Interim Planning Guidance LONDON BOROUGH OF TOWER HAMLETS Isle of Dogs Area Action Plan Adopted for the purpose of development control Improving the quality of life for everyone living and working in the Borough September 2007 Tower Hamlets Interim Planning Guidance Isle of Dogs Area Action Plan This page has been left intentionally blank 1 Tower Hamlets Interim Planning Guidance Isle of Dogs Area Action Plan Contents page Foreword 1 Chapter 1 Introduction and context 7 Introduction 8 Isle of Dogs in context 12 Sub areas 18 Chapter 2 Spatial Strategy 23 Isle of Dogs key issues 24 Vision for the Isle of Dogs 26 Isle of Dogs Spatial Strategy 27 Chapter 3 Cross-cutting themes 31 Transport and movement 32 Health provision 37 Education provision 40 Open space and water space 43 Infrastructure, services and waste 48 Chapter 4 Sub-areas 53 A new district centre for the Isle of Dogs 54 The Northern sub-area 58 The Central sub-area 67 The East India South sub-area 76 The Southern sub-area 81 Chapter 5 Implementation 87 Implementing the Spatial Strategy 88 Appendices Appendix 1 Guidance and delivery of public open space 94 Appendix 2 Complete list of policies 105 Appendix 3 Supporting information 106 4 Tower Hamlets Interim Planning Guidance Isle of Dogs Area Action Plan List of figures page Figure 1 Community plan diagram 10 Figure 2 Location map 12 Figure 3 Historical maps 13 Figure 4 The Isle of Dogs today 17 Figure 5 Sub-areas and development sites map 19 Figure 6 Development sites 20 Figure 7 Key issues facing the Isle of Dogs 25 Figure 8 Spatial strategy diagram 29 Figure 9 Transport and movement 36 Figure 10 Health provision 39 Figure 11 Education provision 42 Figure 12 Open spaces and water spaces 47 Figure 13 Crossharbour District Centre diagram 55 Figure 14 Crossharbour District Centre development site map 57 Figure 15 Northern sub-area diagram 59 Figure 16 Northern sub-area development sites map 66 Figure 17 Central sub-area diagram 68 Figure 18 Central sub-area development sites map 75 Figure 19 East India South sub-area diagram 77 Figure 20 East India South sub-area development sites map 80 Figure 21 Southern sub-area diagram 82 Figure 22 Southern sub-area development sites map 84 Figure 23 Implementation diagram 90 5 Tower Hamlets Interim Planning Guidance Isle of Dogs Area Action Plan CHAPTER Introduction 1 and context 7 Tower Hamlets Interim Planning Guidance Isle of Dogs Area Action Plan Introduction Purpose of this document 1.1 The London Borough of Tower Hamlets (the Council) has prepared this Area Action Plan to provide directions and guidance on how development and change should be managed on the Isle of Dogs. The Isle of Dogs is a genuinely unique area. The isolating effect of the Thames’ meandering course, the physical legacy of the docks and shipping, and the area’s re-invention as one of the world’s key financial centres has created a place that is recognisably different from the rest of the Borough. Whilst Canary Wharf acts at a scale which helps bolster London’s world city status, at a local level it acts as the major shopping and leisure focus for the island - its city centre and ‘west-end’. These functions are supplemented by a wide range of other employment, leisure, retail, entertainment, public open space and residential uses and the Isle of Dogs is fast becoming a compact ‘city within a city’. 1.2 This Area Action Plan focuses on implementation in order to: i. deliver planned growth areas; ii. stimulate regeneration; iii. protect areas particularly sensitive to change; and iv. focus the delivery of area based regeneration initiatives. 1.3 The Area Action Plan will help ensure that development and growth is delivered so as to provide the maximum, long-term benefit for the Borough and its communities and so that the area’s exceptional characteristics are protected and enhanced. Relationship with national and regional planning policy 1.10 National planning policy is contained in a series of Planning Policy Statements and other documents which establish planning principles and policies for the whole of England. The Isle of Dogs Area Action Plan has been prepared to be consistent with National Planning Policy. 