Design and access statement

DESIGN AND ACCESS STATEMENT AND FLOOD RISK ASSESSMENT LEA VALLEY - STONEBRIDGE LOCK LONDON N17 0XD September 16

Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 1

CONTENS PAGE 1.0 Preface 3 2.0 Location and Existing Site 4-6 3.0 Site History 7 4.0 Sport and Tottenham Marshes 7 5.0 Flood Risk Assestment and Drainage 8

6.0 Site 9-11 7.0 The Design 12-16 8.0 Sustainability 17-18 9.0 How will the center serve the Community

19

10.0 Community Consultation 19 11.0 Transport and Access to the Facility

19

12.0 Employment 20 13.0 Planning Statement and Pre-Application Advise

20

14.0 Previous Studies of the Area

20

15.0 Conclusion 20 Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 2

NORTHUMBERLAND PARK

WALTHAM FOREST

AL +

PO L

ITIC

The proposed project is for a new community and boating facility located at Stonebridge Lock. We see this centre as being an important part of the regeneration of the area and part of the wider agenda of opening up of the Walthamstow Wetlands and enhancing sport and leisure in the Tottenham and Waltham Forest Area. This project is an example of ‘bottom up’ regeneration and in our opinion would be a catalyst for the many projects and enhancements that have been proposed in masterplans put forward by various architects associated with Tottenham and the Walthamstow Wetlands. The new facility would also increase traffic to the existing café providing additional income and we would hope new landscaping and enhancements of the lock area might follow so the centre lifts the area and provides a new hub for sport and leisure.

OU ND AR Y

HARINGEY

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR F.C.

AL B

1.0 Preface

SIC

CAMBRIDGE

PH Y

ONE OF 6 ROMAN ROADS (PRE-INDUSTRIAL)

STONEBRIDGE LOCK

NDAR

Y

TOTTENHAM HIGH ROAD

LITIC AL BO U

TOTTENHAM MARSHES

PHYS

ICAL

+ PO

LOCKWOOD RESERVOIR

CAN EY VAL L

HIGH MAYNARD RESERVOIR

LEA

MOTO

RWAY

AL

TOTTENHAM HALE THE STRIP

PUBLIC LANDSCAPE PUBLIC LANDSCAPE

VICTORIAN INFRASTRUCTURE

TOTTENHAM GREEN BLACKHORSE ROAD

OLD TOWN HALL WALTHAMSTOW RESERVOIRS

TOTTENHAM

RAIL

Tottenham Urban Study: Graham Ford Architects Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 3

2.0 Location and Existing Site The project is located at Stonebridge Lock in the Lea Valley. The site is beside the Lee Navigational Canal and the flood relief channel, The Walthamstow Wetlands and the Lee River. Water clearly has played a large part in the formation of the Lea Valley and the Tottenham Marshes. Stonebridge Lock consists of a small cafĂŠ, 2 houses, a lock and a small community on the eastern side of holiday accommodation and boat moorings. North of the proposed centre is a community of boats and temporary accommodation.

The 9 reservoirs which form the eastern boundary of the site were constructed in the 1920s and provide approximately 10% of London’s water requirements. The reservoirs also provide important habitats for migratory birds and recreational areas for fishermen.

Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 4

Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 5

Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 6

3.0 Site History The River Lea was established as part of the border between the Saxons the Danes. Medieval Tottenham made good use of the river Lea and the marshes and the river has always played a major part in the development of the area. The Lea Navigational Canal was created commencing in 1776 and there are a number of Victorian buildings of historic interest associated with the canal including The Marine Engine House.

An important development in Tottenham was the establishment of The Great Western Railway at the end of the nineteenth century which accelerated development in the area including construction of housing for working people. The railway combined with the construction of the motorway have made access from Tottenham difficult. It is noted that improving links across this infrastructure will make a lot of difference to the viability of the centre in particular the Carbuncle Passage and Bridge crossing and the links from Northumberland Park, see figure x.

