£2.5bn Royal Docks regeneration moves forward with 1,500-home plans
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Plans for nearly 1,500 homes, a new waterfront park and supporting infrastructure have been submitted for the first stage of the £2.5 billion Thameside West regeneration project in east London.
Developer Arada has lodged proposals with Newham Council for six residential buildings at the 47-acre Royal Docks site.
The applications represent the latest step in a wider masterplan with the potential to deliver at least 5,000 homes and transform a major stretch of east London waterfront.
The first two buildings proposed would be entirely social rent and include three and four-bedroom family homes. The wider Thameside West masterplan has provision for 35 percent affordable housing.
Seven-acre park anchors first phase
Public space forms a central part of the proposals, with plans for a new seven-acre park, around 1,000 trees and extensive landscaped areas.
The development would also create approximately one kilometre of active waterfront and a new riverside walk along Bell Lane, helping open up the Thames frontage to residents and visitors.
Ground-floor spaces facing the park are expected to accommodate amenities such as cafés and restaurants, while the landscaping plans include play areas, woodland and walking routes.
A group of 20 local residents is also working with the developer through a series of workshops to help shape part of the public park.
The scheme builds on existing hybrid planning permission for Thameside West, with the latest applications covering the first stage of development.
New DLR station planned alongside development
Transport infrastructure is also expected to form an important part of the regeneration. Arada is working with Transport for London on plans for a new Docklands Light Railway station serving Thameside West.
The station is intended to open by the time the site’s first residents arrive, improving connections between the new neighbourhood and the wider Royal Docks area.
Previous plans for Thameside West have also included a primary school, nursery, commercial space and community facilities alongside the residential development.
£2.5bn Royal Docks regeneration moves forward
Thameside West forms part of the long-term regeneration of the Royal Docks and is being brought forward in partnership with the Greater London Authority’s Royal Docks Team.
The wider masterplan has an estimated development value of £2.5 billion and covers more than 47 acres.
Architecture, engineering and landscape design are being supported by firms including Gensler, Arup and Planit.
The combination of thousands of homes, new transport infrastructure, extensive public realm and improved waterfront access makes Thameside West one of the more substantial regeneration schemes progressing in east London.
The latest planning applications now move the first stage of that wider masterplan closer to delivery.
Source:
BBC News
