News on Thames Road

There is just under one week left of our consultation on the proposals for a new Thames Road Quarter. There has been some great feedback on the updated proposals, and we are delighted that lots of residents are excited to see this site revitalised.

There are of course some crucial questions, and you will start to see answers to these posted over the coming weeks on the website. 

One issue has been the proposal to reduce the level of parking provision on site . We have worked hard to provide parking spaces for the new homes on site, particularly the larger family homes, whilst balancing the needs of promoting active and sustainable transport methods and meeting more restrictive planning policies that seek to minimise car parking. We believe that 300 spaces strike the right balance. 

Current planning policy, including the final publication version of the London Plan, requires us to prioritise sustainable travel modes and limit parking. Any more parking would not be acceptable to the Council, GLA nor TfL. The provision of parking will also be accompanied by a focus on increasing pedestrian and cycling access to the site, alongside a multi-million-pound sum in Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) payments, to help fund things such as public transport. Of course, this site is also looking to deliver a number of major pieces of infrastructure itself , such as a new primary school, community space, a public leisure facility, flood defence upgrades and affordable housing.

Following feedback from the first round of consultation in July 2020 where there were requests for a convenience retail offering, we are delighted that a larger unit has been created which is suitable for a small supermarket at the north-east corner of the site. However, a superstore with parking (which some have asked for), would not be acceptable in planning policy in this location. As a general rule new large-scale retail should be in town centres next to major public transport hubs and would generally expect to have minimal or zero parking.

This round of consultation remains open until the 10 January so keep giving us your views  and share the site with your friends and neighbours. You can also agree with comments made by others. We want to hear from as many local people as possible. 

P.S. For those of you who have asked about capacity on the DLR, there is some more information below in an earlier news post.