The project will establish London's most extensive integrated rail freight logistics hub, designed to accommodate traffic from the construction sector and incorporating rail-enabled last-mile warehousing. This initiative aims to establish a blueprint for the regeneration of rail freight sites in the future.
The masterplan is Network Rail Property's first independent planning submission, and Bow Goods Yard is the final parcel of land to be unlocked as part of London's 2012 Olympic and Paralympic legacy.
Bow Goods Yard is one of London’s primary railheads. Protected for rail-freight use, the site is vital to the capital's construction sector, currently supplying over a million tonnes of concrete a year. It allows the sustainable movement of construction materials to and from the site, alongside transporting concrete and aggregate by rail to build schools, hospitals and housing in London.
The formulation of the masterplan comes after thorough community consultation and the development of a Community Brief. This brief was shaped by input from residents, key stakeholders and neighbouring businesses, setting guiding principles for the site.
These include proposals to:
•Make industry a better neighbour
•Improve connections and routes
•Create green, wild and useable landscape
•Deliver benefits to the community, including jobs and skills training
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•The industrial-led masterplan will enable Bow Goods Yard to help London transition to a greener freight future by taking up to 90,000 HGV movements a year from London’s roads, reducing congestion and emissions. Proposals also include the introduction of an integrated last mile logistics hub.
Rail freight contributes £2.5bn to the UK economy and this is set to grow further. The Government has set a target of a 75 per cent growth in rail freight by 2050 which will see many businesses making the switch to rail, with freight hubs such as Bow Goods Yard central to this expansion.
The new scheme optimises railhead capacity, improves rail freight efficiency by consolidating operations, and screens the concrete-batching facility and rail sidings. Beyond industrial functions, the masterplan offers an opportunity to establish a centralised hub for Network Rail, along with extensive warehousing and workspaces. Moreover, various leisure amenities are proposed to boost activity around Bow Goods Yard and complement existing facilities at the Olympic Park.
The design also delivers a series of green open spaces around the site, to make the most the site’s emerging neighbourhood. The Greenway will become a central feature alongside nearly a hectare of publicly accessible open space across three public spaces.
Key facts of the Masterplan include:
•Up to 190,000m² floor space including 39,000m² heavy and light industrial, with the flexibility for up to 32,000m² destination leisure, supported by up to 3,000m² food and beverage offering and 5,000m² of sports pitches;
•Up to 5,000 new jobs - the site currently supports around 100 jobs today;
•Up to 3.5 million tonnes of construction material transported by rail to and from the site;
•Up to 7,000m² of new publicly accessible public realm;
•Minimum 10% biodiversity net gain including improvements to the existing Old Ford Wood
•Maximised roof area for PVs with an aspiration to achieve 4GWh/y of renewable energy production
•Sustainable water management on site including SuDS and water capture for on-site reuse
Robin Dobson, Group Property Director at Network Rail, said: "This masterplan takes an ambitious approach to unlocking a challenging site and putting infrastructure at its heart. By reimaging the land-use, we are creating a state-of-the-art freight, warehousing and logistics campus that is vital to London.
"The scheme supports a more sustainable capital with the new green spaces and leisure areas positively contributing to the local community now and for future generations. Being a better, more sustainable neighbour is a clear priority for us."
NRP and the wider masterplanning team, led by lead urbanists Maccreanor Lavington Architects and Urbanists, will continue to work closely with the community to deliver the vision for this site. The masterplanning team for Bow Goods Yard included: Maccreanor Lavington Architects and Urbanists, UMC Architects, Architecture 00, East, WSP, make:good, Useful Projects, Montagu Evans and Currie and Brown.
