Social value & impact
What is the Social Value Commission and why have we done it?
What is it?
An independent Commission convened by the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) in partnership with Thames Freeport
Established to explore how growth and investment across East London and South Essex can create lasting benefits for local people and communities.
Brings together local authorities, employers, community organisations and residents to shape a more inclusive approach to growth.
Why have we done it?
To ensure local communities have a meaningful voice in the future direction of Thames Freeport and its Growth Plan.
To identify practical ways to improve access to jobs, skills and opportunities created by investment.
To strengthen connections between economic growth and positive outcomes for local people and places.
Conclusion
Growth should not only be measured by investment and development, but by the opportunities, connections and outcomes it creates for local people and communities.
Thames Freeport:
Social Value Commission
Shaping a next-generation growth zone that delivers today
Unlocking local value by giving communities a voice in shaping the Thames Freeport Growth Plan
Key Statistics
10 Commissioners bringing expertise from local government, business, skills, research and social mobility
3 Local Authority Areas represented: Barking & Dagenham, Havering and Thurrock.
30 Thames Freeport Ambassadors engaged across the three boroughs
Key Recommendations:
Embed social value in all investment, make community impact a core requirement of Freeport growth.
Expand inclusive access to jobs and skills so local people can benefit from new opportunities.
Connect communities to Freeport activity through clearer pathways, awareness and engagement.
Invest in skills and local infrastructure aligned with future growth.
Prioritise long-term, place-based outcomes that support sustainable prosperity.
Thames Freeport Growth Plan: What it is and the impact it will deliver
The Growth Plan is our long-term roadmap for growth across Barking and Dagenham, Havering and Thurrock, built around Thames Freeport’s three tax sites. It sets out 9 opportunity sites and 41 actions covering industry, energy, skills, housing and transport. Delivered in full, it goes beyond our original 2021 targets of 21,000 jobs and £4.5bn of investment.
What the Thames Freeport Growth Plan means for local
communities
Almost 700,000 people live in the Freeport region and the Thames Freeport Growth Plan is built on the principle that growth which does not reach local people has not done its job, and its interventions were shaped with input and Thames Freeport Community Ambassadors and local partners and stakeholders.
The table sets out how residents, workers and local businesses will benefit, and the impact expected by 2045.
Explore the Thames Freeport impact report
Overview
Get to know Thames Freeport - the three tax sites, the region it serves and the growth it's built to unlock. Read more >
Projects delivered
See what a year of delivery looks like: skills, health and infrastructure on the ground, plus six funded community projects. Read more >
What comes next
Explore what's coming next - low-carbon housing, AI in healthcare, new skills pathways and The Hive at London Gateway. Read more >
Vision
Looks ahead to 2045, summarising impact delivered so far and the long-term Growth Plan for jobs, homes, health and investment. Read more >
