London Gateway/Stanford le Hope

On the north banks of the Thames Estuary in Stanford-le-Hope, Essex, London Gateway is the U.K’s newest and most technologically advanced deep sea container port catering for global shipping. Once fully developed, London Gateway shall comprise six deep sea shipping berths alongside Europe’s largest logistics park comprising up to 830,000 square metres of ‘B’ class warehouse floorspace. In total DP World London Gateway is anticipated to generate approximately 12,000 direct jobs (on-site) with a further 24,000 indirect jobs created within supply chains (Source – London Gateway – November 2016). Currently, two port berths are operational with a third becoming operational early in 2017. The first two buildings of the DP World London Gateway Logistics Park (comprising approximately 49,000 square metres of floorspace) are completed, with a third building (to become UPS’s latest regional distribution hub) under construction with an anticipated opening date of Q4 2017. Currently approximately 600 people are employed within the operational development of DP World London Gateway (Source – DP World London Gateway – November 2016).

Transport Accessibility

DP World London Gateway is remote from the Thurrock Urban Area and accessibility will be an issue for prospective employees without access to a car. Ensuring a sufficient labour supply and good job/ skills matching will be critical for not only realising the growth but sustaining the jobs in the long term by maximising productivity. It is therefore necessary to ensure that high quality accessibility is provided by non-car means through better bus facilities in Stanford-le-Hope (SLH) and high quality rail/bus integration to attract employees. In addition, good quality passenger transport facilities and bus/rail integration will be necessary to achieve the modal split targets for the development.

Project

The project scope will consist of a new multi-modal interchange and station buildings. New Multi-modal Interchange:

• 2 car passenger drop-off positions with landing island
• 2 taxi rank positions with landing island and shelter
• Protected pedestrian walking routes and desire lines
• 2 drop off and 1 pick-up position for a 12m rigid bus (allowing for double-decker) with waiting facilities
• 84 new secure cycle parking spaces

New Station Buildings:

• Target a BREEAM Excellent rating
• Adopt best practice station design to develop a carbon neutral station. Station design should include LED lighting, heat pump, heat recovery, PV, rain water harvesting and be thermally efficient
• Increased and integrated waiting facilities with Customer Information Systems
• Passenger toilets
• Commercial retail facility
• Widened Platform 1 with covered waiting areas
• Integrated passenger footbridge with lifts
• Level access from London Road to both station buildings and to the platforms
• Provision for electric pedal bike hire scheme and charging points
• Real-time Customer Information System for shuttle bus services to external waiting shelter and internal railway station waiting area

These projects provide further confidence to the local economy and investors whilst also providing new jobs and a wider range of skills to local people.

The project has been impacted by increasing costs and concerns around the eventual benefits realised. As such the Accountability Board in November 2021 agreed that an updated Business Case is submitted to the SELEP Secretariat which will be assessed by the Independent Technical Evaluator and the outcome will be reported to the Accountability Board in April. 

The April 2022 Board meeting was postponed until 27 May 2022 Accountability Board meeting, where an updated Business Case was not ready for review, but agreed to move to the 15 July 2022 Accountability Board meeting. At the 23 September 2022 Accountability Board meeting a further extension was agreed to the submission of an updated Business Case.

At the 25 November 2022 Accountability Board meeting an update on project delivery was presented by Thurrock Council.

£579m of investment to East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock

In total the SELEP Growth Deal with Government has brought £579m of investment to East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock. Over the lifetime of the Growth Deal (2015-2021) we aim to deliver 78,000 jobs and 29,000 homes across the SELEP area, with the Deal set to attract a further £960m of investment into the South East over the six year period.

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