Docklands to be surfers' paradise

These are the first computergenerated images of a planned £1.5 billion outside beach and wave pool at the Royal Victoria Docks.

The giant tank - which will generate 100metre-wide "breakers" from 7,000 cubic metres of cleaned, heated Thames river water - could be sitting alongside a world-class aquarium, Biota!, by 2010.

There will be space for 200 swimmers, surfers and sunbathers to stretch out on a "perfect white sand beach" before chilling out at an evening barbecue or with a drink at the beach bar.

The "conceptual project" is the idea of Steve Jones, an extreme sports enthusiast who runs Venture Xtreme Ltd.

He is "extremely optimistic" the tank will be built at Silvertown Quays beside London City Airport and the ExCel conference centre - and believes it will pull in 100,000 surfers a year.

He said: "The major focus is Biota! but the developer is obliged to provide another attraction to support the aquarium. We have not yet found a single person in the land who doesn't think it's a brilliant idea.

"In 99 days out of 100 it will be better than Devon or Cornwall because the waves will be perfect.

"We can make them break from the left, break from the right or break centrally. If you go to the beach the surf is far from perfect, especially for novices trying to learn to surf."

Biota!, which is backed by the owners of London Zoo and designed by architect Sir Terry Farrell, was originally due to open next year.

It is now scheduled for completion by 2010, with a full planning application due be submitted within weeks to Newham council.

The beach and surf centre would be followed by an indoor adventure centre featuring climbing walls, an indoor wave machine and a scuba dive tank.

In the meantime, a 60-acre, 10-year redevelopment of the area is progressing after Newham granted planning-permission in May for 5,000 homes, 1,300 of them affordable, offices, restaurants, bars and leisure facilities including Biota!

As part of the planning agreement, 12,000 Newham schoolchildren will be able to visit Biota! free each year.

David Taylor, chairman of Silvertown Quays Ltd, said of the surf tank: "Most of the people from London have to go to Cornwall to surf.

"The idea of the beach is so wacky. Paris expected to attract 200,000 to its beach but two million turned up."