HACKNEY WICK NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE Local history and heritage

Dye casting machines Lesney Industries Limited Terraced housing, 1921

A hundred years ago, was a thriving Until the Second World War, it was also a place to live Victorian industrial suburb catering for a huge range as well as work, but the terraced housing in Fish Island of chemical industries and boasting London’s first dry has now almost entirely gone together with many of the cleaners and the world’s first synthetic plastic. The original industrial buildings. area’s industrial heritage is preserved to this day through the buildings, canals, yards and intimate streets dating For generations Hackney Wick had been something back to the 1860s. of an island, cut off from the mainstream of London, circumscribed by canals, railway lines and, later, the A12.

1914 – A connected neighbourhood 1980 - A disconnected neighbourhood

Historically, Hackney Wick was well connected to The construction of the A12 in the early 1970s physically Hackney, with its amenities like pubs, clubs and shops cut Hackney Wick off from Hackney, severing the loosely clustered around connection points on the connecting streets, removing the local amenities and western edge. enhancing the sense of disconnection caused by the railway line.

Public Exhibition, February 2015 HACKNEY WICK NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE Enhancing the Conservation Area

R iv e W Gainsborough r Drawing Key: L ater e Primary School e N Hackney Wick Conservation den Road (Grade II listed) avig Berkshir Area a tio n Fish Island & White Post Lane e Road Conservation Area

Eligible for local listing

Rubberworks Central Books and Rubberworks 88 Wallis Road Gilbert Johnstone Boathouse Central Books Eton Mission Rowing Club This two-storey building forms a The Eton Mission Rowing Club eet The four-storey warehouse of Central Felstead Str Books was built in approximately prominent corner to the historic Main was established here in 1885. The Former Carless 88 Wallis Road Oslo House Institute 1910 as a printworks and cardboard Yard. present boathouse replaced an early Copper Box Arena box factory. structure built on the Hackney Marsh side of the waterway. Lion Works Hackney Wick Overground

Chapman Road Everett House Former Clarnico Lord Napier Works Public House Queen’s allis Road Yard W

White Building & Mother Studios

White Post Lane 92 White R i Post Lane v e r

L e Rothbury Road e

Navi

g a Former Carless Institute The Lord Napier Pub Everett House t i o The heritage value of Hackney Wick is recognised in its McGrath House n and Outbuildings designation as a conservation area. As well as being This building was built by William Built c. 1865 the two storey pub Everett House is an Edwardian interspersed with several significant heritage buildings, the Leonard, owner of the nearby and two adjoining houses are the commercial structure built in 1911 streets of the area are defined by the mix of buildings of Carless, Capel and Leonard chemical sole survivors of the mid Victorian for the offices of Achille Serre whose different heights and scales. works as a social club for local residential development of the area name is still just visible at parapet workers. south of the railway. level. Two recently extended Conservation Areas meet at the New development in the Conservation Areas neighbourhood centre; the Hackney Wick Conservation Area (Hackney) and Fish Island & White Post Lane It is vital that any development in the neighbourhood Conservation Area (Tower Hamlets). centre enhances the Conservation Areas. We plan to retain the locally listed buildings within the site boundary, as The closeness to the site of the London 2012 Games has well as improve the historic open space of Queen’s Yard increased the level of investment and development interest and access to the canal. We will also keep the height of in the Conservation Areas. proposed buildings in line with planning policy (generally four to six stories), therefore not overbearing Central Books The designation of a Conservation Area does not prevent and Unit 9 Queen’s Yard, which are currently the tallest development taking place but does provide special buildings within the site area. protection under the law. This means that any proposals Unit 9, Queen’s Yard Unit 7, Queen’s Yard (The White Canal for new development will need to help preserve the Views of the canal, and the treatment and setting of Building) The Lee Navigation or Hackney Cut character of the designated area, which can include heritage buildings, including the sympathetic design of This building was built to house The White Building was built in 1921 was constructed in the 18th Century. historic buildings and open spaces. This is why the new neighbouring buildings, will be key in the design a chocolate factory as part of the as a chemical warehouse in the late It runs from Hertford Castle Weir to Legacy Corporation adopted the extension of the two development in the next stage. former Clarnico confectionery works Conservation Areas. on White Post Lane. 19th century but later used by the the River Thames at . Clarnico company.

