Shaping infrastructure for a new community at Barking Riverside

A new neighbourhood is rising from a 443-acre brownfield site by the River Thames in east London. Once home to a coal-fired power station, Barking Riverside is being transformed into a development of up to 20,000 homes (subject to planning permission), alongside facilities for education, healthcare, shopping, community and leisure – as well as new public transport links.

The project is led by Barking Riverside Limited, a joint venture between the Mayor of London and L&Q, a leading residential developer and housing association. It comprises four stages, with approximately 2,500 homes completed to date. WSP has worked with Barking Riverside Limited since 2016, advising first on the strategic infrastructure planning submissions for stages two, three and four, and then supporting the sale and development of the different plots.

brownfield site

443 acre

new homes could be built

20,000

WSP’s involvement began

2016

Location

London, United Kingdom

Client

Barking Riverside Limited | Mayor of London | L&Q

Project Status

Under construction

Partners

Stantec | Lifschutz Davidson Sandilands

We began by examining in detail aspects such as transport, flood risk and defence, highways, drainage and landscaping. Our expertise and experience of other large-scale regeneration projects such as Earls Court in London and Smithfield in Birmingham enabled us to provide specialist design services and advice across the wide range of disciplines required for a development of this size and complexity.

An aerial view of Phases 2 and 3 of Barking Riverside development in East London. This images shows largely undeveloped land on the shores of the river thames with the exception of new houses built built at the centre of the site. A new rail station and Uber Boats by Thames Clippers jetty are visible at the bottom of the image.

A site-wide infrastructure strategy to unlock this complex site

WSP is the site-wide infrastructure consultant and responsible for leading all strategic design elements that affect the development. This includes earthworks, flood defence, surface and foul water drainage, highways and utilities. Our coordinating role is key to liaise between the client, approving bodies, utilities suppliers, architects and contractors.

We have worked with the utility provider on the design of a district heating network to provide hot water and heating. The aim is for this network to be decarbonised and therefore an energy-from-waste solution is currently being investigated. Crucially, our role ensured that below-ground utilities would not become a constraint on above-ground features like structures and landscaping.

As part of our surface, flood and foul water strategy, we’re futureproofing Barking Riverside for climate change and rising sea levels. This includes designing earthworks that raise the development’s level to meet the requirements of the Thames Estuary 2100 (TE2100) Plan for managing flood risk. Our designs include both soft landscaping to increase the height of the embankment, and hard engineering in the form of retaining walls. Together, these measures will safeguard the community for decades to come.

Barking Riverside is also taking an innovative approach to waste management, through a vacuum refuse conveyance system. Residents can dispose of their waste in above-ground bins, from where it is transported via a vacuum pipe network to a central collection station. This does away with the need for heavy bin lorries to drive around the site also helps achieve higher recycling rates in comparison to other similar residential developments in London. We liaised with operator Envac to ensure the system will be compatible with the above-and below-ground infrastructure.

Placemaking development and urban regeneration

At WSP our placemaking, regeneration and development specialists help turn our client’s vision for place into a practical reality, futureproofing our cities and environment.

Encouraging active and sustainable travel

Our transport planning expertise has helped maximise the benefits from a significant investment in infrastructure and the creation of a multi-modal transport hub.

With planning requirements emphasising active and sustainable travel, new transport links are at the heart of the site: an Uber Boat by Thames Clipper boat service operates from the former power station pier, and an extension to the London Overground line serves a new station.

An aerial view of Barking Riverside London overground station at the bottom of the image and the Uber Boats by Thames Clipper Jetty on the River Thames at the top of the image.

We worked alongside Transport for London (TfL) to design the public realm that surrounds the station and bus corridor, integrating it seamlessly into the development. Working with TfL and Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, we also examined the approach to the existing jetty, which our client had repurposed for the river bus service, to ensure it connected accessibly to the development. And as well as carrying out the detailed design for the main highways network, we assisted Barking Riverside Limited when they engaged a contractor to construct these roads. We’re also responsible for ensuring developers of the different plots adhere to the site-wide transport strategy.

In our role advising on the transport strategy for stages two to four of Barking Riverside, we monitor the transport impacts of the development against the mode-share targets set out in the planning applications. Striving to achieve these targets involves reacting to changes that have occurred since outline consent was granted, including the confirmation of the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers service and the growth of new mobility services. We’ve responded to trends such as the continued rise in online shopping, ride-hailing, and micro-mobility services that use e-bikes and e-scooters. For example, our new delivery and services plan explores using parcel lockers across the site for residents to receive online orders, consolidating deliveries and reducing vehicle movements.

We’re also supporting Barking Riverside Limited’s efforts to encourage residents to use public transport. The first residents moved into Barking Riverside in 2012, before the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers and London Overground services opened in 2022, so they haven’t necessarily been in the habit of using them from the outset. Our client is keen to embed sustainable travel behaviour with new residents. So the travel plan we’ve written includes content for the welcome pack that people receive when they move in such as information on car club membership and community events on themes of sustainability and wellbeing.

With the nearby A13 road – an important link in and out of London – already congested, encouraging sustainable travel is vital not just for people and the environment but also for our client. The more we can support people to travel without private cars, the less highway mitigation Barking Riverside Limited will need to carry out under Section 106. We produce regular reports to monitor the impact of development in the context of their Section 106 obligations to help manage the timing of and need for mitigation measures.

An aerial view of houses built as part of Phase 1 of Barking Riverside. The scene is features a mix of low-rise residential buildings. The River Thames is visible in this distance.

Nurturing the growth of a unique community

We have also supported Barking Riverside Limited on a new outline planning application to increase the number of homes to 20,000. Crucially, to avoid a large increase in vehicle trips, the application proposes providing no additional parking spaces, other than those already consented. Instead, we will encourage use of public transport by exploring options to increase bus and Overground frequency and offer revised bus routes.

Planning and designing the infrastructure required to support a development on the scale of Barking Riverside is a significant challenge. But it’s one we’re rising to as we help our client to nurture the growth of a unique new community for London.

A video developed by Barking Riverside ahead of the most recent Outline Planning Application highlights progress on the scheme to date, and plans for the future