Thames Freeport Growth Plan: Unlocking Industrial Potential

Thames Freeport represents one of the UK’s most significant opportunities for industrial growth, trade, innovation and regeneration, connecting local communities with global opportunities.

Spanning Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Thurrock, and centred around three Tax Sites at Ford Dagenham, Port of Tilbury and DP World London Gateway, the Freeport brings together a portfolio of transformative opportunities across real estate, energy, infrastructure and digital innovation.

The Thames Freeport Growth Plan sets out the practical roadmap for turning that opportunity into long-term, inclusive growth, creating the conditions for businesses, communities and investors to prosper together.

Read the Growth Plan

A practical roadmap
for growth

The Thames Freeport Growth Plan is an evidence-based roadmap for inclusive growth not simply a vision document. It identifies the places, infrastructure, investment and interventions needed to unlock the Freeport’s potential and build a thriving East London and South Essex for today and generations to come and brings together:

Opportunity sites

Spatial area opportunities

Strategic interventions

Major Tax Sites

Thames Freeport
Growth Plan

The complete roadmap for inclusive growth, setting out the opportunity sites, spatial priorities and strategic interventions that will shape the future of Thames Freeport.

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Impact
Report

Explore the impact that the Thames Freeport has had to date

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Thames Freeport
Prospectus

Discover the opportunities available across Thames Freeport and why the area presents a compelling proposition for UK and international investment.

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Three objectives.
One connected plan.

The Growth Plan provides a framework for coordinating development, investment and delivery across the Freeport.

Plan development
across the Freeport

Shape the
Freeport’s priorities

Secure private
& public investment

5 enabling assets for growth

01 — Industry, development & innovation

Supporting four priority sectors, advanced manufacturing and technology, advanced logistics, applied AI and sustainable construction, alongside an SME growth initiative, AI Institute and AI healthtech cluster.

02 — Energy & smart infrastructure

Developing renewables, energy storage, grid reinforcement, hydrogen, EV infrastructure and shore power to provide industry with reliable, competitive and increasingly low-carbon energy.

03 — Skills, education & employment

Connecting local people with opportunity through employer-led training, apprenticeships, skills development and job brokerage aligned with future industry demand.

04 — Housing, place & community

Ensuring industrial growth happens alongside investment in homes, health, community infrastructure, placemaking and biodiversity.

05 — Transport, access & trade flow

Improving road, rail, public transport, active travel and river connections to move people and freight efficiently across the Freeport and beyond.

The scale of the opportunity

The Growth Plan establishes the potential for transformational economic and social impact across East London and South Essex.

4.9bn

Up to £4.9bn of additional private investment, as part of a £5.9bn programme including public capital and Retained Business Rates.

28,000

Up to 28,000 new high-value jobs, with up to 12,000 opportunities for local communities.

2.5bn

Up to £2.5bn in additional annual GVA by 2045, compared with £1bn under the do- nothing scenario.

2× trade capacity - The potential to double the region’s trade capacity by 2045.

2050

Net zero by 2050 supported by local renewables, microgrids and future fuels.

700,000

~700,000 residents across the wider Freeport geography.

Connecting local
communities to
global opportunities

Growth at Thames Freeport is about more than investment in land and infrastructure, it is about ensuring the opportunities created translate into meaningful benefits for the people who live and work here.

The Growth Plan has the potential to support up to 2,500 apprenticeships, upskill 3,000 employees and connect local people with new job opportunities.

Read the Impact Report

Why Thames Freeport?

A globally connected location with the scale to deliver

Located just 38km east of central London, Thames Freeport combines access to one of Europe’s largest consumer markets with nationally significant ports, industrial land, infrastructure, talent and investment opportunities.

London & South East access

Access to a consumer base of around 18 million people, alongside 40 universities, an extensive skills base and connections to UK and international markets.

Market-makers

Hands-on, agile and Government-backed partners able to bring together policy, infrastructure, customers, talent and skills to help unlock investment.

An active partner

Thames Freeport acts as a convenor, promoter and place maker and, where appropriate, a co-investor, helping partners navigate opportunities and de-risk early-stage delivery.

Explore the prospectus

Building the future of
East London and South Essex

Thames Freeport brings together industry, infrastructure, investment and communities around a shared ambition: to create a globally competitive location where businesses can grow and local people can share in the opportunities that growth creates.

Explore the Thames Freeport and discover the opportunities ahead.

Read the Growth Plan