Transport for LondonThames Gateway
The Mayor of London and the Government have recognised that the Thames Gateway is an area of national and regional importance. It provides the city and the south east with a unique opportunity to develop land for a mix of industry, housing, open spaces and local facilities.
The Thames Gateway is at the heart of the Mayor's plans to regenerate east London, which has suffered from years of under-investment.
In the Mayor's Draft London Plan the focus is to support significant growth in housing and employment. East London is expected to play a major role in this by accommodating a minimum of 142,000 additional homes and 255,000 additional jobs by 2016.
The Gateway is a corridor stretching eastwards on both banks of the Thames from the City of London and Lewisham in Inner London across the Metropolitan boundary to Thurrock and Dartford on the east.
Parts of Thames Gateway have suffered from years of under-investment as some industries have declined. It contains over one-third of London's derelict land and much of the area reflects its industrial past. The lack of river crossings has made the physical barrier effect of the River Thames quite a problem for development in some areas.
'Zones of change' have been identified to target the investment and development needed to regenerate the area.
There are currently only seven crossings the complete length of the Thames Gateway, compared with 19 crossings over the much shorter distance between Tower Bridge and Battersea Bridge.
