Thames Tideway Tunnel: delivering an environmental, economic and social legacy

The ambition of the Thames Tideway Tunnel project for a sustainable legacy was captured by the company’s vision statement to reconnect London with the River Thames. In addition, the project aimed to set new industry standards to raise the bar for projects that would follow. Tideway set out a legacy programme organised under five themes, with 54 measurable commitments and with delivery embedded into its construction contracts. The programme was tracked for its contribution to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and its social value was assessed. This paper describes how wider legacy value, in addition to the core benefit of a cleaner river, was designed into the project. It also outlines how long-term benefits were delivered under key themes to ensure additional benefits for the local environment and for local communities, as well as the project’s own people and external partners. It should be read alongside previous specific papers from the Thames Tideway Tunnel project on health, safety and wellbeing legacy and on measuring wider social impact, and the specific paper in this issue on delivering world-class public realm.