Catford might not seem the most happening place in the world but with the appointment of its first-ever town centre manager, this looks set to change. Reporter GLENN EBREY caught up with the woman who hopes to make Catford cool ...

ACCORDING to the council's own magazine, new town centre manager Petra Smith will be expected to make Catford "a lively and popular destination".

To the odd cynical observer this might seem a pretty challenging task even Catford's most loyal supporters would admit it is hardly Las Vegas.

But Mrs Smith says she is determined to change people's perceptions and tempt more of us to work, shop and play in the town.

She said: "I think Catford has an awful lot to offer.

"It has its problems like all inner-city town centres but we are doing something about it and slowly getting there.

"There are new businesses opening up here all the time and there is a lot more major investment to come over the next decade."

Mrs Smith, who hails from Scotland, says her main priority is to "assist and offer dedicated support to businesses in the area".

This includes offering £230,000 worth of Shop Improvement Grants to companies in the town.

The money, which comes from Lewisham capital funds, will help traders pay for changes to their premises and shop fronts.

Mrs Smith, 27, also says steps have been taken to improve security.

She said: "There have been a lot of improvements made in the past few years, such as extra lighting and CCTV, which have made Catford a much safer place to live."

The new town centre boss, who took up her new post last month, admits she was "disappointed" by the decision to reject plans for a new cinema at the ABC site, in Bromley Road.

Despite this setback, she still believes her team can encourage more people to socialise in Catford and has set her sights on improving the town's nightlife.

Mrs Smith said: "I would like to see more people come into Catford from further away.

"We need to improve the evening economy, so there are more restaurants and bars on offer and more people using the restaurants and bars which are already here.

"This area is very accessible and has fantastic transport links. We need to take advantage of those."

Perhaps the town's most distinctive feature is the black and white cat, which sits on the sign welcoming people to Catford.

Rumours have been circulating the moggy does not fit into the new vision but Mrs Smith has offered some words of hope for the town's cat lovers.

She said: "The cat is a part of the town. When people think of Catford they think of the cat."

Mrs Smith, who lives in Blackheath, previously worked at Lewisham Council for two years as a trainee manager.

She was appointed along with a raft of other town centre managers across the borough in areas including Lewisham, Deptford and New Cross.

Call the town centre manager on 020 8314 8246 or send an e-mail to petra.smith@lewisham.gov.uk