Renew Spring 09 Web Version

Renew Spring 2009

Regeneration in the London Thames Gateway

“This is a part of London that cannot be ignored. It is essential whether you look west or east. It is essential to the rest of London. It is essential to the rest of the Thames Gateway”

Lord Falconer, Chair, TGLP

Special Edition • • •

Message from our Chair, Lord Falconer London Thames Gateway map TGLP priorities

Contents Ros Dunn, Chief Executive, 2 TGLP Editorial Lord Falconer The road to recovery

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Cllr Chris Roberts Rt Hon Margaret Beckett, MP

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Sir Simon Milton

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Councillor Conor McAuley

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Is transport on track?

Welcome to this special edition of Renew, the Thames Gateway London Partnership’s quarterly magazine In this edition, we welcome our new Partnership Chair, Lord Charlie Falconer. Charlie is no stranger to the London Thames Gateway, having been the Minister for the Thames Gateway in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister before becoming Lord Chancellor. He joins us at a time of unprecedented economic challenge – a time when strong partnership working in support of common goals is all the more important. As a Partnership, our strength lies in the people we represent; over a third of all Londoners. We owe it to them to secure the best possible future for them. This means making sure that key decision makers at all levels of government –national and regional – understand the opportunities this part of London offers, as well as its needs which must be addressed. This is not simply a plea for more investment, although we will argue that additional investment is justified. We also want joined up thinking. Making sure, for example, that ambitious targets for housing of all tenures are matched with the other ingredients which go into making successful places - economic and social infrastructure – and that planned investment benefits existing as well as future residents. Making sure that we don’t simply concentrate on investment in physical capital, but remember to invest in human capital to equip our residents to exploit economic opportunities both now and in the future.

London Thames Gateway Map

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Cllr Michael White The power of place

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Cllr Heidi Alexander

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This, however, is the regeneration equivalent of motherhood and apple pie. We need to translate these broad objectives into specific, focussed goals representing our top priorities; our Partnership’s voice is a strong one and we will use it to secure tangible benefits for the people we represent.

David Lunts HCA: challenges and opportunities

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London Thames Gateway Quiz

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The rest of this edition explains how we are going to do this. Articles by our three Vice Chairs, each of whom is responsible for one of our key workstreams (Conor McAuley on Transport and Connectivity, Michael White on Housing and Placemaking and Heidi Alexander on Skills and Employment) describe the work we have been doing and our emerging key priorities. But these are not just three separate areas of work. In addition to the specific issues we raise under each heading, we will make sure that our own thinking joins up and that this is reflected in our contributions to key strategic development work in London, for example the work of the Outer London Commission and the review of the London Plan.

Facing up to challenges

We are also very grateful for contributions to this special edition from some absolutely vital stakeholders: the Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, Minister for Housing and the Thames Gateway; Sir Simon Milton, Deputy Mayor of London; and David Lunts, London Regional Director of the Homes and Communities Agency. Charlie Falconer isn’t the only new face around here. This is also my first edition of Renew as TGLP’s Chief Executive and like Charlie, I’m no stranger to the Gateway, having worked as Director of Strategy for the Thames Gateway in the Department of Communities and Local Government. That taught me the value of being able to hear from a strong local voice when you are part of national government, and we know that strengthening local democracy has clear all party support. So I greatly welcome the opportunity to be part of that local voice, and will do my best, with the rest of the team, to make sure it is heard loud and clear!

Ros Dunn, Chief Executive, TGLP Cover shows Canning Town masterplan For contributions or queries about Renew magazine please call our communications agency, Verve Communications on 020 7017 2011 Email [email protected] www.vervecommunications.co.uk

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Lord Falconer, Chair, TGLP I’m delighted to be back in the Gateway. I came back because I recognise that this is a part of London that cannot be ignored. It is essential whether you look west or east. It is essential to the rest of London. It is essential to the rest of the Thames Gateway. London‘s success is vital to the national economy. The Corporation of London estimate that London’s historic revenue contribution to the rest of the UK (the difference between what it receives in public spending and what it raises in taxes) is between £9bn and £13bn a year. The Thames Gateway matters to the prosperity of the Greater South East. The three RDAs, led by the LDA, estimated in 2006 that if productivity in the Thames Gateway was raised to the level of the average of the GSE, it would add around £12bn per annum to GDP. These are figures, and a potential, that we cannot ignore. And right now, as we are going through the most challenging economic period many of us can remember, it is important to recognise that the road to recovery could start here. Given the enormous benefits already coming our way from the Olympics, and Crossrail, the London Thames Gateway is well placed to weather the recession and so is a great place to generate both economic and social returns from public and private investment. The large number of groups and committees on the Gateway means only those which have a clear purpose, and focus on that purpose, add value. We have that. Our purpose is to speak for our partners: 11 TGLP boroughs, 8 universities and colleges, the LSC and the NHS and advocate what they conclude is best for their part of London.We will focus on the big issues which make a difference - housing, transport, skills and placemaking.

