An ambitious Masterplan that sets out a future vision for a regenerated Charlton Riverside, was formally adopted at Wednesday's Cabinet meeting (21 June) in the Royal Borough.

An area of opportunity

Charlton Riverside is one of the largest brownfield development opportunities in London and has a complex mix of existing uses and economic activity. The site spans an area of 302 acres adjoining the River Thames.

With its immense size and complex mixed use, the Council recognised that the nature and scale of the development opportunity at Charlton Riverside required a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) in order to provide guidance for the future location, character and scale of any new development on the site.

Documents approved for adoption by cabinet

A consultation with local residents and stakeholders took place earlier in 2017 so that the Council could present its ideas, and seek views to help finalise the Charlton Riverside SPD and the associated evidence base of the Employment Atlas and Heritage Study, also approved by Cabinet for adoption.

The Core Strategy 2014 and the SPD June 2017 will be used as the key planning documents for any future planning applications for developments on the site. It contains proposals for the creation of over 4,000 new jobs and more than 7,000 new homes over the next 15 to 20 years.

'Huge potential to deliver more'

Councillor Danny Thorpe, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Sustainability, said: "Charlton Riverside has huge potential to help deliver more homes, jobs, schools and community open spaces and revitalise the area. The Masterplan captures our vision and enables us to ensure the protection of some of its key elements, such as the aggregate wharves which use our capital's river to help transport goods far and wide, which is far better for air quality and peoples' health locally.

"We want to see a vibrant, mixed-use urban quarter on Charlton Riverside, with new homes, jobs, schools and community opportunities, linking seamlessly through to the main area of Woolwich and integrated with the wider Charlton area. The SPD isn't an instant 'fix', however the Masterplan sets out our long term vision of how we want to get there, and sets out the planning framework for how that can be achieved."

Protecting local source of jobs

Any future housing developments will have to meet requirements to be low to medium rise (between three to six storeys) and up to a maximum of ten storeys along the riverfront and near to Charlton station. The SPD also gives continued protection of the aggregate wharves and industrial land in the north west corner of the Charlton Riverside site - an important source of jobs locally.

The development will be supported by infrastructure improvements, such as a new major east-west road link that will be an extension of Bugsby's Way in Charlton, opening up development in the east of the site. A new primary school and two new through-schools will be provided to support the extra demand for places in the Royal Borough. A new polyclinic incorporating a range of health services such as GPs, a dentist and paediatric clinics is also envisaged.

Read the Charlton Riverside Cabinet paper in full