FFISHISH IISLANDSLAND AREA ACTION PLAN Draft Submission Document DECEMBER 2011 Communicating Regeneration The AAP Team Urban Graphics Paul Buckenham James Lewis Jack Ettinger Sophie Medhurst Jonny Moore Bally Meeda Sripriya Sudhakar Asha Rajput Simone Williams Mark Woolf Philip Waters Graphic design and cartography by: www.towerhamlets.gov.uk www.urban-graphics.co.uk FFISHISH IISLANDSLAND AREA ACTION PLAN Draft Submission Document DECEMBER 2011 FOREWORD Fish Island is an area with outstanding The Mayor’s Pledges for more affordable potential that provides a key link family sized housing, maximising job between the established communities opportunities, and improving the built of Tower Hamlets and the 2012 Olympic environment and public realm, will be key Legacy - the most exciting urban regeneration drivers for Fish Island. We regeneration project in Europe. Against want to retain and enhance Fish Island’s this backdrop, Fish Island will evolve to distinctive character, whilst allowing for become an area where people choose to managed transformation to deliver new live, work and visit. homes and jobs. With the adopted Core Strategy in place, The AAP shows how up to 2,800 new this Area Action Plan provides local homes in mixed developments could be development guidance and sets out delivered, including family and affordable investment priorities to support delivery housing. A new hub at Hackney Wick of our vision for Fish Island. The plan will supported by better public transport will help us all maximise the benefi ts of the support the development of sustainable Olympics legacy by ensuring a balanced communities. approach to meeting the needs of our community and the wider area. The biggest challenges will be to make sure that Fish Island becomes better connected to its surroundings and that we plan for the schools, open space and health facilities that will be needed to Councilor Rabina Khan support new and existing communities. Lead member for Housing The Area Action Plan has emerged through extensive consultation with residents, local businesses and land owners. I offer my thanks to everyone who has contributed towards the development of the AAP, all input has been valuable. AREA ACTION PLAN AREA ACTION FISH ISLAND CONTENTS 001 1 Setting the scene 031 2 A vision for Fish Island 039 3 Connecting Fish Island 053 4 Delivering new homes and jobs 071 5 A hub at Hackney Wick SPATIAL THEMES 081 6 Creating a high quality environment 101 7 Delivering sustainable regeneration 117 8 Appendix 1 - Evidence base Appendix 2 - Implementation plan Appendix 3 - Managed workspace guidelines AREA ACTION PLAN AREA ACTION FISH ISLAND 5 FISH ISLAND AREA ACTION PLAN 01 What is the draft Fish Island Area Action Plan? How is the draft AAP being prepared? How will the AAP relate to other plans or policies? Fish Island – place, people and economy Character Areas Opportunities and challenges Setting the scene 1 AREA ACTION PLAN AREA ACTION FISH ISLAND 1 SETTING THE SCENE WHAT IS THE DRAFT FISH ISLAND 1.2 The Olympic Park is taking shape with AREA ACTION PLAN? more than 200 hectares of land and waterways (bigger than Hyde Park) 1.1 Fish Island is a place full of potential. It being transformed to create a world occupies a strategic position between class setting for the Games. Meanwhile established communities in Tower a further £4 billion has been invested in Hamlets and the biggest and most Stratford City next to the Olympic Park, exciting urban regeneration project in creating thousands of job opportunities Europe. Unprecedented resources are and a new focus for business, shopping being invested to develop the sports and leisure. facilities and infrastructure to stage the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. 1.3 During the summer of 2012, the world’s Figure 1.1 shows Fish Island in relation to attention will be focussed on east its surrounding context. London. But the story won’t stop there – the 2012 Games will be the catalyst to transform the Lower Lea Valley. In time, the Olympic Legacy will deliver permanent world class sports venues alongside thousands of new homes set within sustainable communities, with schools and health facilities, parks and open spaces, new connections and Setting the scene public transport. AREA ACTION PLAN AREA ACTION FISH ISLAND 2 1.4 The lasting Olympic legacy will be more 1.6 The draft Area Action Plan (AAP) is a plan 1.8 The AAP shows how Fish Island could than physical – it will help to raise the to guide the regeneration and future become a joined up part of Tower overall living standards for people in development of Fish Island - the mainly Hamlets that will be a great place east London, creating access to new industrial area south of Hackney Wick to live, work or visit. Fish Island will jobs, training opportunities, education, station, between the A12 road and the develop in way that meets the needs