New Hybrid Masterplan Planning Application

On Saturday, 25 June 2022, we hosted a Community Day on the Silvertown site to show our new proposals for Silvertown's New Hybrid Masterplan. As part of the Community Day, we had the Royal Docks and Beckton Moving Market and a variety of activities on site for local residents to experience the future potential for the site.

Towards the end of Summer 2022, the New Hybrid Masterplan Planning Application will be submitted by the Silvertown Partnership to advance the proposals for the development of the Silvertown site in the Royal Docks. 

The New Hybrid Masterplan proposals were displayed on a set of exhibition boards, which can be downloaded at the top of each of the next pages.

The next pages provide an overview of the New Hybrid Masterplan proposals presented in the exhibition boards with plenty of feedback questions and opportunities to let us know what you think about the latest plans for Silvertown. You'll also find out more about how the proposals have changed since the exhibitions in March, based on the feedback we received. 

The map above shows Silvertown in context with other large developments in the surrounding area. Silvertown is outlined as a new centre for the wider community.

The Royal Docks were the largest enclosed docks in the world before their closure in the early 1980s. Under new plans set out by the Mayor of London and the Mayor of Newham in 2018, the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone has been a part of an ambitious £300m regeneration plan.

The Enterprise Zone is a key part of the Government’s strategy to attract investment to London, and deliver more jobs and homes in the area.

In Newham, the Royal Docks Enterprise Zone has boosted investment into new transport infrastructure, placemaking initiatives, cultural programming, employment opportunities and skills generation.

Silvertown's Illustrative Masterplan and Phase 1 with character areas.

Silvertown will contribute towards the wider strategic aims of the Greater London Authority, London Borough of Newham, and HM Government. This contribution includes the delivery of much needed homes, with the provision of 50% affordable homes by habitable room (increased from 35% by area from previous approval), improved accessibility across Royal Victoria Dock and Pontoon Dock, and improved connections to key public infrastructure, including Custom House Station for the DLR and the new Elizabeth Line.

From our community engagement activities over the past few years, we have heard extensively that the Royal Docks currently lack town centre amenities and cultural and community infrastructure. The Silvertown project aims to fill this gap through providing much needed retail space, community infrastructure, cultural spaces, and activity-based open spaces, like X Park and Pontoon Place. Below, you can find out more about Silvertown's different character areas or neighbourhoods.

Silvertown's masterplan is made of four character areas that represent how different areas of the site may look and feel. 

Silvertown Centre

Silvertown Centre incorporates the heritage buildings Millennium Mills and Silo D, which are linked by a new high street to create a new town centre for the Royal Docks.

Silverworks

Silverworks will be a mixed-use neighbourhood with homes, workspaces and public spaces. The workspaces in Silvertown will be for making, doing, and learning. X Park along the dock’s edge will provide green space to relax in and dedicated play spaces for all ages.

Pontoon Dock 

Pontoon Dock will be a vibrant new community with a focus on living by the water. New large scale public spaces around the water and space for on the water activities will allow residents and visitors to enjoy the Docks in new ways.

Victoria Gardens 

Victoria Gardens is Silvertown’s family neighbourhood with housing for both small and larger families. This quieter residential neighbourhood will be composed of blocks of residential buildings centred around large open spaces.

The next page gives more information about Silvertown's Phase 1 of development, the most western part of the site surrounding Millennium Mills and Silo D.

The majority of plots consented in the previously approved 2019 Reserved Matters Application (RMA) remain the same. The information below summarises the uses and location of each plot to be re-inserted into the New Hybrid Masterplan Planning Application.

Phase 1 2019 RMA: The removal of Plot 5 and the introduction of Plots 1D and 2D improves the connectivity through the site and pedestrian access to Silo D Park.

Plot 1: Residential building framing the site entrance from the west and with shops and food and drink at ground floor.

Plot 2: Renovation and extension of the landmark Millennium Mills building to provide workspace, retail and food and drink.

