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In 2013, the Greater London Authority (GLA) entered into a Master Development Agreement with The Silvertown Partnership. The Partnership included Chelsfield Properties, First Base, and Macquarie Capital. An outline planning application was submitted for the Silvertown site in 2014 to the London Borough of Newham and was approved in 2016.
Lendlease and Starwood Capital acquired The Silvertown Partnership in 2018 and inherited the rights to develop the site. Following extensive community consultation in 2019, The Silvertown Partnership submitted a detailed planning application for Phase 1 in September 2019.
Following community engagement for Phase 1 in 2019, the project has been working on amendments to the masterplan in response to changing planning policy and to respond to the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. In January 2022, the project re-launched and since then, works have begun to enable earlier development of the site.
A Reserved Matters Application (RMA) was submitted earlier this year seeking permission for works comprising the infilling of part of Pontoon Dock. This supports our wider principles and aims of re-activating the entire waterfront along Pontoon Dock (see Question 3.2 for more detail). This application does not seek the infilling of the entire Pontoon Dock.
There will be two further applications submitted this year, for the new Royal Victoria Dock Bridge in the Spring, and for the new hybrid masterplan by the end of the Summer.
You will have noticed that several things are already happening on the site. This includes enabling works such as utilities diversion, earthworks, and the removal of trees and shrubs. These initial works will enable future utilities on site to be connected to the existing network and will prepare the site for development.
Across the site, around 109 trees will be removed. The Phase 1 Reserved Matters Approval granted in 2019 consented the planting of over 300 new trees within Phase 1 alone, replacing every felled tree with approximately three new ones. We will be retaining and are actively exploring ways to re-use the felled trees.
Earthworks have begun on site in Phase 1 to level the ground and collect materials for the dock infill works. These surplus materials will be retained and re-used as part of the dock infill works to promote sustainable construction practices.
In Autumn 2022, development will begin on the first homes as part of Phase 1 approved in 2019.
The Silvertown Partnership is a joint venture between Lendlease and Starwood Capital. Prior + Partners are leading on the masterplan for Silvertown.
For the new Royal Victoria Dock Bridge, the lead architects are Moxon, and the lead engineers are Buro Happold.
Keltbray are the construction contractors for the enabling works.
Soundings is managing the community consultation and engagement programme.
The Royal Albert Dock development is not part of the Silvertown redevelopment project. For more information about Royal Albert Dock, please visit their project site here: https://rad.london/.
The original masterplan from 2016 established the amount and type of development across the site. The masterplan was divided into character areas, each reflecting the different living, working and recreational elements of the new Silvertown.
Planning permission for the original masterplan was granted by the London Borough of Newham for 3,000 homes with 35% affordable. The workspace and retail had a priority focus on brand pavilions[FT1] , office space, retail, and food and drink space. It anticipated over 15,000 new jobs and a total of over 500,000 square meters of workspace.
The original masterplan also included proposals for public realm, public amenities such as cafes, restaurants and shops and the heritage assets of the site – Silo D and Millennium Mills.
We were always going to come back to the public with amendments to the previous masterplan, including with more opportunities to provide feedback.
Since receiving outline planning permission almost six years ago, it has also become necessary to respond to several key policy changes and the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic. The emerging masterplan has undergone a series of changes to best respond to these challenges and policy changes.
The key changes include:
Throughout 2022, The Silvertown Partnership will be submitting three planning applications.
As part of the redevelopment of Silvertown, The Silvertown Partnership is committed to delivering a new Royal Victoria Dock Bridge, linking Silvertown to the wider Royal Docks area and Custom House (for ExCeL) Station (DLR and Elizabeth Line). Outline planning permission granted in 2016 included permission for a new bridge linking Silvertown to Custom House. A new bridge was also included in the Phase 1 Reserved Matters Application (RMA) in 2019.
A new bridge is being built to support the overall goals of the Silvertown project, as well as to create an essential step-free connection for Silvertown to the wider area. The new bridge will allow residents, workers, and visitors to navigate more easily around the Royal Docks and improve their experience of the local area.
We have heard from members of the community that they are unhappy with the state of the existing bridge. The new bridge will not replace the existing platformed footbridge, and improvements to the existing bridge will be made.
More information on how we are responding to feedback can be found under section 5.
For more information about this application, and to leave us your feedback on the proposals, please visit the New Royal Victoria Dock Bridge Planning Application page here.
In early 2022, a Reserved Matters Application (RMA) was submitted seeking permission for works comprising the infilling of part of Pontoon Dock, within Phase 1 of the Silvertown site.
