The Thames Gateway : laying the foundations, sixty-second report of session 2006-07, report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence

The Thames Gateway regeneration programme covers the area between Canary Wharf in London and the mouth of the River Thames, one of the most deprived areas in the Greater South East.

It aims to create 160,000 new homes and 180,000 new jobs in the area by 2016 and with further development beyond that date.The project is one of 15 mission critical programmes prioritised by the Government and requires broad cross-government working so that new homes are supported by adequate transport, education, health, community, leisure, green space, and environmental infrastructure.

It is the only large-scale regeneration programme managed directly by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).Following on from a May 2007 National Audit Office report ("The Thames Gateway: Laying the Foundations - (HC 526)" - ISBN 0102945268, available below), the Committee's report examines the DCLG's overall management of the programme on four main issues: turning aspirations into plans that are delivered; more integrated and better coordinated expenditure; progress on delivering homes and employment opportunities; and achieving high quality and environmentally sustainable development.The conclusions drawn include that the Department's management has been weak and its programme management systems are not commensurate with the programme's size and scale of ambition. Measurable objectives and robust systems to measure progress are lacking, there are concerns over costing and delivery chain issues, and there is a risk that the economic benefits of regeneration will not reach existing residents.