sport and physical activity. A whole new River Lea. and aspirations of Tower Hamlets quarter of London will grow and develop, communities and maximises the becoming a destination for visitors and a 1.7 The AAP sets out a vision which describes Olympic Legacy. place that people will choose to live, work the kind of place that Fish Island could and enjoy. The priority for regeneration is be in the future. The AAP aims to create 1.9 The AAP will provide clear objectives, that within 20 years the communities who a balanced approach to regeneration policies and guidance that will help host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic that will deliver up to 2,800 new homes the community, land owners and Games will have the same social and - including a substantial provision of developers work with the Council and economic chances as their neighbours affordable and family housing supported its partners to deliver the vision. It may across London. This is often called the by new schools, open space and health take many years for the vision for Fish principle of ‘convergence’. facilities, alongside space for new and Island to be fully realised so the AAP existing businesses to grow and thrive. focuses on change and growth that 1.5 Tower Hamlets Council wants to maximise could take place in Fish Island over the the Olympic Legacy opportunities for next 15 years to 2026. Figure 1.x shows everyone living or working in Tower the area included in the draft AAP. Hamlets. To help achieve this we need to look closely at the future of Fish Island to see how this area can respond to the Setting the scene unique set of opportunities by providing the link between the established 1 communities in Tower Hamlets and the Olympic Legacy development. AREA ACTION PLAN AREA ACTION FISH ISLAND The River Lea canal Olympic Stadium 3 Homerton 1.10 The Council has an adopted Core Strategy Stratford International which contains a strategic vision for Fish Island: Stratford City A mixed-use, sustainable community HACKNEY WICK offering a unique place to live and work, right next to the Olympic STRATFORD Park and within walking distance of Stratford City STRATFORD STRATFORD VI CTORI A PARK A12 OLYMPIC STAD IU M PUDDING MILL LANE A12 Setting the scene Roman Road PUDDING MILL LANE 1 Hackney Bromley-By-Bow Newham London Borough of Tower Hamlets AREA ACTION PLAN AREA ACTION Southwark Greenwich FISH ISLAND Figure 1.1: Sub regional context 4 Setting the scene 1 AREA ACTION PLAN AREA ACTION FISH ISLAND Figure 1.2: Aerial view of Fish Island 5 1.11 The Core Strategy provides a strategic 1.13 The AAP will show how the community, 1.15 The draft AAP will be used by: vision for Fish Island and acknowledges local authorities, land owners, public that because of the complex issues that bodies can work together to realise • the local community to infl uence would have to be addressed – including opportunities and deliver a sustainable sustainable development in Fish the managed release of strategic future for Fish Island. Island; industrial land - an Area Action Plan • land owners, business owners to help should be prepared. 1.14 The Council believes an Area Action Plan is the right way of coordinating and them contribute to delivering the 1.12 The draft National Planning Policy implementing the spatial vision for Fish overall vision; Framework (NPPF) says that each local Island in the Core Strategy. It will focus on • local government and public sector planning authority should produce a managing change over the next 15 years organisations to bring forward Local Plan for its area and additional by providing a mix of detailed guidance, infrastructure that supports development plan documents should policies and priorities for investment. The sustainable development; only be used where clearly justifi ed. AAP will show how the local community, the Council and its partners, land owners, • local planning authorities making developers and public organisations can decisions on planning applications. play a part in realising opportunities and delivering a sustainable future for Fish Island. Setting the scene 1 AREA ACTION PLAN AREA ACTION FISH ISLAND 6 HOW IS THE DRAFT AAP BEING PREPARED? 1.16 The Council is not starting the draft Area DRAFT HACKNEY WICK AND FISH ISLAND CONSULTATION AND ENGAGEMENT Action Plan from scratch. Information MASTERPLAN sources (known as the evidence base) 1.18 Information received from previous LDF help to build the foundations of the 1.17 In 2007, Tower hamlets Council, Hackney consultation has been used to help shape the document. These sources include work Council and LTGDC embarked on a fi rst engagement draft AAP. A full picture of carried out to prepare the draft Hackney master-planning process for Hackney the feedback received is available in the LDF Wick and Fish Island Masterplan, Wick and Fish Island to ensure the vision Consultation Report.