HC Deb 22 January 1973 vol 849 cc41-3W
Mr. Mellish

asked the Secretary of State for the Environment when he intends to publish the report of the London Dockland Study Group.

Mr. Rippon

The consultants appointed to carry out this study (Messrs. R. Travers Morgan and Partners, assisted by Messrs. Robert Matthew Johnson-Marshall & Partners) submitted their report today.

The London Docklands Study was commissioned by my predecessor and the Greater London Council in April 1971 to carry out an urgent and comprehensive study of the potentialities for redevelopment of some 8½ square miles of land along both sides of the River Thames from London and Surrey Docks in the west, to Beckton in the east. A unique opportunity has occurred for the redevelopment of this huge area, mainly as a result of changes in London port activities. The area generally suffers from a poor environment and has acute housing problems as well as inadequate communications.

The study team's report contains five separate options for redeveloping the area, each of which has been evaluated and costed by the consultants. The various options provide for a 1991 population of between 80,000 and 150,000 people. New housing and employment is proposed, as well as local shopping centres, schools, playing fields and parks.

The housing options provide for a mixture of low-rise and medium-rise housing, properly landscaped. They include a variety of mixes of public and private housing. Housing densities are generally not more than 100 persons per acre.

Public transport services and roads have been matched by the consultants to each particular development option and the feasibility of a rapid transit route or routes is examined. There are suggestions for new river crossings.

The study team considers that the costs of the development options will vary between about £450 million and £800 million exclusive of the costs of land acquisition and resale and assume that the redevelopment will be carried out within a period of 14 years from 1978 to 1991. It is expected that some land will be released for interim development before 1978.

The area covered by the report includes all the upstream docks and the five options for the future development of the area will cover the contingency of closing any of these. Decisions about any dock closure are dependent on the operational planning of the Port of London Authority. The development possibilities for the purposes of the study are based on the consultants assumptions, which do not commit any of the parties concerned.

The study team's report is now being printed and will be made available to the public in its entirety early in March. A short booklet which is also being prepared will briefly describe and illustrate the alternative forms of development proposed. This should be ready by the end of March.

The next step after that will be to canvass public opinion on the proposals contained in the report. For this purpose, a major public participation exercise will be launched shortly after the report has been made available to the public in March. A programme for this will be announced later.

Decisions will also need to be taken in consultation with the GLC and other local authorities concerned on the machinery necessary to carry out the redevelopment of the area.

The opportunity to re-create this historic part of London must not be lost. I am confident that in collaboration with the local authorities concerned we shall, as a result of this study, be able to agree on a plan to provide a transformed environment for those who live and work in what have hitherto been known as the docklands.