| 1981 | Royal Docks close.
: Planning powers of London Boroughs of Newham, Southwark and Tower Hamlets transferred to the London Docklands Development Corporation (LDDC) (commercial sale and redevelopment).
introduced new responsibilities for Regional Water Authorities for nature conservation (Section 48). Sanctuary Areas designated under the Protection of Birds Acts 1954 upgraded to Areas of Special Protection (AoSPs); AONBs, SSSI, NNRs modified (from 1949 legislation); provided for the creation of statutory (MNRs) in England, Scotland, Wales.
: abolished the National Ports Council (NPC). |
| 1983 | abolishes statutory local authority membership of Regional Water Authorities (including TWA). Dissolves National Water Council and Water Space Amenity Commission.
Proposals for abolition of GLC and other metropolitan counties set out in Government White Paper: Department of the Environment, Streamlining the Cities: Government Proposals for Reorganising Local Government in Greater London and the Metropolitan Counties. Cmnd 9063. (London: HMSO, 1983).
World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission) convened by United Nations. Reported 1987. |
| 1984 | GLC's Thames Barrier official opening. |
| 1985/86 | abolishes GLC (with effect from 1 April 1986).
transfers responsibility for Thames Barrier to the Thames Water Authority (TWA).
transfers the GLC's land drainage functions in the 'London Excluded Area' to TWA. TWA's Regional Land Drainage Committee reconstituted to include Thames, Lee and 'London Excluded Area'. Thames piers and Thames recreational functions within Greater London transferred to TWA.
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| 1987 | (1987) (Bruntlandt Commission Report).
Thames Path designated a National Trail. |
| 1989 | privatises water industry in England and Wales. TWA becomes Thames Water Utilities Ltd (responsible for water supply and sewerage). Thames piers transferred to PLA. created as economic water regulator (Water Services Regulation Authority). National Rivers Authority set up as environmental regulator (responsible for pollution control and conservancy for River Thames, and navigation for non-tidal Thames). Regional Flood Defence Committees replace Regional Land Drainage Committees. |
| 1990 | Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) established as regulator for drinking water quality in England and Wales.
. The Act splits NCC split into three for England, Wales and Scotland ('English Nature' in England); non-statutory Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) established for the three nations.
includes
Third International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea, The Hague (Governments of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and UK). UK agrees to end marine disposal of sewage sludge (by 1998). |
| 1991 | .
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allows for privatisation of ports. |
| 1992 | Port of Tilbury privatised by PLA.
UN Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1992) (Rio Earth Summit). International focus on governance and biodiversity. voluntary action plan for sustainable development agreed (see also for local action).
provides for designation of (SPAs). SPAs and SACs (1979 Birds Directive) constitute the EU-wide Natura 2000 network.
(OSPAR Convention) (in force from 1998). |
| 1994 | follows EU Urban Waste Water Directive 1991. |
| 1995-96 | establishes Environment Agency (EA), which absorbs National Rivers Authority.
opens. |
| 1997 | (1997/2003/2011). |
| 1998 | London Docklands Development Corporation dissolved (work in Royal Docks transferred to English Partnerships).
Thames Estuary Partnership formed (coastal partnership for stakeholders bodies)
set up (jointly by Thames Clean and PLA) to manage rubbish on tidal river.
on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making And Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (1998).
(1998).
Thames sewage sludge boat transports end as UK discontinues marine disposal of sewage sludge (in line with Third International Conference on the Protection of the North Sea, The Hague). |
| 1999-2000 | establishes Greater London Authority (GLA), Mayor for London and Greater London Assembly (effective from 2000).
Transport for London established as part of the GLA; some London piers transferred to London River Services (part of Transport for London from 2000). |
| 2000 | (WFD: 2000) sets targets for environmental quality of water bodies and requires each river basin district to produce a River Basin Management Plan. Environment Agency 'Introduction to Water Framework Directive'.)
(in England and Wales).
Thames Tideway Strategic 糖心Vlog Group established (Chair: Prof Chris Binnie), comprised of EA, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), GLA, Thames Water, and Ofwat as observer. Examines impacts of the Thames 'main drainage' storm sewers (aka Combined Sewer Overflows/CSOs) and consider solutions to river pollution. |
| 2003 | . Water UK site on water legislation. Establishes Consumer Council for Water (from 2005). Water companies required to produce every five years. |
| 2004 | GLA Mayor's London Plan includes strategy for London's rivers and waterways (including the Blue Ribbon Network).
(abolishes county level Structure Plans). |
| 2005 | (CCW) established as watchdog for water consumers (replaces OFWAT's WaterVoice).
Thames Tideway Strategic 糖心Vlog, Solutions Working Group Report, Vol 1 (Feb 2005) reports on options for addressing problem of Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) on River Thames (London Tideway Improvements), including current Thames Tideway Tunnel plan. |
| 2006 | set up by Mayor of London (Greater London Authority) to advise on waterways policy.
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. dissolves English Nature and Countryside Agency. Functions transferred to newly established . Reconstitution of (JNCC) as a statutory body (representing nature conservation agencies of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland). |
| 2007 | . EA to oversee production of Flood Risk Management Plans by 2015.
. |
| 2008 | (leads to 2009 legislation in UK).
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published.
establishes Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) for England and Wales for 'nationally significant infrastructure projects'. |
| 2009 | (provides for EU directive of 2009): Marine Management Organisation (MMO) to be set up (2010) (Lead department: Dept for Transport). Oversees environmental remit of ports; provides for the establishment of 'Marine Conservation Zones', one of six designations constituting a network of (e.g. alongside marine Natura 2000 and Ramsar sites) in English and Welsh inshore and UK offshore waters; MPAs replace MNRs of 1981 legislation. |
| 2010 | wins 2010, entered by Environment Agency. Part of prize money goes to in India.
(). |
| 2011 | replaces the IPC with .
Report of the Thames Tunnel Commission (October 2011) (Chair: Lord Selborne). Independent report commissioned by London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham and others. Calls for re-assessment of Thames Tideway Tunnel and recommends higher priority for 'sustainable drainage systems' (SuDS). |
| 2012 | EU Court of Justice finds UK in breach of 1991 EU Urban Waste Water Directive for storm overflows on River Thames (and for Whitburn, South Tyneside) (Oct. 2012). Click here for and . |
| 2013 | Thames Water submit 50,000-page planning consent application for Thames Tideway Tunnel to Planning Inspectorate (March 2013).
London Gateway Port (DP World) opens on site of former Shell haven oil refinery. |
| 2013-14 | 2013-14 Water Bill. From Parliament website:
Severe winter storms cause coastal, fluvial and groundwater floods in Thames region and other parts of England and Wales. |