1.11 The London Plan, which is prepared by the Mayor of London, sets out regional planning policies for the whole of Greater London. The Isle of Dogs is located in the East London Sub-Region as identified in the London Plan, and is designated as an Opportunity Area, meaning that the Isle of Dogs is capable of accommodating substantial new jobs and/or homes. The designation in the London Plan of the Isle of Dogs as an Opportunity Area has provided a stimulus for the preparation of the Area Action Plan, and it has been prepared to be in general conformity with the London Plan. The intention is that this Area Action Plan will act as the Opportunity Area Planning Framework for the Isle of Dogs. 8 Tower Hamlets Interim Planning Guidance Isle of Dogs Area Action Plan Relationship with the Community Plan 1.12 The Tower Hamlets Community Plan describes the kind of place that people who live and work in the Borough want Tower Hamlets to be, with thousands of people contributing to its development. The Community Plan aims to improve the quality of life for everyone living and working in Tower Hamlets. This is delivered through the Tower Hamlets Partnership which brings together all stakeholders to ensure effective, responsive and inclusive delivery of the Community Plan. The Isle of Dogs Area Action Plan seeks to contribute to achieving the aims and objectives of the Community Plan. Figure 1 shows the key themes of the Community Plan. Figure 1 Community Plan diagram Creating and Learning Living Safely Living Well Sharing Prosperity Achievement Stay Safe Be Healthy Achieving and Leisure economic wellbeing Enjoy and Learn Excellent Public Services Making a positive contribution Structure of the Isle of Dogs Area Action Plan 1.13 The Isle of Dogs Area Action Plan is structured to provide a comprehensive basis for the future planning of the area and to ensure its directions are clear. 1.14 Chapter 1 of the Area Action Plan sets out important contextual information about the Isle of Dogs, including a brief overview of its history and its location in the borough and London-wide context. The various sub-areas which are used in the Area Action Plan are also identified in Chapter 1. 1.15 Chapter 2 sets out key issues for the Isle of Dogs which have emerged from the review of the evidence base which has informed the Area Action Plan, as well as the key issues which have been derived from a variety of consultation exercises. It then builds on both the context and the key issues to set out a comprehensive vision for the Isle of Dogs, drawing both from the Community Plan and the views of the various communities on the Isle of Dogs. It then sets out the overarching spatial strategy to support the delivery of this vision. This spatial policy is illustrated in a key diagram to show the key elements 9 Tower Hamlets Interim Planning Guidance Isle of Dogs Area Action Plan of change on the Isle of Dogs. This section aligns with the Tower Hamlets Core Strategy which provides the key strategic directions for the Isle of Dogs. 1.16 Chapter 3 set out a number of cross-cutting policies that are relevant across the whole of the Isle of Dogs. These policies seek to ensure that the infrastructure and services required to support change and growth can be provided and include transport and movement, health, education, open space and water space, and infrastructure, services and waste. 1.17 Chapter 4 provides detailed planning policies for the sub-areas of the Isle of Dogs. These policies build on the overall spatial strategy set out in Chapter 2, and seek to provide policies for each sub-area which clearly set the directions for each area in order to appropriately manage change. These sections also identify site allocations and their preferred uses. 1.18 Chapter 5 outlines the key methods to implement the spatial strategy and deliver the vision for the Isle of Dogs. Key projects are illustrated in Figure 23. 1.19 Appendix 1 provides an overview of key public open spaces on the Isle of Dogs (existing and planned), and shows how the public open space policies of the Area Action Plan are to be implemented. 1.20 Appendix 2 provides a list of all policies included in this plan. 1.21 Appendix 3 provides a list of all relevant supporting information used in the formulation of the policies for the Area Action Plan. 10 Tower Hamlets Interim Planning Guidance Isle of Dogs Area Action Plan This page has been left intentionally blank 11 Tower Hamlets Interim Planning Guidance Isle of Dogs Area Action Plan Isle of Dogs in context Location 1.22 The Isle of Dogs is located on the River Thames, approximately 4 kilometres from the City of London. A part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, it adjoins, to the north, the predominantly residential community of Poplar. Across the River Thames to the south and east lies the London Borough of Greenwich, and to the west are the London Boroughs of Lewisham and Southwark. Isle of Dogs Area Action Plan Hackney Figure 2. Location Map Newham Islington London Borough of Tower Hamlets City of London Southwark Isle of Dogs Area Action Plan Boundary Borough Boundary Greenwich Central Activities Zone A Roads Thames River Lewisham 01km London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Area History of the docks 1.23 The East India Dock opened in 1802 to accommodate the shipping of cargo and shipbuilding.