London Thames Gateway Past, Present & Future

Five years ago, I think it is true to say that the London Thames Gateway was a very different place. The Government was a year away from launching its Sustainable Communities Plan and although we could see the potential, investors needed more certainty and to see development on the ground. Working with businesses, decision makers and other key stakeholders, Gateway to London has seen at first hand the improvements and growth that has occurred since 2002. The region is truly transforming and I would like to share a few of my highlights with you.

By 2002, opportunities for the area's economy were already being realised with the growth of creative and technology companies. The focus on the region really began in early 2003, just five months after Gateway to London was established, when the Government launched the Sustainable Communities Plan. This highlighted the Thames Gateway as a growth area for 120,000 new homes and the creation of around 180,000 new jobs, and pledged funding to help improve transport, the natural environment and health services across the region.

Alongside other more localised initiatives, this commitment has been a key factor in the development and growth of the region's business locations, many of which have literally risen from the ground in the past five years.

Dagenham Dock is a real success story, a location which had suffered in the 1980s and 1990s from poor infrastructure and a declining local road network prone to frequent flooding. Advanced works for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link, now called High Speed 1, marked the beginning of a new era for the dock, when the level crossing was finally closed and a new road bridge was opened in July 2002. The level crossing had been a barrier to investment and the certainty of vastly improved access presented a major opportunity to increase interest in development. In 2001 Barking & Dagenham Council, together with the London Development Agency (LDA) began work on the regeneration of the Dock. The project also secured a £5 million grant from the Department for Communities and Local Government's Sustainable Communities Fund and a further £2.5 million from the European Union's European Regional Development Fund to implement the first phase of infrastructure works. Work got underway on the £10 million project in April 2005 and was completed in late 2006.

Gateway to London has worked with many of the developers breathing new life in to the dock, notably last year with the opening of Voltaic, an award winning new distribution/warehouse building developed by Gazeley that boasts a suite of twelve of the latest eco-initiatives, including solar photovoltaics and a ground source heat pump. Earlier this year, we also jointly launched the ‘Own Your Own' scheme, developed by PRUPIM and Ravenbourne, which offers high quality units specifically for owner occupiers and small businesses. The 19 new units have now been completed and sold, demonstrating just how popular the location has become in such a short period. There are a number of new developments thriving in the dock now, offering new and exciting options for occupiers.

Since 2002, Dagenham Dock has seen the creation of nearly 1,400 new jobs and 70,000m² of employment space. Its future is bright, with many other firms in the process of moving to the LDA and London Thames Gateway Development Corporation owned Sustainable Industrial Park. One notable new business planting roots in the dock is Closed Loop London, an internationally renowned environmental and recycling company. The company are currently building a plastics recycling plant which is the first of its type in the UK capable of recycling thousands of tonnes of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), and HDPE (high density polyethylene) plastic, currently destined for landfill, into the highest grade food packaging, using licensed, state of the art technology.

The story doesn't end there; Dagenham Dock is set to reap the benefits of further improvements to the local transport infrastructure. The East London Transit will arrive in autumn 2009, and a Docklands Light Railway extension will, we hope, be confirmed and operational by 2016, improving access for many more new workers.

The development of London Thames Gateway involves a wide range of organisations, with Government departments, property developers and economic development agencies all contributing to the region's growth. However, at its roots, the region's development and regeneration over the past five years can be more closely attributed to the local authorities and companies who have been determined to deliver improvements.

In Redbridge, this commitment has been particularly visible with the formation of a Business Improvement District (BID) established at the Hainault Business Park in 2006, the first industrial BiD in the south of England. BIDs are an increasingly popular method for companies to get together to improve their local environment, and the Hainault BID funds improvements via an extra 1% of the rateable value per year on each of the businesses properties. Strongly backed by 85% of businesses from the outset, it was formed to drive forward vital improvements to the Hainault Business Park and has already delivered more CCTV coverage, the erection of much-needed gating and fencing, road safety improvements and landscaping. Earlier this year it announced new plans to raise £1million over the next five years to make even more improvements to the fifty-year-old park and we wish them well for the future.

Our region has always been fortunate to have a strong backbone of companies that have been based in the region for generations. One such established firm is Stoneham plc.

Founded in 1864 in Deptford, Stoneham plc http://www.stoneham-kitchens.co.uk/ is one of the region's leading manufacturing firms and moved to its current site in Footscray, Bexley, in 1959. The company hand-makes top of the range bespoke kitchens and uses technology only to fine-tune, when beneficial to the end product. Stoneham remains a family owned and run company, one of the longest surviving in London, and was awarded a Royal Warrant over 10 years ago. The company has grown significantly since then, with turnover expected to increase by £4 million to around £6 million in 2007, and employee numbers rising from 35 to 75. A truly local firm, the majority of staff live within a 10 mile radius, with many being residents of Bexley.

In October this year, the company unveiled a new 20,000 sq ft finishing plant as part of the expansion of their Bexley based production site and workforce. The state of the art plant is equipped with the latest in spray and finishing technology and environmental filter and control systems, reflecting the company's position as one of the UK's best quality kitchen designers and manufacturers.

Stoneham is a great example of what is best about the past, present and future in London Thames Gateway. The company has built on its strong roots and flourished, particularly over the last five years, delivering a high-quality product that is revered in its industry. With plans to keep expanding its London Thames Gateway base, Stoneham is well set for the years ahead.

Aman Dalvi
Chief Executive