With less than a month to go until the end of a public consultation on the future of large parts of London’s riverside, the Mayor, Boris Johnson, has urged residents and businesses in the capital to get involved and have their say on plans to transform 3,000 hectares of east London riverside, unlocking the area’s massive economic potential and creating thousands of new jobs and homes.
Covering parts of Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Newham boroughs, the London Riverside Opportunity Area is made up of large swaths of Brownfield land, a legacy of its industrial past, that have seen low levels of development activity in recent years.
The Mayor, working with the boroughs and the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation, wants to see a reverse in the areas fortunes by capitalising on the availability of land for re-use, its proximity to the capital, the Olympic Park and the new Enterprise Zone at Royal Docks and its position on major transport routes to encourage new housing, businesses and jobs into the area. They also want to protect and promote the areas outstanding green spaces, such as Rainham Marshes, to attract visitors to the area and improve quality of life.
Developed in partnership with the boroughs and the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation the consultation sets out a vision for London Riverside that includes:
Intensification of Barking and Rainham town centres and new emerging centres
Ensuring new jobs and services benefit existing communities
Facilitating delivery of new housing to meet local and wider needs
Improving London Riverside as a place to live for new and existing communities
Delivering a conservation park as a recreational resource at Rainham Marshes
Attracting investment through improved transport infrastructure
Delivering the Green Enterprise District in London Riverside to pioneer green technologies
Developing London Riverside Employment Area and East Beckton into world class sustainable industries districts
The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “London riverside has the potential for tremendous economic growth. By taking advantage of its strengths – available land for re-use, position, transport links and open spaces – we have the opportunity to create thousands of new jobs and homes in some of the capital’s most neglected neighbourhoods. This is an opportunity we must not let slip by, particularly in this tough economic climate, so I’d urge anyone with an interest in London’s economic future to get involved and have your say today.”
The draft London Riverside Opportunity Area Planning Framework (LROAPF) closes for consultation on February 10th. To have your say visit http://www.london.gov.uk/publication/london-riverside-opportunity-area-planning-framework