Working across political parties, and across the river, we are uniquely placed to give an authoritative view on major strategic issues affecting the whole of East London. Sometimes that view will be in response to requests for views from others, for example, Mayoral consultations on transport, economic development or housing. Sometimes we will identify key issues and initiate the debate, as we plan to do on some of the ideas mentioned in this issue of Renew. TGLP has a proud tradition of lobbying successfully for key infrastructure and other projects. We mean to carry this on. We will make the case for national and regional government to take the necessary steps to allow the DLR extension to Dagenham Dock to proceed. We will press for an early decision on an additional river crossing for the London Thames Gateway and further measures to support the delivery of much needed affordable housing. By focusing our efforts on getting the best outcomes we can for this part of London through exploiting the sub region’s immense opportunities, we will aim to lead the road to economic recovery. I look forward to working with you.

Cllr Chris Roberts, Deputy Chair, TGLP It has been my pleasure to lead the organisation through significant change in response to external developments: the creation of the HCA, the reorganisation of CLG, a new Mayor and the establishment of new delivery vehicles, in order to ensure that TGLP remains relevant. I am delighted to welcome Charlie Falconer, to the newly created post of independent Chair. This has been created to reflect the cross party nature of the Partnership, one of our core strengths. Led by our new Chair, the Partnership is developing a clear cross party political agenda and identifying the key priorities which will be the focus of our activities. But as we embark on our new lease of life, it is worth recognising the remarkable success of the Gateway so far. It is now some 15 years since a collection of east London borough councils came together to try to drive a vision for our communities ravaged by industrial decline and recession. Little could we have imagined the success we have had. The London Thames Gateway now has its own financial district to rival any in Europe – Canary Wharf. It has a new entertainment and business quarter based around the flagship of The O2 –

confirmed in less than a year as the most successful entertainment venue in the world - on the Greenwich Peninsula. ExCel in the Royal Docks provides the best that London can offer in terms of modern and flexible exhibition space, while the emergence of Stratford City and the Olympic Games will lead the regeneration of the Lea Valley, providing new retail, sports and residential infrastructure of the highest quality. And more is to come. The renaissance at Woolwich with the redevelopment of the RoyalArsenal;the outstanding opportunities which still exist at Canning Town and Barking Reach will continue to breathe fresh life into the London Gateway. Transport investment in the form of Crossrail and additional river crossings is essential to making the Gateway work. So is the need to raise the skills base of a former industrial workforce, to ensure the physical developments leave a real social and economic legacy for the long deprived communities of London’s eastern half. London Thames Gateway is the only area capable of delivering national and regional visions for new, sustainable economic and residential growth. It is the only area with the land, the cross party political will and just about the only area where 12 neighbouring councils have worked towards a common vision together for 15 years. So while we can scarcely believe the successes to date, we know there remains much still to do. We know we cannot do this alone and we know as the world has moved on - TGLP needs to move on. Welcome to the new TGLP and I hope you will join us in bringing the next wave of regeneration and success to the London Thames Gateway. 3

Rt Hon Margaret Beckett MP, Minister for Housing and Planning Over the past few years, we’ve seen thousands of homes built, hundreds of businesses flourishing, and quality of life across the region improving. The past year really saw the momentum pick up pace. Two national skills academies opened, focusing on financial service and the construction industry. Plans for Crossrail got the go-ahead. Progress was made at the Olympic Park, and in other regeneration projects like East London. Of course, the wider economic climate now looks very different. We must remain alert to the risks posed by the downturn. But I believe that the Thames Gateway is well placed to respond to the challenges ahead. The areas which we are concentrating on in the Gateway: on improving quality of life, on investment in green collar jobs and low carbon technologies, on investment in skills and education: are all long-term programmes which will not only help the region weather the short-term difficulties but also prepare for the recovery and lay the foundations for future prosperity. Partnership working has been critical to the success to date, and will continue to be essential in the future. I look forward to working with all those involved – from the public, private and third sector – as well as local people themselves, to build a better future for the Thames Gateway.

Richard Gooding OBE, Chief Executive, London City Airport As a large private sector employer in the London Thames Gateway, I know just how important it is to have our public sector partners working together effectively towards the goals that we share. That is why I welcome Lord Falconer as the new Chair of TGLP and look forward to seeing the organisation go from strength to strength under his leadership.