Plot 4: Commercial uses and active ground floor uses to support the workspace quarter surrounding Millennium Mills.

Plot 6: Lower-rise residential building with some active ground floor uses.

Plot 7: Residential building forming part of the gateway to the site from North Woolwich Road with some active ground floor uses.

Plot 8: Residential building fronting North Woolwich Road with some active ground floor uses.

Phase 1: Key Elements

Silo D Park

Indicative CGI of Silo D Park.

Silo D is a 20th century Grade II listed concrete grain silo, built to replace the iron silos from the late 19th century that were damaged in the Silvertown munition explosion of 1917.

The area of Silvertown Centre around Silo D will be transformed into a new public park (Silo D Park), with primarily residential buildings surrounding the park and along the western part of a new canal on site (Silo D Canal).

Silo D Park and Silo D Canal will be important public spaces for the southern part of Silvertown Centre. Changes to Silo D Park include the introduction of dedicated play space for young people and more landscaping.

Increasing affordable homes in Phase 1 

Indicative CGI of Plots 1D (left) and 2D (right) as seen from the junction of Mill Road and Evelyn Walk.

The removal of Plot 5 from the 2019 RMA and the inclusion of Plots 1D and 2D within the New Hybrid Masterplan will increase the number of affordable homes delivered in the early stages of the Silvertown development.

Buildings 1D and 2D are specifically 100% affordable with additional townhouses located at ground floor level on Evelyn Walk. Homes will be a range of sizes to suit different needs and will be suitable for families.

A local high street

Plots 1D and 2D strengthen the connection between the two major heritage assets on site. The New Hybrid Masterplan realigns Silvertown Avenue to create a linear street between the public space surrounding Millennium Mills and Silo D Park.

Plots 1D and 2D’s ground floor use will create the western edge of Silvertown Avenue, with supportive ground floor uses that could be occupied by restaurants, local shops and services, establishing the neighbourhood centre for the wider area.

A new entrance to the site via Evelyn Walk

The inclusion of Plots 1D and 2D within the New Hybrid Masterplan allows the creation of a new entrance into the Silvertown site. A new pedestrian route will create a link between Britannia Village and Silvertown Avenue via Evelyn Walk.

This pedestrianised street will be landscaped and include play spaces for young children. The street will be active through community uses, entrance lobbies and townhouse front doors looking onto the street.

Millennium Mills

Indicative CGI showing Millennium Mills' northern external facade viewed from Royal Victoria Dock.

Millennium Mills is a listed 20th century flour mill that has been vacant since the closure of the Royal Docks in 1981. It is one of few large-scale industrial buildings remaining in the Royal Docks.

The area of Silvertown Centre around Millennium Mills will celebrate the industrial legacy of the site and will act as a commercial centre providing new retail and office space and cultural brand experiences.

This area will also be the main entry point to Silvertown for those crossing the new Royal Victoria Dock Bridge from the northern side of Royal Victoria Dock and Custom House Station (DLR and Elizabeth Line). This entry point will be an important piece of public realm with access to the dock edge and the refurbished Jetty, providing spill out areas, places to sit, and opportunities to get close to the Dock’s water.

Access to Millennium Mills from the dock edge and Mills Square have been reviewed since 2019, adopting a level entrance from dockside to the interior spaces. 

Plot 3, an addition to Millennium Mills, will be sensitively constructed, respecting the building’s heritage and retaining as much of the building’s original features, such as the grain silos and exposed internal structure.

Mills Square

Indicative CGI of Mills Square.

Mills Square is the main ‘town square’ for residents and visitors in Silvertown and will be flexible for different uses or features. Mills Square will also support spill out from retail/food and beverage outlets located in Millennium Mills and adjacent buildings. This will be complemented by high quality landscaping and additional built-in seating. Millennium Mills and Plot 3 together will border Mills Square, creating a lively public square with the capacity to host small events, like concerts, markets, family festivals, or just a space to relax.

