Hazel Blears intervenes on transport schemes blocked by Boris

The secretary of state for communities has intervened in the decision by London mayor Boris Johnson to block a number of transport schemes deemed vital to the regeneration of the Thames Gateway.

Communities secretary Hazel Blears met with Johnson this week to discuss the possibility of reinstating plans for the construction of a vital extension to the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) in the Thames Gateway and a new road bridge across the Thames.

Johnson's investment strategy for Transport for London (TfL), published earlier this month, ruled out pushing ahead with the schemes, which were vigorously supporting by the former mayor, Ken Livingstone. Johnson said at the time there was not enough money to fund them.

Joe Montgomery, director general of regions and communities at the Department for Communities and Local Government, said that Blears and Johnson had met this week and agreed on the need for both the projects and were working together on a way to fund them. He said: "We all have an interest in the development of east London and beyond, and both the mayor and TfL are alive to the nature of opportunities on the schemes. But we can't promise anything at this time."

The proposed DLR extension to Dagenham Dock is vital if the full 10,000-home development of Barking Riverside is to go ahead. Developers only have permission to build a limited number of new homes without the promised new transport link.