5 URBAN DESIGN STRATEGY 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Public realm strategy 5.3 Key development areas 52 53 5.1 Introduction London Riverside presents an opportunity to bring of the delivery of homes and supporting social This urban design chapter is structured in two forward residential development in a variety of infrastructure. sections as follows: urban forms, from the award winning high rise and high densities of Barking Town Centre to the The OA has also led the way in high quality design Public realm strategy contemporary terraced housing of Barking Riverside; of industrial areas such as the London Sustainable Industries Park (LSIP) and the Centre for Engineering 1: Connecting northern open spaces with the River redevelopments that are positively changing the Thames perception of the area. There is huge scope within the and Manufacturing Excellence (CEME) to show how opportunity area to provide more traditional housing employment and industrial uses can be delivered in 2: The green spine types with front doors directly onto the street and well-designed buildings set in attractive landscapes. 3: Connecting key centres gardens instead of flats, most of which will have easy This can also help to enhance connectivity. Due to the large scale and under-developed nature of many of access to parks and wildlife reserves and unusually 4: The river walk abd riverside park spaces for London, access to the River Thames, whilst still the key development areas in London Riverside, such remaining affordable. Higher densities, although as Barking Riverside and Beam Park, the boroughs 5: Built form not necessarily high rise, are envisioned adjacent to and the GLA will support meanwhile uses in these existing historic centres such as Rainham Village and areas. This will assist in creating a sense of place and forming a community ahead of the delivery of homes around new centres such as Beam Park. Key development areas and supporting social infrastructure. There is also an opportunity through the potential 1: Barking Town Centre change of use of industrial land to residential, to better connect new residential neighbourhoods with 2: The A1306 sites existing ones, and improve connectivity to the town 3: Barking Riverside, Creekmouth, Thames Road centres. For example, by de-designating industrial and Castle Green land at Thames Road, the new neighbourhood at Barking Riverside will be better connected to Thames View Estate and Barking Town Centre. In addition, de-designating industrial land at Creekmouth The GLA have a 3D model of the opportunity areas in could create the potential for new and improved east London and would like to use this for planning connections across the River Roding to Beckton and and consultation purposes, and as part of a live the Royal Docks to the west. 3D model that will eventually cover all of London. Developers of individual sites will be expected to Due to the large scale and under-developed nature provide 3D models of their schemes in an agreed of many of the key development areas in London format which will be used to populate the GLA’s Riverside, such as Barking Riverside and Beam Park, model as schemes come forward. Developers will also the boroughs and the GLA will support meanwhile be expected to contribute to the cost of locating their uses in these areas. This will assist in creating a scheme model within the GLA’s wider model. sense of place and forming a community ahead Potential devleopment areas Figure 5.1 Key development areas 54 Figure 5.2 Public realm strategy 55 56 57 1. Connecting northern open spaces with the River Thames: 5.2 Public realm strategy Connecting existing open spaces north of the OA along the river valleys and water courses to the River Thames, including River Roding, Mayes Brook, The Gores, Beam The London Riverside Opportunity Area is rich in River, River Ingrebourne and Rainham Creek. open spaces. However connectivity to these green spaces is limited due to the physical constraints cutting across much of the area, which limits the areas 2. The Green Spine: potential. The All London Green Grid (ALGG) provides a green infrastructure framework for London. It is A network of open spaces linking Cross River Park North in Beckton through Barking Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) to meet the Riverside and Dagenham Breach to Rainham Marshes, including the Pylon Park at requirements of Policy 2.18 of the London Plan and Barking Riverside. identifies the potential to create a multi-functional green space network and landscape structure which should sit at the heart of the regeneration of the area. 3. Connecting key centres: Full details of the projects, including project numbers Improving connections between Barking Riverside and Barking Town Centre, Barking and references, can be obtained from the All London Green Grid SPG on the GLA website. Riverside and Dagenham Dock, Dagenham Heathway and Chequers Corner, and betweeen Rainham Village and Chequers’s Corner along the A1306 Linear Park. Based on the objectives of the ALGG for London Riverside five key principles have been identified drawing on the areas strengths in terms of rich open 4. River Walk and riverside park spaces: space and proximity to the river, which can contribute A continuous pedestrian and cycle path along the River Thames from Gallion’s Reach to to the areas regeneration. These key principles are set out below and on the following pages: Rainham Marshes. 