About

The Thames Valley has over two million residents made up of a widely diverse population. Covering Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes and Oxfordshire residents also include students and more temporary visitors who travel into the area and stay for work or holidays.

Thames Valley benefits from good infrastructure and close proximity to London, attracting a growing business community . . .

The Thames Valley consists of several cities, towns and villages, and rural countryside of woodlands, heaths, downs and agricultural land. In general terms the area is more urbanised in the east, more rural in the west and north. The area is one of the driest regions in the UK and thus vulnerable to water shortages. However, the Thames Valley is host to a number of major rivers, including the River Thames, The Great Ouse and a large network of other river systems, which are historically prone to flooding, which remains a significant risk for many parts of the area.

The Thames Valley is a major economic centre, both within the UK and Europe. Economic activity is largely focused on high-tech services and knowledge based industries, including telecommunications, software, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, research and Development, business services, distribution, and retailing. Most major international corporations are represented in the area, and it also has a strong entrepreneurial culture with a high density of businesses per capita. Whilst economic resilience, innovation and adaptation are key features of the Thames Valley’s economic and business activity, in common with other economic centres it remains susceptible to national and global economic disruption.

The area has a large concentration of key transport infrastructure serving the Thames Valley, London and cross-country routes. Major motorways and trunk routes include the M1, M4, M25, A329 (M), A404 (M) and M40, and the A40, A34, A5. A significant majority of rail routes to the South, West, Midlands, and North of the UK transit through the Thames Valley, Including the Elizabeth line Services and developing HS2, including the Reading Transport Hub. The area borders Heathrow Airport and a number of flight paths cover the region. As a result of the concentration of transport infrastructure, disruptions caused by accidents, weather or other reasons can have a significant impact on local communities. Several canals, including the Grand Union and the Kennet and Avon, cross the area. The main use of the canals and the River Thames is leisure. The area contains major retail and leisure sites, in addition to tourist attractions of world renown such as Windsor Castle and Oxford, which attract large gatherings of local people and visitors. The Thames Valley contains a number of military and other Government sites.