River Corridor Improvement Plan
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River Corridor Improvement Plan Supplementary Planning Document London Borough of Lewisham September 2015 Contents Executive Summary 1 Introduction................................................................ 1 2 Vision......................................................................... 5 3 Policy and Strategic Context.......................................... 7 4 River Corridor Character Assessments............................ 9 River Thames and Deptford Creek................................. 10 River Ravensbourne and Pool River................................ 14 River Quaggy and Kyd Brook........................................ 21 5 Access........................................................................ 25 2015 6 Design and Development Guidelines............................. 28 Supplementary Planning Document September 7 Delivery Mechanisms.................................................... 48 8 Action Plan................................................................. 52 Prepared by Pro Vision Planning & Design River Corridor Improvement Plan for and on behalf of the London Borough of Lewisham London Borough of Lewisham Borough of Lewisham London Executive Summary The purpose of this Supplementary Design and development guidelines The aims are: Planning Document is to provide relating to the following should be guidance relating to the rivers and river considered by applicants for planning • To provide guidance for corridors in the London Borough of permission and Development Planning developers and landowners; Lewisham. The council seeks to secure Officers: high quality development along the river • regeneration; • To ensure high quality corridors, whilst balancing objectives • channel enhancement; development along the river for environmental protection and corridors; enhancement, flood risk, housing supply • ecological enhancement; and economic growth. • boundary and surface treatments; • To ensure development • public art; enhances the river setting; The vision is to protect and enhance • access and the public realm; • To provide guidance on flood the environment, to reduce flood risk, • management and maintenance; and alleviation and ecological to support strong, prosperous and • flood risk. vibrant communities, and to contribute improvements; to healthy communities. The plan has • To ensure that development been informed by the European Water Specific guidance is provided relating to is appropriate and that the Framework Directive and other relevant the following sites: impacts of development are policies at the European, national, • Kent and Sun Wharf; effectively understood; regional and local levels. • Lewisham College; • Broadway Fields; • To engage local communities The plan has identified three overarching • Tesco; in flood prone areas and river character areas in the London • Wickes / Halfords; and encourage appropriate action; Borough of Lewisham, comprising the River Thames and Deptford Creek, the • Beckenham Place Park. • Improve the overall water River Ravensbourne and Pool River, and quality and river health; and 2015 the River Quaggy and Kyd Brook. The The aims and objectives will be delivered • Encourage development which public access networks traversing these Supplementary Planning Document through planning policy, development positively responds to rivers character areas could be improved management, and other initiatives by September through the designation of Public Rights the Council. Partnership working with and their setting, ensuring that of Way across land in private ownership, developers, landowners and communities any necessary mitigation is measures to reduce crime and fear of will be required. Funding will be secured designed in from the earliest crime, environmental enhancements and to support delivery. stage as an inherent part of improved connections between the Public Rights of Way and the rivers. the scheme. River Corridor Improvement Plan London Borough of Lewisham London 1 Introduction Stepney BACKGROUND DEFINITION 1.1 1.3 This Supplementary Planning Document The RCIP defines a river corridor as (SPD) provides detailed guidance on the the width of the channel in which water Docklands hames rivers and river corridors in the London flows, as well as a river’s extensive River T Borough of Lewisham. The purpose influence on the surrounding landscape of the River Corridor Improvement and townscape. Bermondsey Plan (RCIP) is to ensure that all works along the river corridors are of a high 1.4 quality and guided by the protection A river corridor is characterised by d r Greenwich o f k and enhancement of local amenity. A the interactions between a range of t Park p e e Woolwich Deptford e r balance is sought between the interests natural (the influences of hydrology, D C Common of environmental protection and geology, soils, climate, flora and fauna) Blackheath enhancement, flood risk, housing supply and cultural (the historical and current and economic growth. impact of land use, settlement, public Peckham access and other human interventions) 1.2 components within the water course. Lewisham In the past, some sections of the rivers e n r that flow through the Borough have been 1.5 u Riv er o Q Eltham b u canalised for flood defence reasons. The RCIP applies to all sites in Lewisham s a n g ve g The RCIP seeks to provide guidance that are located within the corridors a y R r where canalised sections of river can be of the River Thames, Deptford Creek, e v i R returned to a more natural state without the River Ravensbourne, Pool River, the increasing flood risk. River Quaggy and Kyd Brook. Sites Catford may not have a river frontage but will be closely related to the river and therefore r e Dulwich v i R have the potential to affect the river l R o iv o e Supplementary Planning Document environment. P r R a v e n s b September 2015 o u r n Beckenham e Sundridge Place Park Park Penge K yd Bro ok Bromley Beckenham River Corridor Improvement Plan London Borough of Lewisham Borough of Lewisham London 1 N 0m 1000m 1 AIMS OBJECTIVES 1.6 1.7 The aims of the RCIP are to: The objectives of the RCIP are to: • Safeguard and increase the role of the river corridors in the public • Provide guidance for developers and • Protect and enhance the biodiversity realm, contributing to the open landowners; and landscape value of the rivers in space network in the Borough, and Lewisham; to promote opportunities for sport, • Secure high quality development leisure, education, investment and along the river corridors; • Provide coordinated guidance for employment; development adjacent to the London Borough of Lewisham’s rivers, • Ensure development enhances the • Promote social inclusion and tackle promoting regeneration and ensuring river setting; deprivation and discrimination, design is responsive to and makes the ensuring that the river corridors are most of opportunities to enhance the accessible to everyone as part of the • Provide guidance on flood alleviation river environment; blueribbon network; and ecological improvements; • Promote the sustainable and efficient • Promote opportunities for walking Sutcliffe Park • Ensure that development is use of space by protecting and and cycling by ensuring existing appropriate and that the impacts enhancing the multifunctional nature routes, such as the Waterlink Way and of development are effectively of the Ravensbourne, Quaggy and Route 21, are maintained and where understood; Pool Rivers, Deptford Creek and the possible enhanced, and by promoting River Thames; opportunities to overcome barriers to • Engage local communities in the public rights of way network; flood prone areas and encourage • Maximise the use of the river to appropriate action; transport freight, particularly in • Provide opportunities for greater Deptford Creek, to support the Blue access and awareness of the historic Ribbon Network; • Encourage development which environment as shaped by the river positively responds to rivers and their network. Supplementary Planning Document setting, ensuring that any necessary • Promote opportunities to manage mitigation is designed in from the flooding; September 2015 earliest stage as an inherent part of the scheme; • Promote improved access to rivers and increased public awareness; • Improve the overall water quality and river health. Ladywell Fields River Corridor Improvement Plan London Borough of Lewisham Borough of Lewisham London 2 1 BENEFITS STATUS Stepney 1.8 1.9 The RCIP provides a clear framework for This SPD has been prepared to support the river corridors. The vision, which has the implementation of Lewisham’s been developed through consultation Core Strategy, in particular policies Docklands hames with the key stakeholders, sets out the 10 (Managing and reducing the risk River T expectations and requirements for the of flooding), 11 (River and waterways Bermondsey range of activities that occur along the network) and 15 (High quality design for river corridors. General and specific Lewisham), and policies in Lewisham’s design requirements are provided. The Development Management Local Plan, d SPD provides a coordinated approach to Site Allocations Local Plan and Lewisham r o Blackheath f k t p e Woolwich the complex interests of environmental Town Centre Local Plan. e Deptford e r D C Common protection and enhancement, flood Greenwich risk, housing supply, economic growth 1.10 Park and other development pressures, and The policies within this SPD are consistent Peckham recreation needs and demands. The RCIP with Lewisham’s