Thames Gateway is best investment opportunity in Europe, says report

The London Thames Gateway has been named one of Europe’s most exciting investment opportunity areas by a Jones Lang LaSalle published report.

The report, commissioned by the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC), claims the close proximity to economic hub Canary Warf, good transport connections and huge public sector investment leading to the 2012 Olympics means investment potential in the area is unrivalled by any other location in Europe.

The report also suggests with growing pressure to protect greenbelts, the area presents an attractive alternative with land such as London Riverside - at 445 acres the capital’s largest brownfield site stretching across the London Boroughs of Barking and Dagenham and Havering, and Thurrock.

Andrew Gould, head of the East London business team at Jones Lang LaSalle, said: “The opportunities for occupiers and investors are now very real and we would not have concluded that even two or three years ago.”

The report estimates that by 2016, commercial property development in London Thames Gateway could reach a staggering 5.4m ft² of office space, 4.3m ft2 of industrial space and 2.15m ft² of retail space. Plus, with the addition of 30,000 homes, such regeneration offers a wealth of opportunity for private investors and developers with investment returns outperforming more mature markets.

The report entitled London Thames Gateway: Revealing the Investment Potential advises prospective private investors on how to exploit the significant investment opportunities in the area.

Peter Andrews, chief Executive of LTGDC, said: “The Olympic Park, home to the 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games is well underway, the Channel Tunnel Rail Link is now open and Crossrail is now confirmed for 2017, collectively making the Thames Gateway one of the most attractive investment locations in the world today.”