THE MASTERPLAN


New developments such as Bow Common Gasworks have to respond to local, regional and national planning policy. For this site that means it needs to respond to the objectives of the Mayor of London’s Poplar Riverside Housing Zone, in particular targets for new private and affordable homes, and the specific requirements set out by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in their Local Plan. Both the Greater London Authority and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, as well as local community groups and residents, have been involved in helping to shape the consented masterplan, balancing strategic needs with local conditions and constraints. Specifically, this means: • Providing 35% affordable housing; • Delivering an education facility; • Providing a minimum of 1 hectare of new consolidated public open space; • Improving biodiversity and ecology on the site and within the wider area; • Locating family housing overlooking the publicly accessible open space; • Improving walking and cycling connections to, from and through the site; • Improving the public realm and bring activity to the site edges - BowCommon Lane and the railway line (including the rail arches); • Integrating the site with the Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park and the Borough’s    ‘Green Grid’; and • Responding positively to local conservation areas. The site formally received outline planning permission from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in 2022.

Our masterplan for Bow Common Gasworks will deliver: • Up to 1,450 new high-quality homes; • Affordable social rented and intermediate homes fully complying with planning policy; • Over 50% of the site area as publicly accessible open space, including the new park at the centre of the development; • 1 hectare of new public open space (approximately the size of two full size football pitches); • Play space and landscaped areas designed for a range of age groups; • Safe public pedestrian and cycling routes across the site; • A sixth form centre; • The retention and refurbishment of 120 Bow Common Lane; • Flexible commercial / retail / workspace; and • An enhanced environment along Bow Common Lane and Knapp Road. In addition, the development will create an estimated 170 new construction jobs and around 90 permanent jobs on site once complete. There will also be opportunities for apprenticeships through the Berkeley Group which currently supports more than 750 apprentices.