Mills Square will be connected to Silvertown Avenue, the new proposed local high street for Silvertown.

The next page describes our ambition to create a new town centre for the Royal Docks in Silvertown.

Silvertown Centre: a mix of uses and destinations to serve the wider Royal Docks community.

Using the incredible heritage assets of Millennium Mills and Silo D, Silvertown Centre aims to provide a new local high street and town centre that reflects Newham’s diverse communities and culture.

This includes retail space for larger and smaller local shops, places to eat and drink, community spaces, and neighbourhood services. Our aim is for Silvertown Centre to be the new social heart of the Royal Docks, delivering much needed social infrastructure for all to use and enjoy.

The Silvertown development will create between 8,000 to 11,000 jobs.  

From our community consultation activities, local residents felt that the ground floor uses and retail offer should reflect the community of the wider area, acknowledging the multicultural nature of Newham.

Community members also discussed how streets and open spaces can be activated through events and programming.

Silvertown Avenue

Silvertown Avenue will be a pedestrian-priority street and will include a variety of high street amenities, including retail space, cafés and restaurants, cultural spaces, and community spaces.

We heard from the community that amenities are currently lacking in the area, and we wanted to make sure that we reflected this need in our updated proposals for Silvertown. Silvertown Centre will be focused on providing smaller amounts of floor space for more local shops and traders and avoid larger ‘big box’ stores.

We want the shops and spaces along Silvertown Avenue to represent both the local area’s heritage and Newham’s diverse cultures and communities. 

As mentioned above, Silvertown will host between 8,000 and 11,000 jobs, suited for a diverse range of skills and career options (including media, technology, education, making, leisure, and retail). 

Linked to our proposals for a new town centre, at the heart of Silvertown's ambitions is to create a convenient and connected style of living in a 15-minute city. 

The next page provides more information about the project's transport and accessibility strategy.

Silvertown is one of the last large plots of empty land in the Royal Docks and has the unique potential to stitch together historically disconnected neighbourhoods. This potential has informed our movement and connection strategy, to facilitate stronger accessibility between north and south, and east and west.

Key to realising this potential is the new Royal Victoria Dock Bridge (RVDB), a new step-free bridge linking Silvertown to the northern part of the Docks, next to ExCeL’s Western Terrace. The new RVDB will provide pedestrian and cyclist access from Silvertown to Custom House Station for the DLR and the new Elizabeth Line. Silvertown’s improved connection to the Elizabeth Line and DLR will provide easier and quicker access to central London (in around 10 minutes) and beyond.

Wider public transport connections and times from Custom House Station.

Pedestrian and cycling focus 

Silvertown will be a car-free scheme. Throughout the masterplan, streets are pedestrian- and cyclist-first, and cars take a backseat.

Careful design measures have been taken to reduce the number of vehicles on streets. These measures include the creation of shared surfaces, active ground floor frontages as well as places to stop and rest, which makes Silvertown's streets safer and more attractive for pedestrians and cyclists.

Residents and businesses will still have vehicular access if required, and cars will still be allowed on site through servicing and routes for emergency response vehicles. Disabled car parking spaces will also be provided on streets.

The map above indicates pedestrian-priority streets and areas of vehicular use.

The next page explains our plans for Silvertown's open and green spaces across the site.

Creating pleasant and open environments that encourage interaction between people and place is key for Silvertown.

The public and open spaces are designed to be flexible and accommodate different activities, like sports, play and rest.

This is supported by a wider public realm network to connect Silvertown’s character areas, key destinations points, and existing neighbourhoods to the wider Royal Docks area.

Public open and green spaces set within the New Hybrid Masterplan.

The revised public realm strategy for the site aims to create more flexible spaces that will provide a better user experience, by creating open spaces that are designed, curated, and managed to ensure everyone feels welcome, safe, and comfortable.

Over 10 acres of open space for public recreation and amenity is provided across the site.

Silvertown incorporates play and open space both on and near the water. Since the last consultation event in Spring 2022 public open space has increased by 4,000 sqm, the equivalent of 15 tennis courts.

