Fully Charged and Affordable

RPS has played a key role in helping to successfully achieve planning permission (overcoming objections from the Local Highway Authority) on a proposed residential led redevelopment scheme at 45 Millharbour, Isle of Dogs in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets for Hovedean properties.

The development is in the Millennium Quarter Masterplan Area south of Canary Wharf – an area which has seen significant regeneration in recent years, and provides a 14-storey mixed use building offering ground floor commercial use with 136 residential flats above and associated car and cycle basement parking, on the site of a former office/place of worship.

The scheme helps deliver the Masterplan’s vision and aspirations by continuing the local area’s regeneration and also provides a significant level of affordable housing (48 units), a public access route through the site, commercial facilities, as well as affording employment opportunities (temporarily through the two-year construction period and permanently through the commercial units).

A strong emphasis on sustainable travel and innovation is a major feature of the scheme. It is close to bus stops and DLR stations and provides enhancements to pedestrian links as well as providing 262 cycle spaces (significantly exceeding the London Plan’s minimum levels). Car parking is constrained to 42 spaces – less than one per three dwellings, with up to 40% to have electric charging points. Sustainable travel measures, marketing, promotion and car use reduction targets set out within the associated Travel Plan will assist in minimising transport impacts.

The project’s main challenges were demonstrating the sustainability of the proposals and the suitability of the servicing arrangements and parking provision. A Service and Delivery plan was produced which manages and controls the movement of goods vehicles to the site and an acceptable parking layout which accommodates service vehicles and incorporates appropriate flood management measures was designed in liaison with the Local Authority.

RPS’ services were led by Richard Stacey and David Chapman of the RPS Oxford (Transport) office with RPS providing multidisciplinary advice both pre- and post- application relating to Socio and Economic Impacts, Transport and Highways, Air Quality, Flood Risk, Site Waste Management and Environmental Conditions.

Richard explains: “This was a key project in the area’s regeneration and the success in achieving planning permission demonstrated to the client the benefit of appointing RPS’ multidisciplinary team. Although transport was the key issue, all offices played a vital part in accomplishing the desired outcome.”