Residential Hackney Wick was originally a ‘factory town’ that supported both industry and housing. . . As much of the heavy and polluting industry has been replaced by a growing creative sector, there is an opportunity to introduce new housing without compromising the area’s successful economic base. New housing can reinforce the area’s sustainable regeneration and benefit significantly from the area’s unique location and historic and waterside setting. Quality housing stock is essential to further develop the local community and provide homes that are appropriate for a variety of tenures, including those for families and that are an attractive open market offer. This needs a good provision of both private and public outdoor amenity spaces. Where flood risk allows, and to provide active edges to public routes and private spaces, residential development will be encouraged adjacent to water frontages to add both value and amenity. The mix of housing in Hackney Wick should meet the identified needs of different types of households and create mixed and balanced communities with a key priority for more well designed family sized homes of 3 bedrooms or more. The historic urban grain will be retained and re-established where possible, including the area around Monier Road and the other Fish Island streets north of Dace Road that were originally dominated by residential uses. It is anticipated that lower density development, e.g. terraced housing, will be encouraged as distance increases away from the neighbourhood centre. B1 uses will ‘bookend’ these blocks to provide activity and encourage pedestrian routes through the area. The resulting Hackney Wick area will be characterised by mixed-use
DRAFT
neighbourhoods that should be both vertically and horizontally organized. For example, in higher flood risk areas, ground floors will be generally be employment uses, with residential above; in non-flood risk areas there may be individual adjacent buildings, each with a discrete residential or workspace designation. The proposed building typologies have been informed by historic precedents in the study area. These have demonstrated an inherent flexibility for adaptation of use over time. New development should adopt the successful design principles of historic buildings by being adaptable and robust providing high ceilings and orientating to flexible yard spaces and streets The requirement for new homes must therefore be balanced with a sustainable approach to protecting industrial capacity and the provision of affordable workspace for creative activities. New housing should be provided within new buildings where they can achieve design and environmental standards. Residential proposals will be required to demonstrate the following:
• That a site’s industrial capacity is not compromised and employment generating potential through the retention or relocation of existing business and creation of carefully designed spaces for new business; • The successful horizontal and vertical integration of residential, industrial and commercial development; • Compliance with the internal space standards and design principles adopted in the London Housing Design Guide; • High quality and distinctive architecture that uses a simple palette of high quality, durable and natural materials and adopts an references the area’s strong industrial aesthetic; Innovate and successful typologies and design solutions that achieve
high quality housing; • Provide a minimum of 35% affordable housing split between intermediate (30%) and social rented (70%) with affordable rent considered only when scheme viability cannot support social rented accommodation; • Appropriate scale, form and massing to suit the site context and housing type (including family housing) • Internal layouts that prevent the creation of single aspect north facing units and maximise the provision of dual aspect units; • Avoid single aspect units especially overlooking the A12 or the railway; • Provide generous and usable private and semi private/communal amenity space • Provide Lifetime Home Standards as identified in the London Plan • Achieve Building Research Establishment (BRE) standards for sunlight and daylight. Adopt innovative design solutions to accommodating refuse storage and recycling • Minimise car parking levels to reflect housing type and PTAL (Public Transport Accessibility Level). • Maximise cycle parking levels • Adopt innovative design solutions to accommodating accessible and secure cycle parking, refuse storage and recycling • Achieve a minimum Code for Sustainable Homes Level 4 • Adopt design solutions that achieve energy efficiency, passive solar gain and cooling, insulation and rain water harvesting.
Work-Live Work live is a potential use in HWFI where is it appropriate designed and managed. The work-live typology are well suited to the creative industries and can contribute to the establishment and growth of this sector.
Hackney Wick & Fish Island Design & Planning Guidance 59