On May 3, thousands of residents will turn out to polling stations to choose who will represent them – with one set of candidates claiming the spotlight should be on Abbey Wood.

Three independent councillors from the Abbey Wood area are standing together under a joint manifesto to improve the “neglected” Abbey Wood.

Abbey Wood is an area that is going through masses of regeneration ahead of the arrival of Crossrail in December this year.

Craig Jenkins, who is standing as an independent along with Ronie Johnson and Bruce Jamieson, said: “Now is the time to give Abbey Wood a voice. I don’t think people realise that by the end of the year the spotlight will be on our area.”

Mr Jenkins, 33, moved to Abbey Wood in 2016 and decided to run this year .

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He said: “It’s important to get Abbey Wood’s voice heard in town hall. I want to reinstate the sense of community and village, that’s long been neglected.

“I live here, I can see the problems – the roads and the motorbike behaviour, the anti-social behaviour on the high streets. I can see that it needs fresh blood to tackle them.

“I don’t think people think about going to the council anymore. There’s a real apathy and that needs to change.”

Mr Jenkins is running under a joint manifesto along with 58-year-old Bruce Jamieson.

Mr Jamieson, who has lived in Abbey Wood since 2003, said: “After 15 years of living here I think I know the problems.

“There’s so much happening here, buildings popping up everywhere – but I think Abbey Wood doesn’t see enough benefits. I would make the council open up the books and show people being spent where.”

Mr Jamieson was referring to Section 106 money – cash given by developers for infrastructure.

“The people who live in Abbey Wood should be getting more.”

Abbey Wood has been an area earmarked for major redevelopments by the Mayor of London, who made it a housing zone – offering extra cash for developers and councils to develop homes.

Abbey Wood is split and controlled by two councils, Bexley and Greenwich.

Another independent group, the Plumstead Party, is also running candidates in this year’s election.

The PP is running nine candidates across Glyndon, Plumstead and Shooters Hill.

Other parties standing in Abbey Wood are Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, and the Green Party.