The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has welcomed the Mayor of London's Transport Strategy for London, including positive references to rail and water freight.

London needs 10 million tonnes of primary aggregates every year to supply construction, equal to 30,000 tonnes every single day. 97% of this material is brought into rail depots and wharves in London for onward distribution.

The MPA has continually stressed that safeguarding needs to be applied rigorously, especially by London Boroughs when producing plans and considering applications that may affect wharves and rail depots. Through the London Plan, the Mayor will require all new development proposals to demonstrate in their Construction Logistics Plans and Delivery and Servicing Plans that all reasonable endeavours have been taken towards the use of non-road vehicle modes.

The new Strategy recognises that shifting more freight onto rail and water will enable improvements to be made against the Healthy Streets Indicators, help to reduce congestion, improve air quality and provide vital materials for ambitious housebuilding plans.

The Strategy also announced a review of London's strategic freight network which will seek to identify opportunities to get more of London's freight closer to its final destination by rail and to identify potential for capacity and capability improvements.

Commenting, Jerry McLaughlin, Executive Director of Public Affairs said:

"The full use of rail and water is a key element of meeting the Mayor's objectives to reduce road freight traffic and build more houses. We fully support the development of a rail freight strategy for London and the high-level policy is now in a much better place with a positive intent on rail freight, to compliment action taken to promote water freight."

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