Our success has largely been driven by our location at the heart of the Thames Gateway, yet only six miles from the Bank of England. London City Airport, together with the DLR, have been vital ingredients in developing the transport infrastructure. Naturally, I’m particularly interested in your transport and connectivity workstream, which proves just how essential the right transport links are. At the end of last year a report was published by Transport for London (TfL) about improved access for people living near the airport site. It showed that 74 per

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cent of residents living near the airport believe they have improved access to jobs, education and shopping since the opening of the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) stations at London City Airport and King George V in December 2005. Respondents to the survey mentioned the DLR extension as a primary factor for moving to the area. The airport’s role as a catalyst for this development was clearly identified. London City Airport is the largest private sector employment site in the London Borough of Newham with almost 2,000 jobs across the 50 companies located on site at the airport. 70 per cent of jobs are filled by people living within a five-mile radius of the airport, many of whom rely on the DLR to commute to work. Despite the current economic climate we saw a 12 per cent rise in passenger numbers in 2008 with a record 3.3 million people travelling through the airport. In October last year our planning application was approved, increasing the number of permitted flight movements from 80,000 to 120,000 per annum. In the same month, we marked 21 years of operations since opening in October 1987.Throughout its history, the airport has been a catalyst for regeneration and employment in East London. I hope that TGLP continues to act as an essential catalyst for communication between the public and private sectors.

Open, honest and transparent dialogue Sir Simon Milton, Deputy Mayor for Policy and Planning, GLA The current economic circumstances should provide an opportunity for all levels of government in the London Thames Gateway to pause and reflect on what their ambition is for the area. The Mayor has already put in train a number of pieces of work that should help inform the deliberations of Government and boroughs in reassessing their plans for the London Thames Gateway. The Outer London Commission is chaired by Will McKee CBE and is advised on architecture and design by Sir Terry Farrell. The commission will idenfity four or five growth hubs and other smaller centres to underpin economic growth in Outer London. It will feed into the review of the London Plan and recommend policies to support and sustain development, infrastructure needs and improvements to quality of life and the environment. The development of the new Mayor’s Transport Plan will also provide an opportunity to better link transport and land use planning, with particular thought being channelled into the issue of river crossings in the Gateway.

East London will be the capital’s key economic, social and environmental motor for growth over the coming decades. The recent plans for the Olympic Legacy provide yet another opportunity that any other regeneration area in rest of the country would kill for. Coupled with significant investment in transport infrastructure in the East London over the next decade, the main building blocks for successful regeneration are already in place. Much will rest on the ability of the Government, the Mayor and the boroughs to work together to devise a rational and sustainable plan for investment and development in the London Thames Gateway. Partners need to make the most effective use of public sector funding that has already been committed because that is good planning, but also understand the strong likelihood that the Gateway will not receive as much funding in future years due to the state of the public finances. Even prior to the economic downturn, it was becoming increasingly clear that the status quo was not delivering the quantity or quality of regeneration in the Thames Gateway required to support existing communities and create places where new residents want to live. The prevailing view seemed to be that the Gateway programme would swiftly change the economic geography of the area and its attendant social and economic issues. It is clear that the ambition for overnight regeneration was naïve and misplaced. Fundamentally it ignores the realities of large-scale regeneration where the market and the public sector can only effectively and efficiently bring forward a finite number of quality regeneration projects at any one time. In addition, perhaps in part due to the framing of the gateway as one project, there has been a lack of clarity about the social, economic and culture opportunities in the Gateway, resulting in a proliferation of similar proposals coming forward for cultural quarters and science parks.

The London Homes and Communities Board, chaired by the Mayor of London, is grappling with the challenge of which developments require and deserve public sector support to kick start delivery. Alongside this, research and investigation into new and different models of housing development are taking place. This process will also develop different products that help more Londoners to own their own home by offering flexible alternatives to the expense of open market purchases. The Mayor and the HCA recently announced a funding package that will deliver around 3,000 new affordable homes for Londoners across a range of sites. Despite the need for renewed pragmatism and a focus on delivery, it is still necessary for the London Thames Gateway to have the highest of ambitions and accept only the highest quality in new development. The proposed new University on the legacy Olympic Park is an opportunity to put another stamp of quality on East London. The area is well placed to attract research and business in the growing green technologies sector. Creative short-term uses should be considered for some development sites, opening them up to local people. This all requires an open, honest and transparent dialogue between all partners, something that the relaunched Thames Gateway London Partnership is well placed to catalyse.

“The main building blocks for successful regeneration are already in place.” 5

Connecting the Gateway: transport tests Councilor Conor McAuley, Vice Chair, Transport & Connectivity

“TGLP is committed to engaging with the Mayor, Transport for London, the Department for Transport and others in seeking to develop and deliver a transport package for the Gateway which addresses the challenges of housing and economic growth delivery and meets the aspirations and needs of our current and future residents.” Can the targets for housing growth and economic development aspirations be met from within existing and planned transport infrastructure? We have already seen how Canary Wharf demonstrates the potential to build a world class business environment from scratch, once the transport infrastructure is in place. Now in my own borough, Stratford City offers us the chance to replicate that success in and around Stratford Town centre. TfL’s 10 year Business Plan was based on the assumption that there was sufficient transport capacity either already in place or with committed funding in place to support the delivery of 100,000 new homes in the London Thames Gateway. Most notably, they decided not to proceed with schemes without funding in place such as the plans for the Thames Gateway Bridge and the DLR extension to Dagenham Dock.

