The Thames Gateway: where next? Smith Institute Monograph
The Thames Gateway Forum also saw the launch of the Smith
develop a better and clearer vision for the Gateway. Its depth
Institute Monograph, hosted by Sir Terry Farrell and Shahid
means, though, that visions alone are not enough.”
Malik, Minister for the Thames Gateway in the Department for
Richard Simmons, Chief Executive of the Commission for
Communities and Local Government. The collection of essays
Architecture & the Built Environment
includes a contribution from our own Chief Executive, Ros Dunn.
Over 50 delegates attended the breakfast briefing launch.
The Thames Gateway remains the largest and most significant
growth and regeneration site in the UK. Although the pace
of development has slowed since the credit crunch and the
economic downturn hit, the Gateway remains a significant
driver for sustainable growth and innovation in London and
the Greater South East. Making the most of the Gateway
will, moreover, continue to be a feature in the planning of the
region for many years to come. The aim of the Smith Institute
monograph is not to give a justification for the Gateway or to
detail every project. Its purpose is to provide an overview and
agenda for renewed interest in the initiative, through a collection
of high-level perspectives on what the Gateway has to offer.
“We will maintain the momentum to drive
The Smith Institute brought together some of the country’s
forward delivery of the vision over the next
leading practitioners and thinkers in the fields of place making,
regeneration and housing. These essays provide a valuable
40 years.” Sir Bob Kerslake
critique and insight into the future of the Gateway.
The view from North Kent
“…the view from North Kent is a positive one. The coming
together of a number of factors – the new high-speed rail
services, the availability of brownfield sites, investment in new
infrastructure – has given us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to
transform the economy of North Kent. The present economic
climate and tough outlook on public expenditure do not
“As Sir Bob Kerslake tells us, the Thames Gateway is of unique
invalidate our objectives. But they do mean that we must find
scale, aspiration and importance to the UK economy. He sums
new and innovative ways to tackle some of the challenges we
up the message of all those who have contributed to this
face. We need to work together and work smarter.”
monograph: all of us with a stake in the Thames Gateway have a
David Liston-Jones, Chief Executive of the Thames Gateway
role to play in maintaining delivery, making the case for further
Kent Partnership
investment, and sharing the vision.”
Shahid Malik, Minister for the Thames Gateway
The view from London
“The core vision is a “master narrative” for the Thames Gateway.
It is intended to inform the growth and regeneration strategy
“…the physical regeneration of the London Thames Gateway
for the whole area, shape the funding and delivery strategy, and
has to happen. It is essential to the future growth of London
form the basis for future policy at subregional and local level. It is
– both policy makers and developers know this – and this
intended to help communicate the initiative to a wide audience,
means that, over time, values will return and projects which
including inward investors and local people. In other words, it is
have stalled will be restarted. If we are lucky, developers may
a sequence of key themes that encapsulate the Gateway’s future
have taken the opportunity to rethink and improve the quality
success.”
of some schemes, helped by pressure to do so by policy
Sir Terry Farrell
makers. And if the concept of parklands as a unifying theme
that recognises the natural landscape of the Gateway and seeks
to raise environmental standards takes hold, as it should, we
The view from Essex
can expect to see “sympathetic regeneration” that respects the
very different places in the Gateway – urban, suburban, estuary
“The challenge is therefore to ensure that the case for the Thames
towns and wild spaces – and delivers exemplary environmental
Gateway is made clearly, cogently and loudly. In this context, the
standards.
message needs to be as much about demonstrating why the
Ros Dunn, Chief Executive of the Thames Gateway London
regeneration of the Gateway is essential to UK plc as it is about
Partnership
its value to the local population and London or its benefits in
tackling deprivation and other social or environmental issues
“…Roll forward 10 or 20 years. Will we be making steady progress
in the region. We must avoid wish-lists of calls on government
towards our visions for the constellation of communities in the
spending, and instead demonstrate the excellent return on
Gateway? Will only those households that can afford to do so
investment that can be achieved by both government and the
move from London to Essex and Kent?”
private sector in the Thames Gateway, while benefiting the local
Lee Shostak, Chair of the Town & Country Planning
population.”
Association
Mark Pragnell, Executive Director of the Thames Gateway
South Essex Partners
“The recession may have bought us a short respite in which to
The full collection of essays is available from
www.smith-institute.org.uk
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