Tower Hamlets plan for new conservation area

White Post Lane. Pic: Rahat Mustafa

Tower Hamlets Council has started plans for a  new  conservation area  near to  the Olympic Park.

Located on White Post Lane, north of Fish Island conservation area, it will include a number of industrial buildings that date back to the turn of the 20th century through to the outbreak of the Second World War. The River Lea and Hertford Union Canal are also included.

The new rules will protect trees and unlisted buildings, such as the 100-year-old Queen’s Yard and the chemical warehouse-turned-confectionery factory.

The designated area was predominantly a marshland alongside the banks of the River Lea until the 1800s. The railways arrived in the 1850s, and with that came the industry. By the beginning of the 20th century, the area became a centre of intense and diverse industrial activity. Several buildings were constructed during this period to assist the development.

A spokesman for the council said: “This area is proposed for designation as a conservation area because it has a distinctive industrial character and appearance which is desirable to preserve and enhance.”

The area, which adjoins the Olympic Park, offers a dramatic contrast between its 20th century rectilinear industrial townscape and the 21st century sculptural forms of the Olympic Park.

Residents in the borough are being asked to provide their views and have until July 30th. The council’s cabinet will meet in the autumn to discuss the plans.

It is not the only project planned for the borough at the moment.  A £250 million estate renewal, which is located two miles away from the Olympic Stadium, has been given the go ahead.

The project will be developed over six phases, creating 1,176 homes, shops, healthcare and community facilities.

 

 

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