News Release : 16 December 2004

CROSSRAIL SHOULD RETHINK ITS STRATEGY, SAYS ASSEMBLY

To support the new homes, jobs and shops in Thames Gateway, it is essential that Ebbsfleet is served directly by Crossrail, says the South East England Regional Assembly’s Planning Committee.

Crossrail recently announced that its Eastern terminal would be at Abbey Wood, which is approximately 10.5 miles short of Ebbsfleet.

The Assembly has consistently emphasised that Ebbsfleet must be Crossrail’s final station in the eastern part of the region to provide essential public transport for new development. Thames Gateway is a nationally important growth area, so it cannot afford to lag behind in investment in transport infrastructure. The Assembly has also stressed the importance of the western arm of Crossrail having its terminus at Reading and not at Maidenhead as currently proposed.

Assembly members will express their grave concern to Transport Minister McNulty at a meeting in early January that Crossrail will undermine the delivery of the region’s South East Plan, 20-year planning vision, if it continues this strategy.

Cllr Keith Mitchell, Chairman of the South East England Regional Assembly’s Planning Committee, said: “Crossrail is an essential investment both for Thames Gateway and for the South East as a whole. Ebbsfleet is the lynchpin of the whole Gateway Strategy and it is vital that Crossrail makes the connection there; if ministers want the Gateway project to succeed they must now provide the means. Crossrail should make Ebbsfleet part of the package. What is true for the east of the region is equally true for Reading in the west. With the growth in housing numbers this Government is demanding, we have to get the right infrastructure in the right place.”

Contact

Lesley van Dijk, PR Executive - 01483 555223

Heather Bolton, Head of Communications - 01483 555220

Notes to editors:

1. The South East Plan will be a document setting regional priorities and guiding the production of local plans and strategies on critical issues affecting all of us, such as housing, transport, waste and development. It will also help share best practice between different areas of the region that face similar problems and cover the period to 2026. The Plan will impact on the whole South East, which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire and Surrey.
2. Public consultation on the Plan will be from 24 January till 15 April 2005.
3. What does the Plan cover?
1. How much growth do we want?
   The South East is generally prosperous with a good quality of life. A healthy, growing economy offering well-paid jobs needs land for employment, homes and infrastructure.
2. How many new homes are needed?
   Data suggest there will be up to 1 million more people in the region in 20 years. Unless we increase the number of homes, housing is likely to become even dearer and homelessness is likely to rise.
3. What about the environment?
   We need to minimise our impact on the environment by, for example, focusing building on previously developed land, using water and energy more efficiently, reducing the amount of waste we produce, and protecting the countryside.
4. What infrastructure is needed?
   Already many areas suffer from transport congestion and pressure on public services; investment is needed to deal with present needs as well as future growth.
4. The Regional Assembly is the “voluntary regional chamber” for the South East. It was established in January 1999 to give a representative voice to the South East region which covers Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East and West Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, and Surrey.
5. The Assembly is made up of 111 members including elected councillors nominated by the region’s local authorities and 37 representatives from other sectors of the community (including business, trades unions, education, housing, health, sports, culture, tourism, faith groups, environmental, community and voluntary organisations).
6. The Assembly has three areas of core business:
1. It is the representative voice of the South East, engaging and representing its member organisations and, through them, the wider public.
2. The Assembly has a specific role under the Regional Development Agencies' Act 1998 to ensure the accountability of the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) to the region.
3. The Assembly has been the Regional Planning Body for the South East since April 2001. It has responsibility for proposing strategic planning and transport policies to Government.

Last updated: 21 August 2007