We will examine whether TfL’s assumptions about where future housing development happens are consistent with borough and GLA plans and whether additional investment in transport might be a better alternative to more expensive development around existing transport nodes. The London Thames Gateway is consistently identified by the Government and the Mayor of London as a major growth opportunity for housing and employment, most recently in the GLA “direction of travel” document Planning for a Better London. And when the London Plan is reviewed later this year, the context will not have changed even if the economic climate has temporarily worsened. We still need substantial sub-regional growth in people and jobs and to achieve this we must provide access to opportunities and accommodate the demand for travel.

We know that choice in the Gateway is not between growth and no growth. It is between an urban renaissance of quality and opportunity, and the continuation of We need to test the assumption behind these decisions. vacant brownfield sites, low density sprawl and limited opportunities for local communities. To ensure a positive That’s why as part of our response to the London Plan outcome, housing development must be accompanied by Review we intend to lead a study into transport capacity employment growth which in turn depends on transport in the London Thames Gateway, working closely with TfL. and connectivity.

Canning Town masterplan

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Transport is Crucial

We need to ensure that transport infrastructure and services are in place to link new communities and existing ones, and all must be linked to attractive employment, educational and cultural opportunities. The private sector will not invest unless it can take confidence from action by the Government and the Mayor to provide the connections to make those linkages. This confidence is even more important during the current downturn. Investment in infrastructure can be a key public sector driver to stimulate the economy and ensure the momentum behind the Gateway continues into the recovery. Thames Gateway London Partnership (TGLP) has over the years played a key role in shaping the transport agenda for the Gateway. We welcome the significant investment in transport infrastructure which has already been delivered but already know that we need further action. What I find encouraging is that many of TGLP’s transport priorities have been, or are in the process of being, delivered. These include Crossrail, extensions to the East London Line, enhancements to the Docklands Light Railway, early phases of Thames Gateway Transit, station access schemes and improvement packages to town centres. However we still need to urgently address the issue of river crossings, something which the Mayor and TfL have pledged to do.

Local successes

Speaking personally as a Newham Councillor, Crossrail especially will significantly benefit the Royal Docks area. With Crossrail serving Custom House, typical journey times from there to central London will be reduced by up to 65 per cent, so the journey to (and from) Paddington would fall from almost an hour to just 18 minutes. This can only be of benefit to local businesses such as the Excel Exhibition Centre and London City Airport. Having a station located in Custom House will also boost the regeneration that is taking place in the wider Canning Town area. We were also delighted by opening of the DLR extension to Woolwich Arsenal.This link across the Thames means local residents will benefit from improved access to employment opportunities. It also opens up areas like Canning Town and Custom House, the Royal Docks and the Thames Gateway to even more Londoners. The transformation of East London is already under way in Newham and these transport improvements will further enhance the social and economic potential of our key development sites in the south of the borough.We are seeing at first hand how only an integrated model of regeneration can be a catalyst for the creation of jobs, homes and other key facilities. 7

Thames Gateway London Partnership: mapping the Gateway Longitude 0˙0´0˝ Greenwich meridian

Chingford

Stansted

Highams Park

Waltham Forest Blackhorse Road Seven Sisters

Essex

M11

A12

A406

LSBU

Redbridge

Wood Street Walthamstow Central

St James Street

M25

Harold wood

A12 Romford

A12 Leyton Midland Road

Rectory Road

A10 Highbury & Islington

Dalston Junction Haggerston

St Pancras

Due to open June 2010

Hoxton

Pudding Mill Lane

East Ham

A13

Newham A1020

Royal Albert

UEL

Crofton Park Ladywell

Rainham

Gallions

City Airport Reach King George V

Extension due to open 2009

Woolwich

Abbey Wood

Belvedere

Lakeside Shopping Centre

Woolwich Arsenal

Welling

A205

Bexleyheath

A20

Kidbrooke

Hither Green

Falconwood Eltham

Bexley Stone

SN

A2

Catford Bridge

Lewisham

Greenhithe

Dartford

Bexley

A20

Bellingham

RC

Sydenham

Swanscombe

Ebbsfleet Gravesend

Bluewater Shopping Centre

A205

Heathrow

Gatwick

CEME

Blackheath

Honor Oak Park

SN

Dagenham Dock Barking Riverside

Greenwich

Lewisham

Brockley

TL

sio ned exten Plan

M25

A2

New Cross GOLD Gate

Forest Hill

Creekmouth

Beckton Riverside

Beckton

Charlton Cutty Sark TL UG Deptford Greenwich

Due to open June 2010

Havering

Barking

West Ham

Bow A11 Church

Higher/Further Education Centres

Station names shown in bold represent town centres

Forest Gate

QM A13 Whitechapel LMU Canning Town Custom City Fenchurch St Limehouse House Bank Blackfriars East India Poplar Shadwell Westferry Cannon St Tower Charing Heron Gateway Cross Southwark Quay Canary Pontoon Wapping Wharf Dock London West Waterloo RC Bridge Silvertown Canada Water South Quay Crossharbour Surrey Quays A102

