Prescott unveils communities plan

Deputy prime minister John Prescott has today (Wednesday) unveiled his multi-billion plan to roll out sustainable communities across the Thames Gateway and create 120,000 extra houses by 2016.

As part of the government's £22bn Sustainable Communities Plan, announced in February, over £1bn is being invested into the Thames Gateway scheme.

The government expects the rest of the £22bn to come from private investment.

Public sector investment includes £600m in transport schemes form the Department for Transport, while the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) will provide around £446m for 100 strategic projects across the Gateway areas of East London; Greenwich; Woolwich; Barking Reach; Thurrock; and North Kent-Thameside which will aim to help build communities.

Additional funds of around £164m will be awarded to growth areas in Milton Kenyes / South Midlands, Ashford, London, Stanstead and Cambridge over the next three years.

ODPM has also set out new arrangements for the disposal of surplus public land to ensure that other public sector bodies have the first option to buy.

A joint English Partnerships/Housing Corporation competition to develop 56 sites in former new towns across the Gateway's brownfield sites - estimated at 3,000ha -  has been set up to create 1,300 homes by 2005.

The Gateway package includes:

• £130m for projects at the London end of the Gateway, including Stratford, the Royal Docks, Greenwich, Woolwich and Barking Reach.
• £100m for North Kent .
• £91m for South Essex.
• More than £100m to be allocated shortly for projects awaiting approval.
• The creation of Urban Development Corporations in Thurrock and East London.

Transport schemes included in the initiative are:

• The upgrading of the West Coast Main Line.
• New rolling stock for the Midland Mainline.
• Early interchange with the Channel Tunnel Rail Link at St Pancras and King's Cross.
• Additional investment in the M1 and M11.

"Today marks the start of a real and long-term commitment, coupled with long-term delivery," said Prescott. "The money I am allocating will help to kick-start the process of turning Europe's largest collection of brownfield sites into living, breathing communities where people are proud to belong."