CGI Image of proposed plans Pic: Hammerson & Ballymore
New plans for the regeneration of the Bishopsgate Goodsyard have been submitted to the Greater London Authority (GLA). The scheme, a joint venture between two property developers, Hammerson and Ballymore, would create a 10-acre mixed-use scheme in the heart of Shoreditch, east London.
The revised application comes after the initial plans for the development of the site in 2014, (which comprised 1,356 new homes, 700,000 sq ft office space and 180,000 sq ft of retail space) were “called in” by the then Mayor of London Boris Johnson, with the Greater London Authority (GLA) assuming the role of Local Planning Authority for the application.
The original plans for the redevelopment featured two controversial towers , which have now been scrapped.
The development straddles Tower Hamlets and Hackney councils, and both strongly objected to the original scheme, arguing that significant heritage assets in the area, including the Braithwaite Viaduct, would be lost to the development.
Hackney Council protested against the plans vehemently, advertised at bus stops.
Campaigning street poster by @hackneycouncil about the Bishopsgate call-in. Unprecedented move by a borough? pic.twitter.com/2U6MS66r3k
— David Knight (@knight_david) December 18, 2015
Pic: Twitter @knight_david
The new development plans propose building 500 new homes, of which 50% will be “affordable”. The scheme will also provide 1.4m sq ft of workspace in five buildings, a public park sitting on top of the restored railway arches that will include a series of connected gardens, terraces, and walkways.
Pic: Hammerson & Ballymore
If successful, the development will replace an area which has been derelict since a fire in the 1960s.
Nicola Zech-Behrens, Senior Development Manager, Ballymore, said: “We have listened very carefully to feedback on our original application and aspirations of the local community and our revised plans provide for a more balanced development that preserves and showcases the site’s heritage.”
Pic: Hammerson & Ballymore
Tony Coughlan, Development Manager at Hammerson, said: “Our revised proposals will generate thousands of jobs and support local economic growth, creating a vibrant urban quarter that respects the heritage of its location.”
