THAMES ESTUARY PRODUCTION CORRIDOR THE CASE FOR INVESTMENT 1 THAMES ESTUARY PRODUCTION CORRIDOR THE CASE FOR INVESTMENT This report sets out a clear case for investment in the Thames Estuary Production Corridor and provides the strategy to unlock and maximise the creative potential of the vision. It marks the culmination of a year-long programme of activity in 2018-2019 which included consultation with over 200 partners and stakeholders and granular research into baseline conditions across the Estuary. Many thanks to the Thames Estuary partners who gave time to contribute to this report. Researched and written by Hatch Regeneris, We Made That and Tom Fleming Creative In partnership with: Consultancy. Design by Maddison Graphic. Commissioned by the Greater London Authority and the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, in partnership with the Royal Docks team and the London Boroughs of Bexley and Lewisham. Published July 2020 THE REPORT AT 1 4. WHY INVEST? 39 A GLANCE Supporting National Growth Priorities 41 Responding to Market Demand: 42 1. INTRODUCTION 5 Boosting National, Regional and Local Production Capacity Introducing the Thames Estuary 5 Creative and Cultural Production 47 Sub-Sectors Demand What is Creative and Cultural 6 Production? Building a Stronger and More 53 Resilient Creative and Cultural Report Purpose and Approach 9 Ecosystem across the Estuary Productive, Inclusive, Distinctive: 54 Unlocking Local Potential 2. VISION 13 A Shared Economic and Social 13 59 Strategy for the Thames Estuary 5. FROM VISION Development of Places, Clusters and 15 TO ACTION Infrastructure Thames Estuary Production Corridor 60 Action Plan 23 In Focus: Delivering a Planning-Led 62 3. WHERE ARE Response WE NOW? Governance Recommendations 64 An Established Creative and Cultural 23 Building the Case for Investment and 70 Ecosystem Funding A Region of Opportunity 28 What’s Next? 72 Headroom for Growth 30 Annexe 1. Potential Projects 76 Annexe 2. Suggested Measures of 80 Progress Annexe 3. Learning from Elsewhere: 82 Positioning the Region Globally Definitions and Glossary 84 Royal Opera House, Bob and Tamar Manoukian Production Workshop at High House Production Park, Thurrock Nicholas Hare Architects © Hufton & Crow Photography i ii OPPORTUNITY £111+bn £127bn Value of UK’s creative Estimated supply chain industries in 2018 per annum, spend per annum by the growing at five times the rate creative industries across of the economy as a whole the UK +20% 100,000 Average productivity per Residents across the creative SME compared to Estuary already working in the economy average creative occupations FOUNDATIONS 16,000 +37% Creative and cultural Increase in the number of production businesses production businesses supporting over 46,000 across the Estuary over the jobs across the Estuary past five years £200m 63 Investment in large scale Higher and Further production facilities across Education Institutions the Estuary over the past across the Estuary. Many of decade these specialise in creative industries FUTURE POTENTIAL +50,000 +£3.7bn Projected number of Projected additional GVA jobs delivered by the per annum which could be Thames Estuary Production delivered by the Thames Corridor - creating the UK’s Estuary Production Corridor largest concentration of - enhancing UK productivity production activity and local prosperity THE REPORT AT A GLANCE A Case for Investment to Build Back Foundations and Momentum With Better This report provides the strategy to more than 16,000 businesses supporting unlock and maximise the creative potential of over 46,000 jobs supported and significant the Thames Estuary Production Corridor. headroom for growth, the creative and It marks the culmination of a year-long cultural production industry has grown rapidly programme of activity in 2018-2019 which in recent years, and over £200m investment included consultation with over 200 partners has been delivered in large-scale production and stakeholders and granular research into facilities. At the same time, networks and baseline conditions across the Estuary. connections have been growing from the It is published in July 2020 as the new bottom up with local and sub-regional Thames Estuary Growth Board launches its investment working to strengthen the creative action plan, The Green Blue, and announces and cultural ecosystem across the Estuary. its support to the Thames Estuary Production Corridor. This research was undertaken before the The opportunity for growth The Thames COVID-19 pandemic hit the UK and the world, Estuary Production Corridor has the potential and recognises projected impacts on the to double the size of the production sector South East. Despite the devastating impacts across the Estuary, supporting the delivery of the pandemic, the