The O2 ExCeL Greenwich World Heritage Site Tower of London London 2012 Olympic Park Woolwich Ferry Thames Barrier Thames Innovation Centre GTL Offices

Town Centres

Stratford Hackney Wick

Tower Hamlets Shoreditch High St

Barking & Dagenham

Woodgrange Park

Stratford International

Hackney Central London Fields

Ilford

Manor Park

Liverpool St

Landmarks

Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence Queen Mary, University of London University of Greenwich London Metropolitan University Goldsmiths, University of London University of East London Trinity Laban Ravensbourne College (new site) Start Nucleus London South Bank University at Havering

Wanstead Park

Hackney

Canonbury

Rail National Rail DLR DLR Extension Crossrail East London Line High Speed 1 – Eurostar services

Hackney Downs

n

Roads Motorway Road Rotherhithe Tunnel BlackwallTunnel Dartford Crossing

Upminster

A406

Sidcup

Grove Park

Dartford

LSBU

Crystal Palace Anerley

Longitude 0˙0´0˝ Greenwich meridian

Kent Faringham Rd

The London Thames Gateway is an area represented by 11 local authorities* on both sides of the river in East London. Our partners also include eight local universities, the local Learning and Skills Council and the Strategic Health Authority. It is critical to keeping London going and growing, because it is the only part of the capital able to sustain the massive scale of growth in jobs and housing required. *(plus Dartford in Kent)

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Skills and Employment: facing up to challenges Councillor Heidi Alexander, Vice Chair, Skills and Employment

“We live in a fantastic world city where people get on with one another and where people, irrespective of where they come from, have the chance to succeed.”

Introduction

These were my words a year ago when I was asked about the best thing about London.Whilst none of us could have imagined the changes that have rocked the London economy over the last 12 months, it is more important than ever that we – the public sector and our partners – focus upon what we can do to ensure that our residents still have the chance to succeed. This is a critical time for the London Thames Gateway. Like everywhere else, things are changing quickly – rising levels of unemployment and a loss of confidence in the business base are compounding the challenges faced by our communities who have historically had low skills levels and exhibited above average levels of worklessness. We need to work fast and as a partnership we feel we are well placed to respond: the councils are some of the biggest employers in each borough and the public sector as a whole accounts for over 25% of employment across the sub region.There are also real opportunities to tap into new and emerging markets; building global skills for a global city whilst mitigating the environmental costs of the decisions we make. Our challenge in developing a response will include a review of the changing nature of job creation and where new job growth may be expected. This will give us the opportunity to better plan for future skills requirements, whether these are at new retail hubs such as Stratford City or in the emerging environmental technology industries. We will also consider how to improve the offer that will help to retain businesses in London Thames Gateway and increase confidence within our complex employer market. I particularly want us to focus on three priorities in the coming year: tackling worklessness, work force development, and looking at how best to secure an educational legacy from the Olympic Games.

Effects of the economic downturn and worklessness Even before the effects of the current economic crisis became apparent, there were already comparatively high levels of unemployment in a number of London Thames Gateway boroughs. The unemployment rate in eight of our eleven boroughs now exceeds the overall London average.

While it can seem as if all eyes are on the Olympics and the employment opportunities already being created, we must not lose sight of the other major infrastructure development coming to the sub region; Crossrail. We already know that 11,000 jobs will be created requiring specialist skills during construction and we must make sure that our residents have access to these jobs, and to Our research suggests that the first effects of the economic the proposed specialist construction academies that will downturn began to appear from June 2008 onwards, furnish the right skills for these jobs. We will also review resulting in a sudden increase in jobseeker claimants. I the economic impact on the sub region and employment said before that things are moving fast and this rate of opportunities from Crossrail’s delivery, which could be increase has since accelerated, with the result that there substantial, particularly for our outer London boroughs. are now an additional 13,000 jobseeker claimants across London Thames Gateway, an increase of 26%. Surprisingly, the increase in jobseekers is particularly severe in the outer London Thames Gateway boroughs. Bexley (+76%), Havering (+75%) and to a lesser extent, Redbridge (+48%) have witnessed significant increases in unemployment. Even within my own borough of Lewisham we have seen a 24% increase in jobseekers. We will examine the role the public sector can play in tackling worklessness. We will work with central government to explore how we can best use apprenticeship programmes, looking at quality as well as quantity, and look at other options such as fast tracking unemployed private sector professionals into the public sector, where appropriate. We are also developing a Thames Gateway wide internship programme and will work proactively with the LDA who are charged with developing skills provision. University of East London 10

