Opportunity docks

The Mayor of London, UK, has invited proposals for the redevelopment of the city’s Albert Island, a slab of land owned by the Greater London Authority in London’s Royal Docks, where there is the potential to create hundreds of new jobs and build vital new marine facilities

From the project’s announcement on 21st May developers have been asked to respond to the Mayor’s vision of a development that would include industrial space plus a working boatyard and marina facility, with the potential for a small amount of housing.

Any successful development would be expected to improve transport links to the Gallions Reach and King George V DLR stations, provide better cycling and walking routes, and make improvements to the river frontage with an aim of integrating the site into its surrounding communities.

The Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Land, Richard Blakeway, said: “The continued regeneration of the Royal Docks is one of the Mayor’s strategic priorities. The development of Albert Island with a new boatyard and marina would provide key maintenance and accommodation facilities for marine traffic, and new employment space that would help bring more skilled jobs to the area. It’s a unique opportunity for interested developers and follows recent significant progress to regenerate major sites in the area.”

Regeneration of Albert Island would contribute to growth in the local area and beyond by attracting new employers and increasing the availability of training and services. Marine facilities will help to support an expected increase in the use of the river over the next five years as promoted by the Mayor’s River Action Plan.

The Managing Director of Royal Docks Management Authority Limited, Mike Luddy, said: “Albert Island is the last remaining part of the jigsaw of regeneration in the Royal Docks, and it provides the last link to its history in the marine industry. We think this is a really exciting milestone.”

The Royal Docks sits within an ‘arc of opportunity’ running from Stratford down the River Lea to the Thames that has £22 billion of development potential. More than 11,000 new homes and over 40,000 jobs are expected to be created in the area thanks to regeneration across several major development projects including the Royal Albert Dock, Silvertown Quays and Royal Albert Basin.

The Mayor’s Ambassador for the River and London Assembly member, Richard Tracey, said: “The development of a boatyard at Albert Island would be a vital step in encouraging greater use of the Thames for industrial and transport purposes. Albert Island could provide the much-needed solution for boat traffic which currently has to go as far as Kent to find appropriate facilities.”