Plans for a groundbreaking new park featuring natural swimming ponds have been revealed for a disused site in east London, following extensive consultation with local residents.
A Vision Born from Community Listening
The charity East London Waterworks Park (ELWP) has published its latest design proposal for a 14-acre plot on Lea Bridge Road. The site, a former Thames Water depot situated between Hackney Marshes and Walthamstow Marshes, is currently a vast expanse of concrete. ELWP's ambition is to convert it into a thriving, community-owned biodiverse park, complete with ponds for wild swimming.
This vision is the result of a four-year dialogue with the community, including a dedicated 'Listening Project'. The charity engaged with locals from groups often underrepresented in planning discussions, such as young offenders, homeless people, and women and girls from the orthodox Jewish community.
From this research, three core priorities for the park were established: feeling safe, wellbeing, and belonging. These principles directly informed the proposed design features, which include sensitive lighting, exercise-promoting infrastructure, park wardens, activities to connect people with nature, and specific planting to welcome both people and wildlife.
The Fight for the Land's Future
Despite successfully crowdfunding half a million pounds in 2023 to purchase the vacant land, ELWP does not yet own it, and its dream faces a significant challenge. In January 2024, a consortium of London councils decided the land should be used for a children's home instead, though a formal planning application has not yet been submitted.
Nathan Miller, co-chair of ELWP, told Time Out: "The site is Metropolitan Open Land and, as such, its only credible future is one involving minimal development and open public access for all." He confirmed the charity opposes the planning application for the secure children's facility, arguing that the land's protected status should shield it from such development.
"We think the only and best use for the site is East London Waterworks Park, a biodiverse park for everyone," Miller added, stating the fight for their community vision will continue.
A Blueprint for Inclusive Development
Abigail Woodman, chair of ELWP, believes the insights from their community-led process have wider significance. She said the proposal offers "valuable takeaways for developers, politicians and policymakers at all levels of government," thanking all the volunteers and participants who shaped the plans.
The project now enters a period of uncertainty as it awaits a definitive planning decision. However, ELWP's detailed, inclusivity-focused proposal presents a compelling case for transforming an urban concrete slab into a vibrant green and blue space for all of east London.