Workforce development: the skills challenge and engaging with business One of our biggest challenges will be to produce the level of skills required by the workforce in order to satisfy future demand for jobs. There has been a longstanding mismatch between the skills of local residents and the skills and competences required by employers, with overall skill levels in London Thames Gateway boroughs significantly below the London average. We must ensure that our current and future residents are equipped to compete in the open market; recognising that improved transport links will bring challenge as well as opportunity. Part of this is about raising aspirations of children and young adults, increasing participation in post-compulsory education and widening access to higher education: all critical if local residents are to take advantage of the opportunities the Thames Gateway offers. The eight higher education institutions that are part of the TGLP family already educate in excess of 116,000 students, 50% of whom are from the LTG area – and within a regional context their activities account for almost a third of total student provision. Additionally, through the development of KnowledgeEast, the business-focused network of eight universities and colleges in East London and Thames Gateway, employers have access to the expertise and facilities of 5,000 academics and some of the UK’s highest-rated research departments. These co-ordinated interventions between business and universities (knowledge transfer) will play an increasingly important role in developing the skills of our residents and markets of tomorrow.

World class Olympic legacy educational facility

We are extremely keen to play our part as the Mayoral proposal to develop a world class educational Olympic legacy facility in the Gateway develops.TGLP and our Higher Education Group want to ensure that the wider Gateway context is properly recognised and that we maximize the benefits of any new facility for our existing residents as well as new students who may be attracted to the Gateway.

Moving forward

Despite the current economic climate, there are encouraging signs of progress which should mean the London Thames Gateway will emerge strongly post-recession. There are more degree educated residents (+72,000 since 2005) and a decline in the number and proportions of residents with low skills. Even more encouragingly, there are signs that the improvements in skills across the sub region will continue. GCSE results have shown significant improvements and participation in post-compulsory education and training has also increased. There are now more people going into higher education in our boroughs (+43% since 1999), with higher numbers of highly skilled residents entering the local labour market. We must ensure this progress is maintained, and match the improvements in the skills of our residents with equal progress in generating new employment opportunities.

Emerging environmental technology industries: Artist’s impression of Thames Gateway Institute for Sustainability

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A chance for change: a new model Councillor Michael White, Vice Chair, TGLP Housing and Placemaking

“As politicians and as regeneration professionals our job is to ensure that what we build, design and develop contributes to the creation of areas where young people want to return to work after education.“ London Thames Gateway an international exemplar, responding to the downturn This economic downturn gives us an opportunity to change the way that we live, work and conduct business. There is a real chance to bring in a new model for delivering development and regeneration that is founded on a new set of values; moving away from a short term outlook that prioritises the gain of a few, towards delivering outcomes for the benefit of all our community. The London Thames Gateway region is a better place then any to re-invent and adapt to these challenges. Our special status as an Eco-region means that we should lead the way in innovative ideas for development and regeneration. We are home to a rich diversity of communities, cultures and neighbourhoods. Remnants of its heavy industrial past have left a hard legacy, reflected in the quality of much of the built and green environment and in the health and attainment levels of many local residents. This is why we need to make joined up, strategic decisions that will benefit the whole community.

Facing the challenge I know from my experience in Havering that much progress has already been made in London Thames Gateway, particularly in respect of town centre revitalisation, educational attainment, access to employment and improving connectivity. However, much remains to be done and the recent downturn must not spell the end of this momentum. The scale of change that is still required must be matched by commensurate investment. And crucially, it is about using this investment to target the right areas to create successful and sustainable areas to live. The delivery of housing is where we must put this approach into action. Thames Gateway London Partnership (TGLP) Housing and Placemaking agenda will provide the strategic direction for ensuring that this largest and most ambitious of regeneration projects will result in sustainable homes and neighbourhoods where people want to live and work. Where residents have a real sense of pride of place, there are confident cohesive communities, high quality design, a healthy social and cultural infrastructure, economic opportunities and good connectivity with its surroundings. Dalston Square, designed to include a library and public realm arts strategy

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Sustainable housing is at the core Even allowing for the recession, homes remain an urgent requirement and the London Thames Gateway continues to be the area of the capital with the greatest capacity and potential for growth. Approximately half of the sites and 70% of the land area with development opportunities in the London Thames Gateway is in public sector ownership However this capacity is a precious asset and it must not be squandered through premature development that does not deliver value for money for the taxpayer. Nor should we accept lower quality development at the expense of creating sustainable communities. We also need to work with the Housing and Communities Agency to understand why developers are not beginning work on sites that are already prepared for development. This needs to cover the circumstances of the site and the individual borough location and propose solutions to address the reasons preventing progress. The delivery of housing is not just about providing new homes. The region has a significant amount of existing housing stock (almost 775,000). Modernising these homes to a standard which exceeds Decent Homes standards must become a priority and we need to take a lead with new housing working towards meeting or exceeding the Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 in advance of the changes to building regulations.We need much more investment from the Government to make this a reality.

