Property developer Ballymore recently submitted a planning application for its latest major mixed-use quarter. The new development will be located on the riverfront in London’s Royal Docks and is the company’s third scheme along this picturesque riverfront.

Glenn Howells Architects and HAL architects aim to bring the vision of UNEX-Thames Road Industrial Estate to life. Workshops with the GLA, London Borough of Newham, its Design Review Panel, and other key commercial and local stakeholders also contributed to the design.

The company’s existing sites on the riverfront in London’s Royal Docks will form a lot of the inspiration behind the new one. The developers aim to reflect the urban context and industrial heritage.

Although the Newham Local Plan acknowledged that the site was suitable for mixed-use development in 2018, the site has not undergone any work just yet. Currently, it is occupied by several industrial warehouses, a concrete batching plant, and a scrap yard.

What to expect from the finished project?

The developers aim to create up to 1,610 new homes, including three-story townhouses, lower blocks of six-to-nine storeys and taller blocks of between 15-to-18 storeys, as well as light industrial and commercial space and a two-form entry primary school.

In addition to this a major new public park along the river and community leisure facilities, such as a gym, outdoor pool, tennis court, rooftop running track, and café also form part of the plan.

Residents will enjoy an easy commute to nearby stations including Pontoon Dock and Silvertown Quays Station. New cycle routes and pedestrian links and will connect to the Thames Barrier Park and Royal Wharf. The public will also be able to enjoy benefits of the new development as they be granted access to the riverside across the site, creating a new destination fronting the Thames. 

Ballymore hopes to begin construction work in 2023, while the new development is expected to be complete in 2027.

John Mulryan, group managing director at Ballymore, concludes: “We look forward to continuing the regeneration story of this area of London as we have been able to define much of Newham’s riverfront through our Royal Wharf and Riverscape developments.”

“As well as providing much-needed new homes for London, our vision is to create an area that excites and inspires, opening up the riverfront for everyone and forming a vibrant, dynamic and amenity-rich new neighbourhood.”