Live by the river: £3bn new docklands neighbourhood designed by Foster + Partners unveiled at Silvertown
A £3 billion plan to create a thriving town on one of the last major derelict industrial sites on the Thames in east London was unveiled today.
The huge Docklands scheme, overseen by architects Foster + Partners, will be centred on the former Carlsberg brewery building in Silvertown.
Backers said they have submitted plans to Newham council and expect to be given the go-ahead for the first phase of the project, known as Thameside West, by the summer.
The masterplan involves the construction of about 5,000 homes, 200,000 sq ft of workspace, 75,000 sq ft of shops, restaurants and bars, a primary school and a new DLR station.
Silvertown is one of east London's regeneration hotspots
It spans a 40-acre site with a kilometre of prized river frontage. There will also be two new parks and a river walkway.
The 500,000 sq ft first phase, designed by John McAslan + Partners, will build 460 homes and 35,000 sq ft of workspace on the site of the brewery, known as the Silver Building.
The Brutalist Sixties headquarters, frequently used as a rave venue after its closure in 2001, has already been partially converted into a creative and events hub.
The land for Thameside West is owned jointly by the Greater London Authority and a private company, Silvertown Homes.
The scheme will be led by GLA Land and Property and Keystone London, a property developer backed by a wealthy Swiss family.
Max James, chief executive of Keystone, said: “As one of the last major river front locations in London, the site offers a valuable opportunity to create a new community on the Thames with a genuinely sustainable mix of homes and workplaces aimed at a wide range of people living and working in this exciting part of London.”
The Silvertown area between the Royal Docks and the river is one of the last great regeneration opportunities in Docklands.
A separate £3.5 billion scheme called Silvertown Quays centred on the Millennium Mills building is currently the subject of a legal dispute between Indian billionaire Subhash Chandra and the GLA.
Dr Chandra wants to turn it into a peace park, with a cultural centre and space for meditation, yoga and dance, plus 3,500 homes.