A timely and multifaceted approach As well as being built to strict environmental standards housing in the London Thames Gateway needs to be well designed and planned for the whole of the community. We have all seen the mistakes of the past when isolation of a community has resulted into an area needing extra public resources whether that be in policing, health or education. Housing alone, whatever the quality, does not deliver liveable places. There needs to be good transport links, social and cultural focus points and a strong service industry. To understand what the community means that we need to invest in lengthy and detailed consultation with residents to deliver these requirements. As part of Havering’s regeneration of its Harold Hill area we asked residents what they wanted before producing a set of proposals. This meant that we met their expectations and had an overwhelming positive response to the consultation. As politicians and as regeneration professionals our job is to ensure that what we build, design and develop contributes to the creation of areas where young people want to return to work after education. Throughout the Thames Gateway project we will be reviewing best practice to make sure our regeneration projects turn this into a reality.

Looking forward to a green economy London Thames Gateway remains a priority for Government investment. But we need to make sure that this investment focuses on ensuring that an area has the facilities it needs to develop as a sustainable community.We need to concentrate on areas that have social and cultural features that will draw and retain residents to the area. The TGLP partnership will lobby and advocate investing in these lasting areas to deliver places in Thames Gateway where our community wants to live.

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The Homes and Communities Agency challenges and opportunities The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) was launched last December – barely a hundred days ago. Bringing together English Partnerships, the Housing Corporation’s investment programme and CLG’s Thames Gateway team, David Lunts, the HCA’s London Regional Director , sets out some of the challenges and priorities facing the new organisation in the Thames Gateway. East London has nearly a half of London’s future housing capacity. It has some of the largest and most ambitious regeneration and infrastructure projects in the country, including Stratford City, Greenwich Peninsula and Barking Riverside. And, of course, it has the 2012 Olympics. Little surprise therefore, that for the new Homes and Communties Agency, what is sometimes called ‘the remaking of east London’, is perhaps our most important London challenge. The circumstances in which we have been launched inevitably add to the scale of that challenge. With the economy in recession, new housing starts falling at an alarming rate, and access to mortgage and development finance extremely tight, it is easy to be gloomy about prospects for the London Thames Gateway. But we see these challenges as real opportunities to keep moving projects forward and find new ways to help support the widely shared ambitions for regenerating East London.

Artist’s impression of Barking Riverside

Over the short term, HCA London has five key priorities. •

Our first priority is to remain tightly focussed on the delivery of our inherited programmes. Despite the current market difficulties, we are on track to use our investment through the affordable housing programme to help fund 11,000 new completions in London for the year that ends on 31st March, and an annual expenditure of just over a billion pounds. Of this total expenditure in London, approximately £124m will fund around 2,300 starts and 700 completions in the Thames Gateway area [1]. Next year is likely to be a bigger challenge, as the decline in new housing starts is severe. We are working hard to stimulate new activity by using our existing investment powers as flexibly as possible. We also fundamentally committed to achieving new development of the highest quality, and we won’t use the downturn to dumb down our standards. We are committed to building new affordable homes, but only where these are truly designed for the long term, and where they genuinely contribute to the health and sustainability of the areas where they are built. •

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Our second priority is to respond to the current economic difficulties by developing new ways to use our investment programmes. Measures underway include a new ‘portfolio’ approach for grant and investment bidding, where partners submit packages of sites instead of single projects. This can help build confidence over the longer term, and is building a programme for housing associations and developers through the coming year. We are also shifting low cost home ownership into intermediate rent products, usually with an option for occupiers to puchase when conditions improve. We are also working closely with local authorities to bring forward major estate renewal projects for funding, and smaller sites too, including new build council housing where a Borough is keen to do so. Traditional grant-based approaches will need to be extended too. With grant rates rising to take account of the loss of cross-subsidy to affordable housing from housing sales, we are developing equity-based investment, and infrastructure support, to help schemes through the recession.

David Lunts, London Regional Director, HCA •

Our third priority is to find ways to help those major regeneration projects that are struggling because of the market downturn. We are reviewing all strategic projects across the capital – many of which are in the London Thames Gateway – and systematically deciding whether, and how, we can assist in keeping activity moving. We are strongly supported in this by the London Board of the HCA, which is chaired by the Mayor, Boris Johnson, and which also brings together London Councils, the London Development Agency (LDA) and the Thames Gateway Development Corporation around the board table.

