Regeneration alliance the Thames Gateway London Partnership is to carry out an environmental masterplan this autumn in an attempt to counter the threat of flooding.

A strategic flood risk assessment will be used to plan the location and design of buildings and green spaces. It will also ensure that the 91,000 homes planned for the Thames Gateway use modern flood management techniques.

The review is expected to recommend that parks, wetlands and riverside paths, which provide natural flooding defences, are interspersed between developments.

This method of flood control has been used at the landscaped square in front of the Tate Modern on London's South Bank and at Sutcliffe Park in Greenwich, south-east London.

The initiative was supported by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the London Development Agency and the Environment Agency. Graham Wilson, the Environment Agency’s Thames Estuary executive, said that the Thames Gateway faced a particular risk of flooding over the next century.

He said: “Sea levels will continue to rise over the next century and beyond, putting London and the estuary at greater risk from flooding.

“However, the impact on people and property can be minimised by prudent planning in the development of the growth areas.”

  • The LDA has signed a £6m contract with EDF Energy to build an electricity network in the Royal Docks area of London Docklands. This marks a step forward for developments in the area, which include plans to provide 10,000 homes. The network will provide power to meet the energy needs of the Royal Docks for the next 12 years, giving developers greater certainty over investing in the area.