NEWS > Regeneration gathers pace in the Thames Gateway
Published: Friday, 04 Jul, 2008
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears saw at first hand the progress being made in the London Thames Gateway when she visited the Lower Lea Valley and London Riverside sites. Buoyed by the recent approval of their 237 million GBP investment programme, London Thames Gateway Development Corporation, LTGDC, is stepping up the pace of regeneration in the Lower Lea Valley and London Riverside
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears saw at first hand the progress being made in the London Thames Gateway when she visited the Lower Lea Valley and London Riverside sites. Buoyed by the recent approval of their 237 million GBP investment programme, London Thames Gateway Development Corporation, LTGDC, is stepping up the pace of regeneration in the Lower Lea Valley and London Riverside.
As the lead regeneration agency for these areas with the greatest growth potential in London and the Thames Gateway, LTGDC is investing in major housing, employment, transport and social infrastructure projects to transform the lives of local people.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears said: "We are already seeing real change in this area of East London thanks to local organisations working together and Government backing these plans with millions of pounds of investment. Regeneration of the Lower Lea Valley as a whole and London Riverside will not only benefit local residents, but create an environment where new businesses want to settle as well."
The Minister visited a number of innovative initiatives including the new National Skills Academy for Financial Services, which is making a real difference in one of London’s most disadvantaged communities. Engaging with employers, such as HSBC and the FSA, the Skills Academy is helping young people to forge a career in financial services, with 200 graduates already placed into employment in Canary Wharf and the City.
Hazel Blears met with partners from Barking Riverside, Europe’s largest brownfield development which will provide 10,800 new homes as well as extensive community and leisure facilities. This is just one of a raft of projects and investment underway to transform Barking and challenge perceptions about the area.
These include plans to establish the UK’s first Sustainable Industries Park at Dagenham Dock, which the Minister also had a chance to see on her visit. LTGDC with the LDA has already acquired 40 acres of land with potential for a further 20 acres to accommodate up to 30 environmental technologies firms – and the first tenant, Closed Loop London, has opened the UK ’s first food grade plastics recycling plant on the site.
At Dagenham Dock, which the Minister also had a chance to see on her visit, Lorraine Baldry, Chairman, LTGDC said: “The government’s continued commitment to LTGDC and the London Thames Gateway is a reflection both of the enormous growth potential in the area and of its important role in the economic future of London and the greater south east. As the lead regeneration agency for this dynamic area, we are committed to not only delivering homes, but also providing the social and economic infrastructure required to support growth and stimulate the development of sustainable communities in which people want to work, live and visit.”
LTGDC with the LDA has already acquired 40 acres of land with potential for a further 20 acres to accommodate up to 30 environmental technologies firms – and the first tenant, Closed Loop London, has opened a food grade plastics recycling plant on the site.
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