Council agrees masterplan for Hackney Wick
Artist impression: Hackney Wick - looking east along Wallis Road (at the junction of Berkshire Road and Felstead Street)
Hackney Council has adopted a masterplan for Hackney Wick which it says will help guide future development while protecting the unique character and architecture of the area.
It was adopted following public consultation, and proposes a vision that includes: improvements to the Hackney Wick London Overground station; a ‘hub’ around the station that could include restaurants, cafes and shops; better walking and cycling connections; and two new bridges to provide direct access to the Olympic Park.
The council says the masterplan recognises the unique and special contribution of the creative and cultural industries in the area and supports their development and retention in Hackney Wick, while setting out development opportunities for further local employment and enterprise.
Hackney Wick sits alongside the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Park, with half of the neighbourhood inside the Park itself. The council says the masterplan sets out a vision to positively develop the neighbourhood over the next 15 years, and will be used to guide the assessment of planning applications.
Cllr Guy Nicholson, Hackney Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration and the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, said: “The Olympic and Paralympic Park divides Hackney Wick, this Masterplan describes the local community’s aspirations for the half of the neighbourhood that sits alongside the Park.
“Hackney Wick has a unique character which is captured in this plan and it will ensure that as investment flows into the neighbourhood the development that follows recognises and enhances that character. It will also play a vital role in shaping and connecting a new neighbourhood for the Wick that will come forward in the years ahead within the Olympic and Paralympic Park itself.”
The masterplan was prepared by Hackney Council with the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation and Design for London, and it sits alongside the Hackney Wick Conservation Area Appraisal. The two documents combined set out clear planning guidance for any proposed development. The council says they pay close attention to the unique character of Hackney Wick as a result of its historic buildings, interesting streetscape and remaining industrial features. The masterplan sets about describing how the architecture of future development, its scale and massing, could complement the existing buildings and enhance the character of the neighbourhood.