Royal Docks Development Strategy
iRAL won the competition run by the London Development Agency (LDA) and were subsequently commissioned to establish viable strategic development options to 2035 for London’s Royal Docks. The Royal Docks Management Authority (RoDMA) in partnership with LDA and the London Borough of Newham (LBN), supported by Design for London (DfL) formed the client body.
The conceptual idea was to create value from 90 Ha of water and to integrate this potential with the multiple stakeholders’ ambitions in the surrounding 350 hectares. IRAL’s ‘Royal Docks Development Strategy Strategic Report’ was adopted in 2012 by the Board of RoDMA (LDA, GLA, LBNewham, Excel and other key stakeholders in the area. It provides a clear aspirational vision and basis for future social, economic and physical regeneration.
Our approach was to create areas with distinct identity and individual character which begin to define the Royal Docks while establishing water-based activities and accommodation to provide development opportunities with social inclusivity and environmental enhancement.
Envisaging water as the key asset is fundamental to the successful development of the wider area. The integration of surrounding and future communities underlies many of the proposals. This includes a substantial increase in connections to and throughout the site, with the emphasis on new connections north to south. It also promotes development of the public realm.
The plan identifies concepts for development with both convincing strategic and economic benefits, and these have been highlighted as “Strategic Priorities”. It also identifies other concepts which have strong merit for consideration as regeneration progresses, either through identified development partners or as the area become more economically viable.
The client set out to obtain a vision with a phased programme of redevelopment. The options were fully commercially appraised. At the completion of the research iRAL, supported by development economists, CBRE, delivered a 200-page comprehensive assessment of existing and future development potential with financial viability analysis.