We are infilling part of Pontoon Dock to enable the development of new homes and sufficient public spaces for new and existing residents of the Royal Docks. This application does not seek the infilling of the entire Pontoon Dock. This supports our wider principles and aims of re-activating the entire waterfront along Pontoon Dock (see question 3.4).
The infilling will use surplus materials produced by the on-going enabling works. This will deliver sustainable construction through the on-site retention and re-use of these materials. This will help us minimise the waste produced by the development and reduce the volume of vehicle trips required in and out of the site.
The infill process involves sectioning off the infill area with a new dock wall, draining the water from the areas within the wall, and replacing it with the surplus materials. An appropriate surface is then laid on top to act as the formation level for future construction.
For more information about this application, please visit the Dock Infill Planning Application page here.
This application is available to view on the Newham Planning Application Portal here (Ref: 22/00528/REM).
A planning application for Silvertown’s Phase 1 was granted in 2019. Phase 1 is the most western part of the site with heritage assets Millennium Mills and Silo D. The overall design and placemaking approach for the Phase 1 development area were detailed in the 2019 planning application. This planning application also included details for ten plots and the associated public realm and landscaping strategies.
Sufficient and high quality open and green spaces are essential for Silvertown to accommodate the increase in the number of homes and families. It will also enhance the overall experience of the area for residents, visitors, and commuters. There will be a range of open and green spaces and play/recreational spaces for children and young people.
For more detail about Silvertown’s open and green spaces, and to leave us your feedback, please visit the Revised Masterplan Planning Application page here to view our Community Exhibition Boards.
Yes, public areas in Silvertown will be an open, inclusive, and fully accessible spaces to residents and non-residents from the Royal Docks area and beyond.
Yes, we will be providing private outdoor spaces within some of the residential blocks.
The waterfront will be ‘activated’ across the site. This means that it will become a part of the public realm where residents, visitors, and commuters will be able to use as recreational or relaxing spaces. At several key points there will be specific water-based activities and spaces for the public to enjoy. These include the Jetty which could have spaces for small events, and opportunities for water activities.
For more detail about Silvertown’s water activation strategy, and to leave us your feedback, please visit the Revised Masterplan Planning Application page here to view our Community Exhibition Boards.
New routes and access points to and through Silvertown will connect new neighbourhoods to the wider area and to important social infrastructure.
Within the Silvertown site, we will be providing high-quality streets and associated public realm to facilitate connections from east to west and from north to south. This will link enhance existing networks and paths in the Royal Docks (as outlined in the Royal Docks Public Realm Framework). These routes will be both for pedestrians and cyclists.
A new Royal Victoria Dock Bridge will link Silvertown to Custom House (for ExCeL) Station via a step-free pedestrian and cyclist bridge. This will create access to the DLR and Elizabeth Line.
For more detail about Silvertown’s connection and accessibility proposals, and to leave us your feedback, please visit the Revised Masterplan Planning Application page here to view our Community Exhibition Boards.
The Silvertown development aims to be a low-car scheme with a predicted 3% of new households in Silvertown owning a car. Most vehicles on site will be for disabled access and servicing requirements. There[FT2] is a significant focus on improving walking and cycling routes and promoting public transport usage.
For more detail about Silvertown’s connection and accessibility proposals, and to leave us your feedback, please visit the Revised Masterplan Planning Application page here to view our Community Exhibition Boards.
No, this development is not linked to the Silvertown Tunnel project.
Transport for London (TfL) and the Royal Docks team are working on improvements to the existing Pontoon Dock Station and broader DLR network in the Royal Docks that will increase passenger capacity and relieve existing overcrowding issues.
We do not anticipate this scheme putting further stress on the public transport system.
The new Royal Victoria Dock Bridge will diversify the transport options for Silvertown’s residents, visitors, and commuters, by linking the site to Custom House Station for the DLR and the Elizabeth Line.
For more information about the new Royal Victoria Dock Bridge, and to leave us your feedback on the proposals, please visit the New Royal Victoria Dock Bridge Planning Application page here.
The main purpose of the bridge is to create a new, step-free, and universally accessible connection from the ExCeL to Silvertown and its neighbouring communities. The new Royal Victoria Dock Bridge will connect Silvertown to Custom House Station for the DLR and the new Elizabeth Line.
For more information about this application, and to leave us your feedback on the proposals, please visit the New Royal Victoria Dock Bridge Planning Application page here.
No, the existing Royal Victoria Dock Footbridge will remain and will be refurbished as part of our proposals. We are still working on what the refurbishment will entail, but we are listening to the community’s feedback on what these refurbishment works could be.
From the feedback we’ve received so far, we understand that the existing footbridge’s lifts are frequently out-of-order or in a poor condition. We have also heard that the footbridge’s wood decking is not weather-proof and is unsuitable for wheelchairs and those with pushchairs and prams.
