The regeneration needs of East London outside the Olympic Park are in danger of being ignored by central government, according to the boss of the area’s urban development corporation.

In addition, says Peter Andrews, chief executive of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC), weaknesses in the planning system caused by delayed implementation of government reforms is hampering regeneration efforts.

Property developers and local authorities in the UK are becoming increasingly frustrated with the government’s approach to planning and infrastructure.

Paul Carter, leader of Kent County Council and himself a property developer, took the opportunity to confront the Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper during a seminar this week at the House of Commons about the damage being done to the cause of sustainable development by the lack of infrastructure funding.

THE decision not to build a Crossrail station at Woolwich will hinder the regeneration of the whole of the region, say borough leaders.

Greenwich council leader, Chris Roberts and Greenwich MP Nick Raynsford both slammed Cross London Rail Links' negative response to the Crossrail Select Committee's recommendation to build a station at Woolwich in a statement released on October 11. Mr Roberts said: "We are shocked and disappointed at this announcement which will come as a tremendous blow to the people of Woolwich and south east London.

Further evidence that the regeneration of Thames Gateway is not what it could be comes from a study by the University of East London. It reveals that 82 per cent of homes being built in the region to the east of London are one and two-bedroom flats, raising fears that families will fail to move into the area. The research blamed government targets for the high density of building and gave a warning that we could be repeating the design mistakes of the 1960s and 1970s.

BRITISH homeowners are facing a house-insurance crisis as global warming and a surge in house building and conversion raises the risk of flood damage.