The Thames Freeport Impact Report brings together the progress made so far and shows how investment, partnership and innovation are creating practical benefits across Thurrock, Barking and Dagenham and Havering.
In September, we launched its Impact Report, bringing together the story of what has been achieved since the Freeport was established to today, and what that progress means for local people, businesses and communities. The Impact shows both a record of delivery and offers an invitation to look more closely at the partnerships behind it: the strongest results have come from organisations working together around a shared belief that economic growth should create opportunity, improve places and make a positive difference to everyday life.
From ambition to delivery
Thames Freeport stretches for 38 kilometres along the River Thames and is anchored by Ford Dagenham, the Port of Tilbury and DP World London Gateway. Across this connected area, the Freeport has helped secure more than £2 billion in private investment, while around 1,300 additional people are now employed on the tax sites and a further 2,500 jobs are in the pipeline. These figures are important, but their real value lies in the confidence they show in the region and the opportunities they can create for a population of almost 700,000 people.
Investment is also being connected directly to local skills and future careers. More than £3 million has been invested in skills activity, reaching over 4,500 pupils and supporting 609 apprentices who are currently in training. In Barking and Dagenham, a hospitality programme set out to engage 400 young people and reached 800, while at Gateway Academy in Tilbury all 26 scholars in the 2024 to 2025 cohort completed their GCSEs, achieved attendance above 96 per cent and progressed into post 16 education. Through the Young Enterprise partnership, 700 young people under the age of 16 have also developed practical skills in communication, teamwork and resilience, giving them greater confidence as they begin to think about employment and further study.
Impact people can see and feel
The report highlights how this approach is supporting healthier and more connected communities as well as economic growth. During an eight-week pilot, the Health Bus delivered 687 free health checks at 28 community locations, making support easier to access for residents, many of whom had not received an NHS health check for five years. The service received a 98 per cent recommendation rate and generated a return of £1.83 for every pound invested. CarePort achieved a 25 per cent reduction in accident and emergency attendances, while artificial intelligence tools have been piloted across 18 GP practices and are now moving towards longer term, everyday use.
There are equally encouraging examples of progress in employment, volunteering and community spaces. In Havering, 100 structured volunteering placements have been created, with 70 participants already moving into employment, training or further skills development. In Thurrock, support has helped 30 people facing significant barriers to work gain jobs and qualifications, while the Candidat.ai pilot helped 90 local jobseekers explore new opportunities. Tilbury Library recorded 42,000 visits during 2025 to 2026, compared with 23,000 in the previous year, following support for longer staffed opening hours, and the £349,000 Community Skills Fund is helping six community projects widen access to training and employment.
Building the foundations for future growth
Thames Freeport is also investing in the infrastructure and innovation that will support future prosperity. Europe’s largest private 5G network is now live across all three tax sites, creating new possibilities for connected operations, research and business growth. Electric vehicle charging at the Port of Tilbury is expected to save almost 5,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, while the Connectivity Lab has scouted more than 800 start ups and run eight live trials, helping promising ideas move towards practical use. This work reflects a focus on testing solutions in real settings and learning what can be scaled across the wider region.
That practical approach can also be seen in the retrofit programme, where 50 pilot homes have been completed and more than 5,000 homes are in the delivery pipeline. By testing new technology, the programme is building a model that can support warmer homes and lower household bills, with the potential to be repeated across the boroughs. The Unloc Spark Tank programme also introduced 300 young people in Thurrock to entrepreneurship, supported 90 through bootcamps on business planning and pitching, and awarded micro grants to eight participants so they could begin turning their ideas into ventures.
Delivering today, building for tomorrow
The Growth Plan provides the wider, long-term context for this work by setting out how Thames Freeport and its partners intend to build on progress through to 2045. It describes the route towards greater investment, more jobs, stronger skills, improved infrastructure and wider community benefit, but the Impact Report has a different and equally important role because it focuses on what has already happened and on the people and places experiencing that change. Together, the two documents show a clear connection between today’s delivery and tomorrow’s ambition.
There is still much more to do, and the report is open about the work that lies ahead, yet its message is positive and grounded in evidence. Coordinated action is already helping young people build skills and confidence, supporting residents into work and training, bringing health services closer to communities, strengthening valued local institutions and creating the infrastructure needed for future investment. Each programme has its own purpose, but together they show how the benefits of growth can reach further when public, private and community partners listen, learn and deliver alongside one another.
We welcome everyone who is interested in the progress of Thames Freeport to explore the stories, results and next steps in the Thames Freeport Impact Report, where you can learn more about what has been delivered and how this work will continue to develop
