A survey has found that most people in London have never heard of the Thames Gateway initiative, under which thousands of houses will be built in the South-east.

The survey, carried out for management consultant Hornagold & Hills, found that 37% of Londoners had never heard of the initiative. Even those who knew of it struggled to describe it.

However, people in the south of England were better informed than those in the capital: 59% of them had heard of the project.

The survey also revealed that 78% of Londoners felt that the city did not have enough housing and other facilities such as schools and hospitals for its growing population.

Stan Hornagold, the firm’s senior partner, said that the results of the survey showed that more work was required to raise awareness of the Thames Gateway project.

He said: “What is clear is that the decisions we take now will help shape the future of this city and arguably influence the UK economy for good or ill right through to the second half of the 21st century.”