4.0 Sport and Tottenham Marshes By the 1920’s Tottenham Marshes had become a recreation area with the locals taking advantage during winters of a frozen marsh. During the summer there was a large open air swimming pool on the South Marsh that was filled with water from the nearby River Lea. The 1920’s also brought unemployment and in an attempt to deal with the effects of the layoffs Tottenham Borough Council brought in a scheme to build a promenade on the marsh down to Ferry Lane. Later on tennis courts, a miniature Golf Course, a cycle circuit, football and cricket pitches were developed as well as a children’s playground. With the advent of the Second World War much of the marshes were returned to agriculture as part of the ‘dig for victory ‘campaign. However in the latter years of the war schemes were again brought forward by Tottenham Council to improve the recreational facilities on the marshes.

The plan to create a huge area of nature reserves and venues for sport and leisure finally took shape in 1966 when parliament passed a special act to create the Lea Valley Regional Park. By 1972 the Park Authority had bought Tottenham Marshes from Haringey Council. Much of the work on Tottenham Marshes by the Lea Valley in the early years was in developing the habitat by an extensive programme of tree planting around periphery of the large areas of grassland which in turn were developed to increase the level of the biodiversity.

Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 7

5.0 Flood Risk Assessment and Drainage The Environmental Agency located the site in Flood Zone 3, a zone with high probability of river flooding from the Lea Navigation and the Pymmes Brook (a small tributary of the River Lea). In that area the Pymmes Brook has been already culverted to alleviate the problem of flooding. The site is also located in an area with a risk of flooding from the reservoir, see diagram x.

To mitigate the risk of flooding the accommodation block has been raised by 700 mm above the existing slab level. The boat storage section is at a lower level as if this floods where will be no critical infrastructure affected. The floor will be constructed from slatted timber so that any water ingress could quickly drain.

There are two large escape areas from the building to the south and west on ramps.

All rainwater will be harvested and used for WCs, and cleaning of boats as shown on the design drawings and the environmental diagram. All other water will drain through the timber deck onto the existing hardstanding.

Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 8

R

O

AD

6.0 Site

ME

AD

ER AT W

AY W PROPOSED BUILDING

AD

RO HOUSE

R VE RI

RO

UT

E

LE A

WATERSIDE CAFE

LE A

RI VE

R

CY

CL

E

PY

MM

ES

BR

OO

NA VI

K

G

AT I

O

N

51 CAR PARKING + 3 DISABLE CAR PARKING

STONEBRIDGE LOCK

RESERVOIRE

Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 9

Borough Urbanism

Infrastructure Network

Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 10

Network of Waterway

Green Network

Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 11

7.0 The Design We commenced the design for this facility mapping the site and reviewing green spaces, hydrology and infrastructure. Clearly the facility needs to be constructed to be resilient with the flood level risk associated with the site. As we are building in a landscape dominated by large scale infrastructure including rail, road and overhead power cables and reservoirs the new centre needs to respond to this by having a presence in the landscape.

The architectural idea is to construct a large roof and under this roof place two containers, a clear formal differentiation of the various activities of the centre. The opening between the two containers creates a feeling of openness and provides views from the road to the water.

One container houses the boats and the other contains facilities for staff; a space for community centre activities for the ‘Friends of Tottenham Marshes’ and working spaces for Honey extraction.

The idea of the roof is provide both shelter and diminish the building’s impact on nature; to dissolve the boundary between nature and a building achieved through the openness of the solution. There is an aspiration to limit the impact of human occupation on this site.

The structure would be built over the top of the existing concrete slab on screw fix piles.

Through this technique the existing slab can remain and there would be no loss to biodiversity or damage to vegetation. We are building on a brownfield site. The accommodation section of the project is raised due to the local flood risk as discussed above.

The materials are black stained board and batten cladding which would be appropriate to the setting in the green belt and would be robust and be cost effective, see figure x for details. The large roof would be supported on an exposed timber structure. The interiors would be finished in birch plywood.