Below, some of the major public spaces are described in more detail. 

Silverworks Yard

Silverworks Yard is the main communal open space in the Silverworks commercial zone and is essential in supporting the industrial and commercial uses within the buildings. Its design will reflect the industrial character and function of Silverworks in addition to providing a space to meet, socialise and foster collaboration between people who live, work or visit the area. Silverworks Yard should be flexible to accommodate for spill out and social activities such as temporary events.

Victoria Green

Victoria Green is a key residential open space for Silvertown, providing a safe and lively green space for residents of all ages to explore and enjoy. Victoria Green will deliver a high proportion of play for children and teenagers to promote healthy living and fun. In addition, its design encourages social interaction and a community feel through seating and places for social gatherings.

Mills Place

Mills Place is a pocket park branching out from Mills Street, a key active retail street within Silvertown. Its location acts as a green heart between the buzzing commercial and residential plots. As a local park, it offers opportunities for both residents and visitors to sit, socialise and unwind. Mills Place also provides residents with a generous play area including elements that allow young children to swing, slide or climb.

The next page details our proposals for activating the water and dock edge in Silvertown.

Water and blue infrastructure within the Silvertown masterplan.

What makes Silvertown such an exciting development is the site’s access to water, a unique and rare asset in London. The site is surrounded by incredible water features that have been underused and under-appreciated for decades.

A key ambition of Silvertown’s regeneration is to incorporate the water’s past industrial usage into its future identity. This will be achieved by activating the waterfront, creating connections through the site, and providing space for water-based activities.

Ensuring a variety of water-based activities will provide several benefits for Silvertown. These activities include kayaking, boating, and swimming. They will attract visitors to Silvertown whilst promoting a healthier lifestyle amongst residents. 

All around the water, we are planning to create new public spaces and parks to improve access to this part of the Docks that have been historically out of reach. This includes Pontoon Waterside and Pontoon Place, two new public spaces along the water, and X Park, a linear park with play spaces for all ages along the northern dock edge.

These activities will be available to everybody, residents and visitors of all abilities and ages, and will be a major attractor to the area. Some of these spaces are described in more detail below. 

Pontoon Place

Potential water activities and public spaces in Pontoon Place.

Pontoon Place is one of the major public green spaces, linking North Woolwich Road (NWR) and Pontoon Dock DLR station to the rest of Silvertown. Pontoon Place will be focused on its large dock frontage to the north and will provide opportunities for water activities and water features throughout. To the south, Pontoon Place will link to NWR and provide easy access to Pontoon Dock Station. Areas to sit and relax will be coupled with spill out areas from nearby ground floor retail and food and beverage outlets.

X Park

X Park indicative collage.

X Park is a destination open space that provides residents and Londoners with a significant green space and a unique offer in terms of play and multi-generational activities in London. With the inclusion of a variety of uses that are accessible to people of all ages, X Park will promote an active lifestyle through the provision of extreme sports and sports fields. In addition, X Park faces the water and has a strong relationship with Royal Victoria Dock and the future Silverworks commercial building.

Living by the Water

The presence of water in Silvertown is an opportunity to create distinctive buildings that relate to the water through both their massing, materials, and appearance.

Located within the Pontoon Dock character area, buildings frame and highlight the water’s edge by providing a large frontage that faces the water. In addition, there are opportunities to push buildings right up to the edge of the water to create a unique setting between residential and water use.

The next (and last) page gives you the opportunity to provide us general feedback about all proposals that you've learned about on the previous pages. 

The main ambition for the Silvertown project is to create a new vibrant and inclusive neighbourhood where people can live well, better connected to the water and with each other. 

Thank you for visiting our digital exhibition for Silvertown's New Hybrid Masterplan and for letting us know what you think about the proposals. 

If you'd like to be kept up to date about the project, please subscribe to our news updates here. 

Please click next to submit your feedback responses.