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
• 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.