5. Built form: Higher density built form in town centres and around stations and public transport interchanges 1 Connecting northern open spaces with the River Thames 3 Connecting Key Centres 5 Built form 2 The Green Spine 4 River Walk and riverside park spaces Figure 5.3 Public Realm Strategy 58 59 Figure 5.4 Connecting northern open spaces to the River Thames 1: Connecting northern open spaces to the River Thames The OAPF supports the retention and improvement Currently, the majority of open spaces to the north of of designated open spaces, and new developments the A13 are accessible to the public but the barriers should respond positively to key landscape features, created by road, railway and industrial uses to the enhance natural habitats and, where possible, improve south significantly reduce accessibility in the central access to them and improve green infrastructure. and southern part of the opportunity area. The strategy for London Riverside is to open up these The OA benefits from its proximity to large open areas for recreation, leisure and nature conservation spaces along its northern boundary in Barking Park, as a key driver for the regeneration of the area, Mayesbrook Park, Castle Green, Parsloes Park, The complemented by the proposed improvements to Gores, Beam Valley Country Park and the Ingrebourne connectivity as outlined in the ALGG. Valley. In addition to the River Roding which has a confluence with the River Thames at Barking Creek, The river valleys provide opportunities to connect a number of streams and rivers flow through these and extend these open spaces to the River Thames open spaces and the opportunity area. These include by improving the quality and biodiversity along their Mayes Brook, Gores Brook, Beam River and the length. Where possible, these green extensions could River Ingrebourne. These river valleys could provide include pedestrian pathways and cycle routes to allow significant opportunities to provide relief from access to the river walk. Opportunities should be the harsh industrial environment within the OA by explored to create new larger open spaces along the enhancing wildlife habitats, providing an excellent river valleys. setting for creating new parks and open spaces and opportunities for walking and cycling links for direct access to the River Thames, for both new residential developments, but also for existing residential communities north of the A13. 60 61 Figure 5.5 The Green Spine connecting Rainham Marshes, Dagenham Dock, Barking Riverside and Cross River Park 2: The Green Spine This key principle sets out the aspiration to connect These links will complement the north-south links Rainham Marshes in the east to the proposed connecting the northern open spaces to the River Cross River Park to the west of the opportunity Thames, and the continuous walk along the River area, through the creation of a series of interlinked Thames to provide a strategic network of parks multifunctional parks, wildlife corridors, cycle routes and open spaces, wildlife corridors, and cycle and and tree lined streets. pedestrian links to drive the transformation of the wider public realm. The OA, to the south of the A13 in particular is characterised by industrial uses. The release of some This includes the creation of a new park as part of the industrail land in this area for housing would require Barking Riverside masterplan, as well as an aspiration significant transformation of the public realm in to create a linear park along the A1306 connecting order to accomodate new high quality residential Rainham Village to Beam Park and Chequers Corner / developments. Dagenham Dock Station. The boroughs of Havering and Barking and Dagenham have recently completed The Green Spine, running east-west along the length a street improvement programme to improve and of the OA, will link Beckton Riverside across the “humanise” the environment of New Road. Havering River Roding, the Pylon Park at Barking Riverside, Council has an aspiration to reduce the width of this Dagenham Dock Station with potential links through road to create the Beam Parkway linear park along its the industrial areas linking Dagenham Breach, CEME, length, to help integrate existing communities along Rainham Industrial Areas through to Rainham Marshes its northern edge with new developments to the in the east. south, and create liveable and attractive spaces. 62 63 Figure 5.6 Connecting key centres 3: Connecting key centres The GLA’s July 2014 Town Centres SPG promotes the as a destination within the town.