ADD2871 Lower Lea Valley Connectivity Partnership

1.1.    The Lower Lea Valley is still seeing significant growth and regeneration. Substantial pipelines of housing and employment development are coming forward across Newham and Tower Hamlets. However, major physical barriers remain in these areas, including the River Lea, large road infrastructure and surface rail corridors. These constrain movement and connectivity between communities, development sites and transport hubs. Investment in new connections and infrastructure improvements is necessary to supporting sustainable growth, improving access to opportunity and enabling the delivery of Good Growth objectives. 

1.2.    The GLA has worked with partners over several years to improve connectivity and unlock growth opportunities across the Lower Lea Valley. This builds on previous partnership work and funding, (approved under Mayoral Decision (MD) 3140) which supported “delivery of connective infrastructure to address the many and significant physical barriers between communities in the area". Director Decision (DD) 2707 approved spend for delivery activity during 2024-25 and 2025-26. 

1.3.    This decision seeks approval to spend up to £60,000 of revenue funding to continue the Lower Lea Valley Connectivity work and support the delivery of Making Best Use of Land Delivery Plan. This breaks down as £50,000 for commissioned scoping, vision and technical work during 2026-27 and £10,000 grant funding to London Borough of Newham towards a focus area connectivity study during 2027-28. 

1.4.    GLA investment will be matched by contributions from LB Newham, LB Tower Hamlets, and Transport for London (TfL). As such, the combined programme budget is £180,000. This funding will support a programme of evidence gathering, option development and strategic planning. This includes area-wide vision, route benefit analysis and prioritisation work. This work will also identify future funding opportunities and delivery pathways for infrastructure projects that maximise the social, economic and environmental benefits of growth, including safe 24-hour routes and access to waterways. 

1.5.    The Lower Lea Valley Executive Sponsors Group was established in 2024. The group brings together senior representatives from the GLA, TfL, LB Newham and LB Tower Hamlets to provide strategic leadership for the regeneration and infrastructure agenda across the area. A key priority for the partnership is improving walking, cycling and public transport connectivity across the Lower Lea Valley to overcome longstanding severance caused by waterways and transport infrastructure and the protection and enhancement of the area's environmental, ecological and heritage assets. 
 

2.1.    The proposed work builds on previous GLA and partner investment to improve connectivity across the Lower Lea Valley, including work undertaken through the Priority Bridges Programme, to agree on funding and the delivery strategy for Mayer Parry Bridge. This has shown the value of cross-borough collaboration in overcoming physical barriers; and coordinating approaches to infrastructure planning and delivery. 

2.2.    The GLA will work in partnership with TfL LB Tower Hamlets and LB Newham, to commission a high-level cross-borough vision for the Lower Lea Valley and a refresh of the Lea River Park Design Manual and Primer. This guidance was commissioned by the London Legacy Development Corporation and adopted by the boroughs in 2017. Almost 10 years on, with increased housing density planned, changes to flood mitigation requirements and cycle standards, establishment of the nearby Royal Docks Team and the opening of the Silvertown Tunnel, a new strategic context needs to be reflected to support future investment and implementation. 

2.3.    The shared vision extends along the River Lea from Poplar Riverside and Canning Town down to the River Thames. The commission will assess the implications of planned housing and employment growth, identify priorities for improving connectivity between communities and destinations, and explore opportunities to maximise the area's contribution to London's future growth. Outputs will comprise a series of technical reports, strategic recommendations and delivery plans to support future investment and implementation. 

2.4.    Key deliverables and outcomes between 2026 and 2028 are expected to include: 

•    a joint long-term vision for the Lower Lea Valley, building on existing Opportunity Area Planning Framework objectives, relevant planning policy and emerging delivery pipeline
•    updated Lea River Park and Leaway design strategy and implementation plan that considers future growth needs, including flood mitigation impacts
•    prioritised connectivity interventions supported by robust options appraisal and evidence-based benefits analysis
•    increased clarity and confidence among partners, funders and stakeholders regarding future infrastructure investment priorities
•    stronger partnership approach - the GLA will play a strategic coordinating and advocacy role to support the delivery of Good Growth outcomes across this area of the Lower Lea Valley. 

