The new London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (LTGDC) will gain strategic planning powers from October 31. The body will effectively become the local planning authority (LPA) within a designated area in the Lower Lee Valley and London Riverside, from Beckton to Rainham, with the power to determine all large scale planning applications within this. Local authorities will be left to make decisions on smaller scale schemes. Housing and planning minister Yvette Cooper announced the news: “The transfer of planning powers for strategic applications will enable LTGDC to make a real and positive difference to local communities on Barking and Dagenham and Havering, bringing business investment, increased employment and improved community facilities. “Although LTGDC will not hold authority over the main Olympic sites, its work in the neighbouring communities in Lower Lea Valley will be of vital importance when ensuring that this area in East London will be truly sustainable for future generations."