Public Exhibition, February 2015 HACKNEY WICK NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE Creative and business communities

Hackney WickED arts festival Artists’ studio in Hackney Wick

The past three decades has seen the emergence of creative and art uses in Hackney Wick and Fish Island with over 600 studios now operating and a growing number of large creative businesses locating here and re-purposing vacant industrial buildings.

This has contributed to Hackney Wick’s reputation as the creative heart of east London, an attribute that is celebrated annually at the Hackney WickED arts festival.

An Employment Land Review, conducted by the Legacy Corporation in 2014, highlighted that Hackney Wick and Fish Island has the highest concentration of businesses in the Legacy Corporation area. With 448 businesses, Industrial uses in Hackney Wick 213 within the arts and culture sector, this represents 98% of all such businesses in the Legacy Corporation’s development area.

The area around Hackney Wick station has the highest concentration of businesses and artists in the area, with an incredible mix of industrial businesses, start-ups, creative businesses and artists’ studios, many of which rely on the low rents and flexible workshop spaces the area offers.

It is therefore vital that the new neighbourhood centre supports and promotes the industrial and creative mix of uses that underpins the unique character and economy of Hackney Wick. Workspace in Hackney Wick

Public Exhibition, February 2015 HACKNEY WICK NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE Existing local amenities

St Mary of Eton Church and Wick Green play area Gainsborough Primary School

Stour Space Hackney Pearl

Social infrastructure refers to the uses, facilities and services that support day to day life in a neighbourhood, such as community facilities, shops and healthcare.

Our mapping of the social infrastructure in the area includes all publicly accessible facilities within buildings and features in the public realm such as benches and post boxes. It has revealed that within Hackney Wick there is currently the following gaps in provision:

• No free to use ATM - there are currently three pay to use ATMs • No crèche within the local area • No local training or adult learning facility • No space that is used and shared by all sections of the local community • No dentist, opticians or pharmacy Signage in Hackney Wick Crate Brewery, Bar and Pizzeria

Public Exhibition, February 2015 HACKNEY WICK NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE Barriers to movement Here East Gainsborough Primary School

Waterden Road Drawing Key: Leabank Square

R iv Barrier e r L e e Berkshire Road N a Access issue v ig a t io n Movement

Retained buildings: Restricted 1 Central Books access 2 Eton Mission Rowing Club 3 Carless Institute 4 88 Wallis Road 5 The Lord Napier Public House 6 Everett House 7 Queen’s Yard 8 Mother Studios Physical barriers No ramp 9 The White Building Wallis Road access Felstead Street The railway presents a significant barrier to movement with limited access

Main Yard Copper Box Arena points that are restricted in height and width. The new improvements to Oslo House Semi-public Hackney Wick Station will provide the opportunity for a vital new pedestrian north south link. It will also simplify the current ramp access.

No access

Complex ramp access

Chapman Road Narrow access No access Queen’s Yard Restricted White Post Lane Semi-public Wallis Road access Restricted access

White Post Lane White Post Lane Restricted access R Poorly planned parking/servicing Limited access to the canal i v e r L e e N a v Current parking and servicing arrangements are poorly designed in the existing Access to the canal side is currently i g Rothbury Road a t i o n yard spaces. Better design could make these types of spaces more efficient limited and inconsistent, and much and better places to work or relax. more could be made of this valuable resource.

No access

No direct access from Fish Island

Hackney Wick was significantly physically cut off from the rest of Hackney with the building of the A12. Poor quality public realm Ramp access This large piece of road infrastructure has disrupted the original street Hackney Wick currently has limited public space that is subject to many Space constraints prevented ramp pattern and made an island of demands, including vehicle servicing for workspace. Currently the streets access being provided when the Hackney Wick, further reinforced by and yards of Hackney Wick are dominated by vehicles and suffer from poor Wallis Road bridge was designed. the waterways. definition, lighting and surfacing, as well as a lack of safe crossing points. The new neighbourhood centre presents an opportunity to make it easier for cyclists and other users.

Public Exhibition, February 2015