The Thames waterfront has never historically been a location for housing. Prone to flooding and, especially in the Thurrock area, with marshy land, it did not provide a good site for building, and its commercial and military importance meant that waterfront space was at a premium for these activities. Residential areas have turned their back on the Thames until very recently.

The strategic military importance of the river can be seen in the heritage of Coalhouse Fort, Tilbury Fort and the Purfleet Garrison and Barrel Store, guarding the approach to the capital. The commercial importance of the Thurrock riverside, especially in the late 20th century as ships became too big for the London docks, has resulted in the remainder of the waterfront becoming almost entirely industrialised, and the shipping activity along it crucial to Thurrock’s economy. Residential communities have continued to occupy higher ground and looked away from the river, whose industrialisation has resulted in an ‘unattractive’ landscape of wharves, oil refineries and docks.

The focus of shipping activity continues to move eastward, as ships become ever larger and require deeper waters. While other river industry, such as marine aggregates wharves, oil and the import of materials for manufacturing, is still an important sector of the economy, the general decline of manufacturing in Western Europe also affects Thurrock, and the increasing importance of motorway freight routes for Thurrock’s newer sectors (such as Lakeside and associated retail) means that some parts of the riverside now have the possibility for new uses. The relentless demand for new housing in the South-East means that for the first time the commercial possibility of creating desirable residential areas along the river is resulting in waterfront sites being transferred from industrial to residential use.