Lighting would be used where absolutely necessary for safety and security due to the sensitive location of wildlife such as bats and other birdlife. It is anticipated that from time to time there would be someone living on site for security purposes. The facility has shutters on all the windows so light from inside the building could be controlled.

Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 12

Masterplan Stonebridge Lock: Graham Ford Architects Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 13

Proposed Boating Pavilion: Graham Ford Architects Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 14

B

A

1

C

D

3

6

G

F

E

I

H

K

2

7

+920 FF boat storage

+1150

+750 street level

J

0.00 water level

18

9

4

4

9

8

4

9

4

5

South East Elevation

6

1

7

3

4

9

13

+750 street level

+1150 +0.00 water level

South West Elevation

Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 15

Proposed Baoting Pavilion: Graham Ford Architects Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 16

8.0 Sustainability The centre is orientated from north east to south west. The side facing the water will receive morning sun and the faรงade facing the road will receive afternoon sun. See sun diagram on page x.

The large roof will provide shading to the building so in summer the hot afternoon sun will not overheat the faรงade. Only about 30% of the faรงade is glazed so the risk of overheating inside the building is minimal. There are tilt and turn windows in the faรงade on the north west facade of the accommodation block and on the south west elevation there are timber ventilation flaps on the inside to ensure there is cross ventilation in the summer. The building would be heated by means of a heat pump with a loop into the canal and underfloor heating. This is a sustainable low energy because water temperature is more stable than air, the heat pump system uses the canal as a heat sink or a heat source depending on the season. The thermal energy is collected via pipes that sit in the lake and the heat transferred into the building is 4 times larger than the electrical energy consumed. Our aim is to make this building as close to a zero carbon building as we possibly achieve.

The roof is tilted towards the west and thus this maximises the opportunities for solar thermal and photovoltaic energy collection. The roof also provides a habitat for birds and we will provide bird boxes under the eaves for local bird roosting.

Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 17

Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 18

9.0 How will the centre will serve the Community?

11.0 Transport and Access to the Facility

The client asked GFA to design a new sports centre for boating on the Lea River and bike rental plus spaces for community activity including meetings, educational visits from schools. The facility would be a hub for cycling and kayaking in this part of the valley.

The facility would make use of the existing car parking which has 52 spaces plus 3 disabled car park spaces. We believe the parking has plenty of spare capacity judging from various visits we have made during peak summer weekends. No doubt the facility will draw more people to the area however we anticipate a high percentage will come on cycle. As described above pedestrian routes from Tottenham are over 1km long and the access is poor. We are hoping that improvements in these routes will encourage more foot traffic.

10.0 Community Consultation GFA and our client Mr Peter Scott have engaged in stakeholder consultation through presentations to the Canal and River Boat Trust, the local authority, Haringey and the local community including the ‘Friends of Tottenham Marshes’. There has also been discussions with the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority but no formal presentation has currently been made.

We have had several fruitful meetings with the Friends of Tottenham Marshes (FoTM) who previously had the use of the Waterside Centre at Stonebridge Lock but this facility is no longer available to them. The centre was used by FoTM to survey the wildlife and develop community activities. The new facility will provide a meeting and lecture room and place for exhibitions for FoTm and honey extraction facilities would be provided for local bee keepers. FoTM have given us their full support and have contributed to the design development of the centre.

There are paths from the centre along the Lee Navigation Canal to Hale Wharf. There is a path through the Tottenham Marshes to Carbuncle Passage and there is a path through the Tottenham Wood to Leeside Road and Marigold Road.

There is a national cycle route that runs past the facility on the other side of the canal and is well used.

The building has been designed with a Part M compliant ramp at its southern end and level thresholds into the building so people with disability will be able to access the facility easily. On the water side there will be staff who will manage all public access to the facility.

Stations and Buses The closest stations are Northumberland Park to the north west and Tottenham Hale to the south west.

There is a scheduled bus services with a stop on Watermead Way adjacent to the car park at Stonebridge Lock.

Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 19

12.0 Employment

14.0 Previous Studies of the Area

It is envisioned that the centre would provide employment for 5 people during peak summer periods.

