Majority of respondents supportive of plans to extend the DLR
TfL has published the consultation report on plans for a cross-river extension of the DLR from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead, via Beckton Riverside. With the majority of respondents supportive of the proposals. 58 per cent of respondents said the extension would make their journeys quicker around their local area and 75 per cent said it would make journeys into wider east and southeast London easier.
The consultation, launched earlier this year, received 1,254 responses from members of the public and 29 from a range of stakeholders including pan-London transport user groups, local businesses, environmental groups, politicians and adjacent boroughs. In addition to the consultation, TfL ran sample polling in locations in Beckton, Gallions Reach, Thamesmead and Abbey Wood where 85 per cent supported or strongly supported the proposals.
The proposed DLR extension from Gallions Reach to Thamesmead via Beckton Riverside would connect two Opportunity Areas, key locations with potential for new homes, jobs and infrastructure, and four development sites. This is one of a number of exciting opportunities to unlock the economic growth and housing developments the new Government is prioritising.
A new DLR station would be built at Beckton Riverside, with a tunnel built under the River Thames linked to another new DLR station at Thamesmead. It would build on experience from 2009 when the DLR was extended to Woolwich Arsenal, tunnelling beneath the River Thames, with housing growth following in areas including Woolwich, Canning Town, and the Royal Docks.
London’s annual net contribution to the national economy is at a record £43.4bn. Investment in this scheme would support a UK-wide supply chain, supporting growth and job creation across the country. National Housing Federation analysis shows each new housing unit created at least one new job, so through this project we would create least as many jobs as housing units.
The DLR extension would also directly support the creation of up to 10,000 jobs, benefitting London and the national economy, and it would provide quicker journeys to other parts of east London like Stratford and the Isle of Dogs, with direct connections to central London via the Jubilee and Elizabeth lines, transforming housing, employment and leisure opportunities for the people who live in the area.
