We need your help as we kick off a 12-month project to develop a Vision for the future of the tidal Thames, the 95 miles of river that runs from Teddington Lock through the heart of London to the North Sea.
The river, enjoyed by many millions every year, plays a vital role as a centre for trade, travel, leisure and sport.
Home to the UK’s second biggest port, the Thames is also the country’s busiest inland waterway for passengers and freight. Almost 10 million people take trips on the river every year and more than five million tonnes of freight is moved on it, keeping more than 250,000 lorries off the capital’s busy roads.
It is a thriving environment too, with
more than 100 different species of fish, hundreds of seals, special protection areas and sites of special scientific interest. Over 300,000 over-wintering birds visit the Thames every year.
Launching an initial call for views, PLA chief executive, Robin Mortimer, said:
“The Thames is one of the UK’s greatest natural assets. It plays a vital role in everyone’s lives, much of it unseen. We’re confident that we’re sitting on untapped potential here – for trade, travel, leisure and sport. Working with stakeholders will enable us to develop a Vision for the Thames for the next 20 years.
“That’s why the first stage – getting people’s views – is so important. We want to hear from anyone who has an interest in the Thames as we start to shape a plan that makes the most of all the river’s attributes, as a trade hub, a low-carbon super highway, a natural ‘outdoor gym’ and a haven for wildlife.”