The new Royal Victoria Dock Bridge will be universally accessible with gradual slopes at its landing points, and it is step-free. The bridge is open for all to use and will be open to cyclists.
For more information about the new Royal Victoria Dock Bridge, and to leave us your feedback on the proposals, please visit the New Royal Victoria Dock Bridge Planning Application page here.
The ‘double S-curve’ alignment was determined after a series of rigorous studies assessing key project objectives and constraints including: travel time, opening span alignment and the Royal Victoria Dock navigation channel, structural implications, costs and materials quantities, aesthetic opportunities, maximising desirable views, locations for dwell and rest, among other criteria.
In relation to a straight alignment across Royal Victoria Dock, the travel time analysis found only a small difference between the travel time when compared to the preferred alignment and the negative outcomes from the straight alignment (per the above assessment criteria) showed that the double S-curve alignment was preferred.
The middle section of the new Royal Victoria Dock Bridge will open to allow larger vessels to pass through.
While the new RVDB’s landing points will be at ground-level, they will slope gently upwards towards the middle of the bridge. This will allow smaller vessels to pass underneath most of the bridge without any need for the bridge to open.
The tree removal works have been undertaken in the Winter months to reduce the risk to nesting birds. The removed trees will be retained, and we are currently exploring ways to re-use the trees in Silvertown. As well, more than 300 new trees will be planted in Phase 1 alone, around triple the number that were removed.
The dock infill works deliver sustainable construction outcomes through the on-site retention and re-use of surplus materials from the Phase 1 site levelling. This will help us minimise the waste produced by the development and reduce the volume of vehicle trips required in and out of the site.
The environmental effects of the dock infill works will be mitigated through the provision of compensatory aquatic habitats, delivered concurrently, and following the dock infill works. Several habitat mitigation and protection measures will be put in place and a significant amount of new aquatic habitat will be delivered to compensate for any habitat loss.
As part of the applications to be submitted later this year, the following documents will address environmental management to ensure sustainability:
The development of Phase 1 at Silvertown requires the removal of around 109 existing trees and other vegetation across the site. This work is crucial in enabling utility diversion and site levelling, which are essential for the future construction of Phase 1.
The Reserved Matters Application (RMA) for the removal of these trees was approved by the London Borough of Newham, under the planning consent dated December 2019.
The removed trees will be retained, and we are actively exploring different ways to re-use them on site.
The approval granted by the London Borough of Newham also consented the planting of over 300 new trees within Phase 1. This means that for every one tree removed, at least three will be planted in its place in Phase 1 alone.
We hosted two community exhibitions on the 5th and 8th of March at Expressway London in the Royal Docks. You can view the exhibition boards shown at the community exhibitions as a PDF here.
As part of our consultation and engagement, we have re-launched this Commonplace engagement website, and we are actively collecting feedback on both the Revised Masterplan Planning Application and new Royal Victoria Dock Bridge Application. You can learn more about these applications, and leave us your feedback through the links below:
We are planning future events, including pop-ups around the Royal Dock area in the Spring and a community market day during the Summer. We will also be hosting a variety of workshops and events for specific groups, including young people and those interested in engaging with our Design Code for Silvertown.
More details of these events and future engagement opportunities will be shared on through our Commonplace news updates, so please make sure you sign up to receive them here.
Soundings will collect and analyse all data received through the feedback forms received at our Community Exhibitions and through our Commonplace feedback pages.
Data will also be collected and analysed through our Design Code workshops, pop-up events, and other engagement activities over this period. Soundings will present these findings back to the design and project team at key points during the design process to inform future drafts of the design and plans.
In January, we issued notices to close neighbours of the Silvertown site regarding the tree removal enabling works.
In February, we issued a newsletter to over 13,000 homes and businesses in the wider Royal Docks and Custom House area with a project update. This newsletter included an invite to our community exhibitions on 5th and 8th March at Expressway London.
In March, we informed close neighbours about enabling works and the exhibitions close in-person through door-knocking along Mill Road. We also hosted a drop-in session at Britannia Village Hall during a breakfast morning and under-5 play session.
We will continue to issue notices and updates via Commonplace and on Instagram (@silvertownldn) throughout the year to keep neighbours informed and provide notice of works on site and their expected impact.
You can leave us your feedback on the dedicated Commonplace pages for the Revised Masterplan and new Royal Victoria Dock Bridge using the links below:
If you have any queries, comments, concerns, or suggestions, you can send the project team an email (hello@silvertown.co.uk) or get in touch on Instagram (@silvertownldn).