Growth and Regeneration in the Gateway - london.gov.uk - Greater ...

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1. The Context
1.1 The Thames Gateway extends along both sides of the River from
the London Docklands to Southend and Sheerness. It forms a
diverse sub-region running through residential and industrial
areas of London and through two corridors of settlements of
varied size and character in South Essex and North Kent. In
2001, the Gateway contained a population of 1,500,000 and
500,000 jobs3 . Map 1 shows the Gateway, together with the
key zones of change which contain the major areas of
brownfield land and development potential.
1.2 The unrivalled development potential of the Gateway lies in two
related opportunities. First, it contains 3,000 hectares of
brownfield land, much of it former dock, warehousing, industrial
and quarrying uses. Second, it is located next to the economic
heart of London and on the route to the increasingly accessible
markets of North West Europe. The Vision statement for North
West Europe4 identifies the UK-continent link, in which the
Gateway sits, as one of first importance for development of the
most dynamic transnational region in Europe.
1.3 Its sheer scale and its locational advantages mean that the
Thames Gateway will offer a unique opportunity to achieve
sustainable community development. It can accommodate major
3 Source: Thames Gateway Strategic Executive.
4 A Spatial Vision for North West Europe European Commission 2000.