River Thames

The part of the River Thames running through the south London sub-region is a thriving tourist location within London. It has three of London’s top tourism attractions, London’s Arcadia Project (Heritage Lottery funding to restore the urban environment), extensive green spaces as well as notable and historic urban areas such as Richmond, Kingston, Twickenham and Putney town centres.

However, this part of the River Thames is not just about tourism. It has potential for further business and residential infrastructure development, at Nine Elms, Battersea, and Kingston town centre. The potential of the Thames-side centres lie in the high quality of their resident labour force, growth potential in the creative industries and expansion of the tourism/hospitality and leisure sectors.

There are significant infrastructure developments along the River Thames that will have an impact on the sub-region. For example, the developments at Battersea Power Station could have a more significant impact on south London than on central London especially if issues of accessibility and permeability are addressed in the design and construction; Stewarts Road/ Nine Elms/ New Covent Garden has potential for further growth.