REGIONAL FOCUS > Gateway For The Opportunity Of A Generation
Published: Tuesday, 11 Mar, 2008
In recent years, developments across the capital have proved it is possible to transform neglected parts of London into world class investment offers with central government backing and private sector innovation.
In recent years, developments across the capital have proved it is possible to transform neglected parts of London into world class investment offers with central government backing and private sector innovation.
The Thames Gateway presents one of the largest and most exciting of these opportunities in the country. It has the potential to vastly improve the high rates of homelessness and unemployment in east London alone, as well as across the capital.
Housing is now a major priority for the Government, with the Gateway set to be a key focus for investment. I am determined that new development in the Gateway must succeed where other regeneration programmes have sometimes failed. My recently published draft Housing Strategy confirms that high quality developments are key and should include a range of housing to meet Londoners’ needs, including affordable housing and family sized homes.
And with this comes the serious challenge for new employment opportunities. The London Development Agency has recently led exemplar programmes to give local people the information and skills they need to access jobs associated with the London 2012 Games, as well as developing a new state of the art industrial estate for many of the relocated businesses from the Olympic Park site.
Delivering a first class transport infrastructure has always been a priority for the area. Already, the Docklands Light Railway extension to City Airport, completed on budget and ahead of schedule, has opened up a large part of the Royals Docks for intensive development. When the next extension opens in February 2009, it will take 19 minutes to travel from Woolwich to Canary Wharf or Stratford and 27 minutes from Woolwich to Bank.
But this is just the beginning. With the approval by Government of Crossrail, set to be the single biggest infrastructure project in Europe, the Thames Gateway will be open to unprecedented links to the rest of London and the UK, and Heathrow airport in only 35 minutes.
When the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Games close next summer, the world’s attention will turn towards London. Alongside all our other work, the 2012 Games have the potential to act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the Gateway and to promote London as the pre-eminent 21st century world city. But this will not happen automatically. We must set challenging targets and establish strong partnerships between the public and private sectors. The prize will be truly economically, environmentally and socially stable communities in the world's greatest city, setting the standard for future generations.
Written by Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone. Originally published in Invest In Success Thames Gateway 2008, page 11
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