Thames Gateway - decentralisation in the SE, Kay's Geography

This page last updated 14/05/06

"Regional change is occurring in some MEDCs as population and employment are decentralising. This counter-urbanisation process complicates attempts to distinguish between urban and rural areas. The increasing but selective use of the countryside for residential, industrial and leisure purposes has many impacts on the rural area, and may lead to conflict between different interest groups. There is a need for careful management." WJEC specification generalisation (AS Aspects of Rural Change.)

Thames Gateway - in the news

Thames Gateway Proposals for the expansion of London eastwards with a series of new townships to relieve overcrowding in the capital and provide affordable homes for people priced out of the housing market. A multibillion pound "linear city" along 40 miles of the Thames to Essex and Kent could lead to around 200,000 new houses over the next 15 years. Guardian news story (Jan 2003). http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,877337,00.html BBC news (Feb 2003) - includes maps http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2727399.stm Here be monsters - Guardian feature on why this area is currently inhospitable (Oct 2003). http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0%2C3604%2C1072906%2C00.html New homes plan thrown into chaos (Oct 2005) http://observer.guardian.co.uk/politics/story/0,6903,1604647,00.html

BBC August 2005 overview of East London development including Stratford city, the 2012 Olympics and Thames Gateway. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4734433.stm

Thames Gateway official site "Europe's largest and most ambitious regeneration initiative. Extending from Tower Bridge eastwards to Thurrock and Dartford, the area has a powerful strategic location offering outstanding development opportunities for new jobs and homes, as well as environmental improvements." http://www.thames-gateway.org.uk/

Department for Communities and Local Government Thames Gateway overview including map, speeches, video clip and publications. http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1140187

London Thames Gateway Development Corporation site http://www.ltgdc.org.uk/

Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation http://www.thurrocktgdc.org.uk/

CPRE view There is considerable opposition to the continual building of new housing on green fields. http://www.cpre.org.uk/ See also report of CPRE action plan (Sept 2005) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/4243498.stm

English Heritage has undertaken 'a strategic characterisation study' of the Thames Gateway's historic environment. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.00100200500a00i Great place to live (2004 Guardian article) http://society.guardian.co.uk/housing/story/0,7890,1177759,00.html Sense of history (2005 Guardian article) http://society.guardian.co.uk/communities/comment/0,16289,1537192,00.html

BGS (British Geological Survey) Interdisciplinary project to make geoscience information for the Thames Gateway more accessible and relevant to the wide range of users involved in the sustainable regeneration and development of the Gateway. http://www.bgs.ac.uk/science/thamesgateway/home.html

Friends of the Earth Thames Gateway development campaign for sustainable regeneration. Links to press releases, leaflets and briefings. PDF briefing. http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/local_groups_and_campaigns/thames_gateway/

Takeley village, Essex Residents fear their village will be destroyed by the Prescott plan. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2729869.stm

Chartered Institute of Housing South East Region news story http://www.cihse.co.uk/main/news.php?news_id=92

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Jobs and services

Dartford Park A mixed-use scheme for a Science Park with Innovation Centre, housing, local centre, primary school, leisure and recreational uses, open space and wildlife areas. A key feature of the development is the proposed Fastrack dedicated public transport system. http://www.kent-thameside.org.uk/html/northdartfordvision.htm

Suffolk What businesses in Suffolk say they want. http://www.eeda.org.uk/compdetails.asp?id=3124&sec_id=364

East of England Development Agency Latest press releases. http://www.eeda.org.uk/monthly_view.asp?sec_id=364

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Transport

Channel tunnel rail link http://www.ctrl.co.uk/english/introduction/default.htm

Transport links New stations at Ebbsfleet and Stratford http://www.ctrl.co.uk/english/introduction/stratford.htm

Stanstead Airport Expansion plans. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2255775.stm Impact of airport expansion, in general, on villagers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2146779.stm Saffron Walden in particular. http://www.saffronwalden-reporter.co.uk Stop Stanstead http://www.stopstanstedexpansion.com/why_campaign.html

Roads Eastern region policy. http://www.roads.dft.gov.uk/roadnetwork/nrpd/hpp/trunk/eastern.htm

Cycling http://www.thames-gateway-cycle.org.uk/

TfL Transport for London, Thames Gateway Bridge, planning application with environmental impact assessment. http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/thames-gateway/tgw-bridge/tgb-planning-application.shtml

Bexley bridge local opposition Transport for London have proposed a six lane bridge crossing the Thames between Becton and Thamesmead. Residents are concerned the bridge will bring a massive amount of traffic to a residential area.http://www.pvr.co.uk/ See Halcrow for details of the project http://www.halcrow.com/halcrow_trans_plan_project1.asp

