Royal Docks: the best is yet to come

22nd August 2014

The Royal Docks, once the largest enclosed docks in the world, is finally being regenerated after lying empty since the early 1980s.

Covering an area the size of central London between Tower Bridge and Hyde Park, the former Royal Victoria, Royal Albert and King George V Docks are now collectively designated as an enterprise zone, with a number of residential developments set to appear over the next ten years. Galliard Homes’ Royal Gateway, for instance, offers 336 apartments and penthouses, starting from £425,000 for a two-bed and rising to £715,000 for a three-bed duplex. Great Eastern Quay launches next year, with Notting Hill Housing offering 350 homes for private sale, shared ownership and affordable rent. The centrepiece of the area is undoubtedly Oxley & Ballymore’s Royal Wharf, a mixed-use waterfront village that will eventually host 3,400 homes, along with shops, bars, restaurants, parks and schools. Phase Two of the project launches in late September. For sheer novelty value though, Britain’s first floating village cannot be beaten. Inspired by similar schemes in Germany and the Netherlands, it will feature 50 homes, along with offices, cafés, and a blue-water square.

Metro (15/08/14)