cultural and creative of more than 50,000 new jobs and creating industries will be integral to accelerating the additional economic output (GVA) of over UK’s economic and social recovery. Prior £3.7bn per annum. Employment creation at to COVID-19, the UK’s creative economy this level will firmly embed the Estuary as the grew five times faster than the economy as UK’s largest concentration of creative and a whole, with jobs being created three times cultural production activity. In doing so it will as fast. The Thames Estuary Production help deliver the UK’s Industrial Strategy. Corridor will help create thousands of jobs in a time of need, building world-class cultural infrastructure and developing local skills From Vision to Action The delivery opportunities that will be crucial to deliver approach for the Thames Estuary Production sustainable and equitable growth. Importantly, Corridor will build on the significant it will help to create and sustain places where momentum which has been achieved over the people want to live, work and play. past two years. Now more than ever it is critical that the full Initial investment of over £4.6m from vision and potential of the Thames Estuary the Department for Digital, Culture, Media Production Corridor is realised, through the and Sport and the Ministry of Housing, commitment, support and cross-boundary Communities and Local Government collaboration of the Thames Estuary demonstrates confidence in the opportunity Production Corridor Partners, the new to deliver much needed capacity and Thames Estuary Envoy and Growth Board. specialism to the UK’s creative economy. What is the Thames Estuary What’s Next? This report sets out a clear Production Corridor? The Thames Estuary case for investment in the Thames Estuary Production Corridor is a significant new vision Production Corridor, and the strategy for to unite East London, the North Kent Coast delivery. It is now time for local, regional and and South Essex to create a world-class national partners (both public and private) centre for creative and cultural production: to unlock and maximise the potential of the leading global innovation, developing talent Thames Estuary Production Corridor. and cultivating world changing ideas. The Thames Estuary Production Corridor It is a globally significant programme, the Partners Board will lead the vision and action first of a new generation of collaborative plan delivery, working with the Thames and transformational projects in the Thames Estuary Envoy and Growth Board. Estuary, presenting a shared economic and social identity across 18 local authority areas. 1 High-end artist and creative studio in Greenwich © Based Upon 2 3 In 2018 the creative and cultural industries were worth over £111 billion nationally, employing over 2 million people 4 1. INTRODUCTION The vision for the Thames Estuary Production This report provides the case for investment Corridor as a world-class cluster of production, in the Thames Estuary Production Corridor, innovation and talent was launched by the setting how partners across the area can Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, in partnership work together to move from vision to action. with the London Economic Action Partnership It is published in July 2020 after COVID-19 hit (LEAP), the South East Local Enterprise and as the new Thames Estuary Growth Board Partnership (SELEP) and the South East launches its action plan announcing its support Creative Economy Network (SECEN) in to the Thames Estuary Production Corridor. February 2017. Now more than ever it is critical that the full It recognised the considerable momentum vision and potential of the Thames Estuary achieved by the creative and cultural Production Corridor is realised, through the industries across the Estuary over the past commitment, support and cross-boundary decade, and the opportunity which could be collaboration of the Thames Estuary unlocked via further proactive collaboration, Production Corridor Partners, the new action and investment. Thames Estuary Envoy and Growth Board. Introducing the Thames Estuary The Thames Estuary is London’s gateway to Woolwich, Deptford, New Cross and the world. On its banks and inland lie ancient Dagenham Dock. settlements, fishing harbours, resort towns, After four decades of restructuring, industrial hubs, active and decommissioned East London’s economy has become a docks and some of the newest and fastest globally significant hub for Information and growing places in the country. Communications Technology, Media, Digital It is a region of opportunity. Much of Industries and Fashion; opening new markets the area is undergoing rapid change with and opportunities for the city and the UK. unprecedented levels of investment to deliver Further east, the North