In previous masterplans and landscape and ecology documents on this area we discovered suggestions to provide a new link from Stonebridge Lock to Lockwood Reservoir and create an Urban Studies/Adventure Centre off Forest Road (refer to ‘Walthamstow Reservoirs Final Plans’ Chris Blandford Associates). These new connections plus improved access on public transport and on foot would make a big difference to the viability of the proposed centre and the regeneration of Stonebridge Lock.

It is noted that in the report ‘from edge to common ground’ by Witherford Watson Mann Architects and Jonathan Cook Landscape Architects, several potential projects were identified in Stonebridge Lock including a new adventure playground, a new Lido with views to Wild Marsh, and a new paddling pool. Clearly this area was considered as a place suitable for recreational activity and as shown on the historic photos there was a pool here in the 1930s.

13.0 Planning Statement and Pre-Application Advice We attended a meeting with Haringey planners and the regeneration team on the 03/12/2015. Although we are replacing an existing building the advice received was the building could not be considered a replacement building. From 2008 – 11 the Lea Valley Canoe and Cycle Hire operated from the old pub building at Stonebridge Lock providing what became popular activities for both the local Community and visitors to the area. This facility was demolished in approximately 2012.

Notwithstanding the length of time which has elapsed since the demolition of the previous facility we believe this project is justified due to very special circumstances and these are that the public use of this area is severely restricted by the lack of good quality facilities/amenities and lack of options for sport and leisure. The building meets Local Plan Policies due to its credentials as a sustainable building which minimises carbon emissions to almost zero.

Relevant Policies include the following: NPPF National Planning Policy Framework: This brings brings the consideration of good quality design, preservation and enhancement of heritage central to all planning decisions. The NPPF opens by making clear that the purpose of planning is the achievement of sustainable development, which requires the economic, social and environmental decisions to be considered ‘jointly and simultaneously’. We believe this document demonstrates this project is moving toward sustainable development.

The London Plan and local policy SP4 (suitability) and SP5 (Water management and flooding).

East London Green Grid has established a strategic ambition for East London’s open spaces as a network.

The Lee Valley Regional Park Authority is responsible for safeguarding and maintaining open space and habitats and operating sporting and leisure facilities.

The Mayor’s ‘Blue Ribbon Network’ policy sets out the importance of London’s rivers, brooks, canals and reservoirs and the principles for their enhancement and use.

Natural England’s London Regional Framework sets out a vision of enhancing the natural landscapes reinforcing a sense of local identity.

The adjacent Walthamstow Wetlands are a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) which covers both the wooded reservoirs and the bunded concrete reservoirs.

15.0 Conclusion We believe that this project constitutes exceptional circumstances for the construction of a building within the green belt as it provides a community facility for interpreting and understanding the area which would be co-ordinated by the FoTM; it is a low every, sustainable building; through its floating roof and gap between the pavilions it preserves the openness of the Green Belt.

We also believe small scale bottom up developments are the best way to facilitate regeneration. We subscribe to a new urban movement called ‘Massive Small’, (www.massivesmall.com) see excerpt from their website below: Governments alone cannot solve all the problems of urbanisation. We must mobilise people’s latent creativity, harnessing the collective power of many small ideas and actions. This happens whenever people take control over the places they live in, adapting them to their needs and creating environments that are capable of meeting the challenges of the future. When many people do this, it adds up to a fundamental shift: This is what we call MASSIVE SMALL change. To unleash MASSIVE SMALL, we need our systems to change: There is a tremendous amount of energy out there, but all too often it is obstructed by top-down systems from replicating and scaling up, which must happen for it to make a significant real world impact.

The proposed facility is an example of local people adapting the environment to suit their needs and an example of local action finding solutions and creating initiatives.

We believe facilities in Green Belt areas are crucial to enhance the public’s experience of nature and without these facilities the Lea Valley will remain underutilised and will deteriorate if not managed.

Stonebridge Lock Design and Access Statement 20