Thames Vision Goals & Priority Actions
Six goals are at the heart of the Thames Vision. Each one has priority actions to turn the Vision into reality. The Goals and actions are:
Port of London: more trade, more jobs
The busiest ever Port of London, handling 60 – 80 million tonnes of cargo each year, on the doorstep of Europe’s biggest metropolitan consumer market.
- Sustain private sector investment
- Improve navigational access to the port
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Improve rail and road access to port operations/terminals, including:
- Lower Thames Crossing downstream of Tilbury, by 2025
- At least three further Thames crossings to the east of Tower Bridge, that allow continuation of river trade; the first by 2022
- Widening of the A13, by the end of 2018
- Closure of level crossings affecting operational terminals, by 2020
- Deliver efficient, effective and sustainable PLA harbour and pilotage services to support growth
Inland Freight: more goods off roads onto the river
More goods and materials routinely moved between wharves on the river – every year over four million tonnes carried by water – taking over 400,000 lorry trips off the region’s roads.
- Double underlying intra-port freight to over 4 million tonnes
- Champion the Thames as a default choice for moving spoil and materials from infrastructure projects close to the river
- Maintain or reactivate viable cargo handling facilities, with at least five additional facilities brought into operation by 2025
- Extend the River Concordat to promote freight movements by water
- Develop the Thames Skills Academy to provide the skills needed on the Thames
Passenger Transport: more journeys
Double the number of people travelling by river – reaching 20 million commuter and tourist trips every year.
- Make more efficient use of piers and river space, including new timetabling to manage peaks in traffic
- Innovate to achieve more passenger journeys at current low peak times
- Develop and implement a long-term pier strategy
- Convene a consultative forum to address issues of wash from growth in passenger transport
- Secure the infrastructure required for growth in the transport of passengers and goods on the Thames
Sport and Recreation: more participants
Greater participation in sport and recreation on and alongside the water.
- Ascertain current levels of sport participation and work towards increasing participation on and alongside the Thames
- Extend sport opportunity zones on the Thames
- Realise new visitor moorings and publicise the availability of all visitor moorings effectively
- Join up the Thames Path from source to sea
Environment and Heritage: improved tidal Thames environment
The river the cleanest since the Industrial Revolution, with improved habitats and awareness of heritage.
- Build and bring into operation the Thames Tideway Tunnel by 2021
- Improve water quality by a range of measures including reduced litter in the river
- Improve biodiversity of sites recognised for their wildlife interest, and the connections between them
- Identify and improve access to, and appreciation of, the historic environment along the Thames
- Encourage uptake of new and green technologies to reduce the port’s environmental impact
Community and Culture: more people enjoying the Thames and its banks
A riverside which is a magnet for ramblers, historians, artists and others, whether living nearby, on the river or travelling from further afield.
- Enhance access to information about the Thames
- Educate local school children about the Thames
- Create new appropriate residential moorings accommodating suitable vessels
- Explore development of a Thames brand for culture, heritage and quality of life
Achieving the goals will only be possible if a wide range of partners pull together. You can read the full Vision document here.