•

Our fourth priority is to reorganise and relocate HCA London. Our teams are currently operating separate inherited programmes, from separate locations in central London and Canary Wharf. Over the next few months we will be restructuring our teams into integrated operations, drawing together the inherited skills, programmes and approaches of the former Housing Corporation, English Partnerships and CLG, into area-focussed teams. We are also planning to relocate to Southwark in May alongside the LDA, which will help to establish a strong degree of collaboration between our regeneration activities.

•

Our last priority is the most important, especially over the longer term. This is to set in train the process which we call ‘the single conversation’, whereby we work very closely with Boroughs and their local partners to develop a fully coordinated investment plan for the short, medium and longer terms. In the London Thames Gateway this will be particularly important, given the scale of investment we are proposing to make in East London and because we already have deep and growing interests in key boroughs. This includes, for instance, the new Local Housing Company, the Barking Riverside and town centre initiatives in Barking and Dagenham, our commitments to Greewich at the Peninsula and Kidbrooke, and a huge programme of activity in and around all of the Olympic host boroughs. We shall be working closely with them in the planning of their five-borough Multi Area Agreement, due to be launched in the summer. Greenwich Millennium Village

HCA London is realistic but also ambitious; we are practical, but also innovative; and we are determined, despite the current challenges, to work with all our partners to drive forward the regeneration of East London. I congratulate the Thames Gateway London Partnership on their relaunch, and very much look forward to working with them as a key strategic partner for us in that shared mission.

[1] Data Note: Source HCA Investment Management System (IMS). The figures provided are estimates based on coding entered by Investment Partners onto IMS. Partners are asked to code all Thames Gateway allocations within the system however, there may be instances where Partners miscode or omit Thames Gateway coding. The above figures are taken as entered within IMS.

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Test your Knowledge of London Thames Gateway Anyone looking for a way of comparing a wealth of information on London Thames Gateway and local communities need look no further than the Thames Gateway Knowledge Platform. This is an invaluable online information service that allows partners in the Thames Gateway and outside to pool and share information and knowledge. This can be displayed in a number of ways: as maps, as various charts, or league tables of rankings, all enabling detailed comparison of social, environmental and economic trends.

(tonnes of CO2 per capita) emitted by the City of London?

Q9

Q2 What is the total Carbon Footprint

Answer: Redbridge. Almost 73% of students obtain 5+ GCSEs (A*-C) in Redbridge compared to 62% nationally.

What local authority recycles the highest proportion of household waste?

Q10 Answer: 64 of the 93 coffee bars (Starbucks, Café Nero, Costa Coffee, etc) are located in the City of London.

Q1

a) 10 tonnes b) 12 tonnes c) 15 tonnes

Q4

Answer: Barking & Dagenham. Since September 1999, average house prices in Barking & Dagenham have increased by 154%. Q8

What is the only local authority in London Thames Gateway which records higher than average levels of sunshine?

Answer: c) £660

Q3

Which local authority has the highest proportion of land classified as green space?

Q7 Answer: a) one-third

Q5

On a sporting theme, what local authority has the greatest number of:

c) Havering, 10 Q6 Answer: a) Waltham Forest, 3

b) Greenwich, 17

a) Athletic tracks b) Swimming pools

Answer: Lewisham. It is ranked 15th nationally in terms of sunshine duration.

a) one-third

Q4

What is the proportion of creative based industries located in Hackney?

Answer: Havering, 59% of which is classified as green space, compared to an average of 38% in London.

Q6

Q5

c) Golf courses

b) one-quarter

Q3

c) one-fifth

Answer: Bexley recycles 40% of its household waste.The national average is 31%. Q2

Which local authority over the last decade has recorded the highest increase in average house prices?

Answer: c) 15 tonnes

Q7 Q8

Q1

What is the average gross weekly earnings for residents of Tower Hamlets? a) £468 b) £539 c) £660

Q9

Which local authority has the highest proportion of students gaining 5+ GCSEs (A*C)?

Q10

And finally, in which area are twothirds of all coffee bars in London Thames Gateway located?

The data shown is taken from the Thames Gateway Knowledge Platform. For more information contact Gary Tindell on 020 7673 4578 or email [email protected] or Stephen Bromwich on 020 7673 4672 or email [email protected] http://tblp.localknowledge.co.uk

Renew is published by Thames Gateway London Partnership and is distributed free to regeneration agencies, private and public sector partners and community organisations within the Thames Gateway. Editorial contributions, subscription requests and any other queries can be sent to: [email protected] Thames Gateway London Partnership, Anchorage House, East India Dock, 2 Clove Crescent, London E14 2BE Telephone: 020 7673 4578. 16