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Government plans

Statement from the Deputy Prime Minister on sustainable communities, housing and planning [18 July 2002] New homes in housing hotspots, extra help for key workers, action to tackle low demand in the North and the Midlands, a faster and fairer planning system, and new funding to rebuild the poorest neighbourhoods have been announced. Growth will be concentrated in the Thames Gateway, Ashford in Kent, Milton Keynes and the London-Stansted-Cambridge corridor. http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/page4289.asp Thames Gateway page [May 2006] http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1140187

BBC News Oct 15 2004 An East of England Regional Assembly panel backs plans for 478,000 homes, which cover an area stretching from Norfolk to Buckinghamshire. The panel rejected proposals for a further 18,000 homes between Stansted and Cambridge. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3745240.stm

East of England Regional Assembly Warns against unsustainable growth and calls for Government funding for essential infrastructure. Press release with planning timetable [Oct 2004]. http://www.eera.gov.uk/News.asp?cat=36&id=SX1119-A77F7BB2

SEEDA "The Government has strongly endorsed the blueprint for sustained economic growth in the South East put forward by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and acknowledged that the region’s future success is vital to the UK economy." http://www.seeda.co.uk/Work_in_the_Region/Development_&_Infrastructure/Growth_Areas/Thames_Gateway/

Thames Gateway South Essex www.tgessex.co.uk/ Thames Gateway Kent Partnership www.thamesgateway-kent.org.uk/ Thames Gateway London Partnership http://www.thames-gateway.org.uk/

Housing London Commuter Belt sub-regional housing strategy for 14 districts of Hertfordshire and Essex (pdf document). http://www.eastherts.gov.uk/committee_reports/overview1/121102/item_7_app_d.pdf

Essex and Southsea Structure development plan 1996-2011 - the core strategy (pdf document). http://www.essexcc.gov.uk/esd/planningandenvironment/publications/part2.pdf

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SE Towns

Kent-Thameside Densest cluster of large-scale projects in Europe which includes Ebbsfleet, the Channel rail tunnel link set to open in 2006/7. http://www.kent-thameside.org.uk

Basildon Regeneration plans. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2327433.stm

Towncentric Project to revitalise Gravesend town centre. http://www.towncentric.co.uk/

New towns England - explore using the interactive map. http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/d7.htm

Harlow http://www.harlow.gov.uk

Essex towns weblinks http://www.bbc.co.uk/essex/discover_essex/towns/index.shtml

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Flood risk and water supply issues

Flood risk The Environment Agency, responsible for flood warnings, believes planners are ignoring flood risks. Much of the 'Gateway' area lies within the natural tidal flood plain of the Thames and will become increasingly at risk from flooding in the future. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2207924.stm This concern also raised by London Assembly (Oct 2005). http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4325470.stm

The 1953 East Coast flood disaster "January 2003 marked the 50^th anniversary of those events. Though major advances in flood protection have been made since then, the danger of coastal flooding remains. In particular, the effects of climate change mean that the chances of storms and high tides coinciding has increased." http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/yourenv/857406/426221/?version=1&lang=_e http://www.thisisessex.co.uk/essex/canveyfloods/canveyfloods.html http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/news/january/canvey_flood2.shtml

Could the new homes be unsaleable? July 2004 Guardian story with links http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1272039,00.html

A holistic approach? 'Gateway development will take place on a "green grid", open spaces including fields and parks that can be flooded to manage water flow'. (April 2004) http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3649663.stm

Leigh Barrier Eight page pdf document from the Environment Agency on Medway flood defence scheme. http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/105385/126554

Water pollution http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2210243.stm

Water supply New homes 'could mean water bans' [Aug 2004] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3556644.stm

Ecological impact

Ecological threat to the Kent marshlands. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2145963.stm

Environmental costs of the Gateway project. March 2003 story quoting English Nature and RSPB. http://society.guardian.co.uk/societyguardian/story/0,7843,911918,00.html

Thames wind farm http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4617275.stm Offshore wind in general http://www.bwea.com/offshore/index.html

One Planet Living in the Thames Gateway WWF-UK 67 page sustainable homes report. [June 2003] Looks at all aspects including water, energy, waste and transport and offers four scenarios. "...by developing 200,000 new homes in the Thames Gateway to a minimum of EcoHomes ‘Very Good’ standard, significant environmental savings could be made per home/per year when compared with homes built to current Building Regulations." http://www.wwf.org.uk/filelibrary/pdf/thamesgateway.pdf

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