the oldest parts of Thamesmead with a £120 million redevelopment have been unveiled.

The Tavy Bridge area of the new town, built in the 1960s, with its futuristic mid-air walkways, tower blocks and a health centre on stilts over a lake, won international design awards.

Fourty years on, there are serious problems.

The walkways, hidden from view, made people feel unsafe and vulnerable to muggers.

The underground parking attracted vandals and the concrete fabric of the Lakeside health centre is crumbling.

With £10 million from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Gallions Housing Association hopes to create a mix of new modern homes with urban squares and communal gardens, a new health centre, library and shops, in an ambitious nine-year project.

Tavy Bridge currently contains 326 rented flats and maisonettes, 12 shops, a disused community centre, a health centre and a library.

Only two of the blocks of flats, Tilehurst Point and Blewbury House, will remain. The whole of the rest of the area will be demolished and gradually replaced.

Phase one will be the refurbishment of the two existing blocks and demolition of the walkways to be replaced by a multi-sports pitch next to Harrow Manorway and a play area. Next will be three blocks of homes on undeveloped land.

Phase three will be the demolition of the southern part of Binsey Walk and the creation of the first part of a new "community hub" containing shops and community services for the housing association and more new homes.

This will be followed by the demolition of the central part of Binsey Walk and creation of more new homes. In phase five, the library and remaining shops and homes will be demolished to complete the community hub and create a new lakeside park. And the last phase will be the construction of the rest of the new homes.

In all, 11 blocks of homes, up to seven storeys high will be created, and will be a mix of privately rented, shared ownership, rented and sheltered housing.

Of the 827 new homes, 555 will be for sale, to help finance the project.

Gallions has already applied to Bexley Council for planning permission and the health centre already has outline permission.