2.5.    This work is aligned with Good Growth principles and the Making Best Use of Land Delivery Plan (approved by Mayoral Decision MD3434), specifically projects, 1.2; ‘Area planning and place-based frameworks’ and 1.5 ‘Targeted transport investment though external funding to support housing and regeneration’, It supports the infrastructure planning, partnership working and evidence base required to unlock the full potential of development sites across the Lower Lea Valley (both now and in the future). Through informing future infrastructure investment, the work will ensure that growth comes with well-connected, sustainable and high-quality neighbourhoods that maximise social, economic and environmental benefits. More widely, this work also supports the Helping Local Economies to Thrive delivery plan, by improving access to employment locations, town centres and other economic hubs. In this way, it gives communities and businesses greater benefit from local regeneration and investment. 
 

3.1.    Under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, the Mayor and the GLA are subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty. As such they must have due regard of the need to: 

•    eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation, 
•    advance equality of opportunity and 
•    foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and those who do not. 

Protected characteristics under the Equality Act comprise age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, and marriage or civil partnership status.

3.2.    The Lower Lea Valley is home to diverse communities, including residents with a range of protected characteristics. The proposed work will help to develop evidence, strategic planning and partnership activity to inform the future regeneration of the area. This is expected to have positive impacts by helping to ensure that proposals are informed by inclusive growth principles, improve access to opportunities and services, and contribute to the creation of neighbourhoods that are accessible, safe and welcoming for all Londoners. 

3.3.    This decision is not expected to have any negative impact on persons with a protected characteristic under the Equality Act. Equality considerations will be embedded throughout the commission and any subsequent programme of work. 

3.4.    Stakeholder engagement activities undertaken through the project will seek to engage a broad range of local communities and partners. This will ensure that diverse needs and perspectives are understood and reflected in recommendations. 

3.5.    Any future projects, interventions or investment decisions arising from this work will be subject to their own equalities assessments, as appropriate. 
 

Key risks and issues

4.1.    The table below identifies the principal risks associated with the proposed workstreams and the mitigations that will be used to manage them.

Links to Mayoral Strategies and Priorities

4.2.    The work supports the following London-level outcomes within the Mayor's strategic programme portfolio: 

•    "stable, long-term economic growth benefits all of London's communities"
•    "Londoners live in neighbourhoods that are well planned and designed"
•    "Londoners have access to good work"
•    "high streets and town centres are thriving across London" 
•    "Londoners can enjoy green and wild spaces across the capital"
•    "London is resilient to extreme weather and the impacts of climate change". 

4.3.    The workstreams will contribute to these outcomes by improving connectivity between communities, employment locations, transport hubs and growth areas and support access to environmental, cultural and community assets across the Lower Lea Valley. The work helps to deliver sustainable and inclusive growth, increasing housing delivery, promoting economic opportunity and supporting good growth. 

Consultations and impact assessments, including data protection

4.4.    The commission will involve engagement with relevant public-sector partners, local authorities, landowners and other stakeholders as appropriate. The findings will help inform future discussions on regeneration priorities and delivery opportunities in the area. 

4.5.    The activities authorised by this decision do not involve the processing of significant amounts of personal data. Should personal data be collected as part of engagement activities, it will be processed in accordance with UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 and the GLA's data protection policies and procedures. 

4.6.    No specific health, safeguarding or environmental impact issues arise directly from this decision. However, these matters will be considered through the development of future projects and proposals informed by this work, where relevant. 

Conflicts of interest

4.7.    No GLA officer involved in the drafting or clearance of this DD is aware of any conflicts of interest with the proposed programme.

4.8.    If any conflicts of interest arise during grant-funding processes, officers will be required to declare that interest as part of a requirement of the Contracts and Funding Code; and will be excluded from the grant-funding (or any other related) process or activity for that project. This process will also be in accordance with the Code of Ethics and Standards for Staff and accompanying guidance on registering and declaring interests. 

5.1.    This decision seeks approval to spend up to £60,000, though direct commission and grant funding to LB Newham. The spend will take place across 2026-27 and 2027-28.  All spend will be incurred by quarter three of 2027-28. 

5.2.    The proposed spending is financed by a new request for reserve use that was not included in the GLA Mayor budget for 2026-27. A total of £334,000 is currently held in the Revenue Grants Unapplied reserve for use by the Regeneration team. The expenditure will sit in the London Plan project.

5.3.    Procurement will be via the Architecture and Urbanism Framework panel for direct commissions. The funding will be governed via a funding agreement between the GLA and LB Newham to support focus area work. 

5.4.    All appropriate budget adjustments will be made. 
 

6.1.    The outline timetable for delivery is set out below: