With the right planning and investment, the Thames Gateway area of East London could accommodate at least 91,000 new homes, says a framework report.

The report argues that whilst the Government’s target to deliver 60,000 new homes in the London Thames Gateway is appropriate in the medium-term, careful long-term planning and investment decisions could ultimately help the area to deliver far more towards meeting London’s housing demands and would also result in a higher quality and wider range of services for residents.

The London Thames Gateway Development & Investment Framework (LTGDIF) was developed by a partnership between the Mayor of London; the London Development Agency; the Thames Gateway London Partnership which is an alliance of East London boroughs and organisations; Transport for London; the Housing Corporation; English Partnerships and the NHS in London.

The report outlines which areas will be the key locations for new housing and identifies the numbers of the new schools, hospitals and other essential infrastructure that will be needed to support existing and future communities in the area.

Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, said: “The Thames Gateway is London’s key priority for regeneration.”

“Nowhere else in the city offers a comparable opportunity to deliver new homes at the same time as delivering major improvements for existing residents.”

“Transport projects will be key to the success of our plans, linking the East of London with the centre, and just as importantly, linking the communities of the area with each other.”

Honor Chapman, Chair of the London Development Agency, said: “This framework is the first practical proposal for developing sustainable communities in the London Thames Gateway area.”

“By increasing the density of development, we can ensure these areas are much more sustainable.”

The LTGDIF estimates the new infrastructure needed to support 90,000 new homes in the area will include:

The report also sets out development priorities and an outline of how development will be phased.