Business

Economic Strategy

Thames Gateway South Essex sub-region is formed by the local authorities of Basildon, Castle point, Rochford, Southend and Thurrock. The area is already home to 635,000 residents, with over 23,000 businesses employing 230,000 people. By 2021 the area is set to achieve growth of 55,000 jobs and 44,000 homes. To achieve sustainable growth and regeneration a collaborative approach from both public and private sector will be required.

At present, the sub-region has elements of a successful economy with both prosperous multinationals and growing innovative small businesses. However, as with every part of the Thames Gateway, the economy does have market failures that need to be addressed to ensure that the economy can be developed to create greater value and better opportunities for its people and businesses. Key issues across the sub-region include out-commuting, transport infrastructure, productivity and skills levels.
In order to address these issues, Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership has produced an Economic Strategy, which identifies how the Partnership will collectively take forward interventions that will support businesses and communities to realise the opportunities that the Thames Gateway Offers.
The Partnership, with EEDA, will publish and invest plan that will deliver the Economic Strategy.

Download the Economic Strategy Summary leaflet here

Olympics

The Olympic and Paralympic Games will be coming to London in 2012 giving Thames Gateway South Essex a unique opportunity to create a lasting legacy for sport and young people. A Thames Gateway Olympic Legacy action plan is therefore being produced and planning and development has already begun for several of these regeneration projects across South Essex.

The sports related projects have already shown their potential by being included in the London 2012 Pre-Games Training Camp Guide. They include the Basildon Sporting Village, a landmark development that will play a significant and exciting role in the regeneration of Basildon town centre. The Sporting Village, which is set to include facilities such as an Olympic sized swimming pool and athletics track and grandstand, will be a community hub offering a wealth of activities and services for local people that are affordable and accessible to all. The South Essex Gymnastics Centre which will be a part of the Sporting Village has also been included in the guide.

In Southend, close to the Garons Park leisure and tennis centre, plans have been developed for a new swimming pool and world class diving facilities. The project will position the Borough’s sporting facilities as part of a wider leisure offer to enable the benefits of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games to be maximised and to support the development of the town as a destination of choice. But it’s not just sports facilities that are being developed. At the Port of Tilbury, as one of the International Ports of Entry, Transports and Logistics in the Thames Gateway, planned improvements will help to maximise business opportunities and tourism links. According to the draft action plan, the port has ‘a potentially huge role as a centre for the Olympics both as a container port and construction logistics centre, but also in terms of its developing cruise terminal’.

The Thames Gateway South Essex Partnership are coordinating the planning for this legacy, and promoting the area’s offer. Looking forward, there are exciting times ahead with opportunities to enhance the area’s image as it offers new prospects for business and employment in 2012, the world’s media spotlight will be thrown on the Gateway. With so much true Essex talent and spirit, and many projects already under way, South Essex could be the place where the Olympics come alive.

To find out more, visit http://www.London2012.com