Hadley Property Group on Blackwall Yard

Above: CGI of view of Blackwall Yard development, and former graving dock, looking towards the O2 Arena across the Thames (Hadley Property Group)

Director of Regeneration, Steve Kennard, at Hadley Property Group will be joining our 'New Districts' forum this coming week to talk about the firm's impressive mixed-use and housing project at Blackwall Yard, Poplar, London.

Between 2008 and 2012 Steve served as Director of Land and Development at the London Development Agency, leading the team responsible for the 2000+ acre, £600m+ land portfolio. This included the specialist team responsible for concluding the £135bn land purchase within Stratford's Olympic Park. He led the regeneration program and team on behalf of the LDA/GLA in collaboration with public sector stakeholders (London Borough of Newham and Transport for London) and key private sector stakeholders (including University of East London, Excel, London City Airport and Siemens) until 2013.

As part of the ‘Urban Communities Development’ team at Land Securities, Steve has also led urban extension projects across the south east. This included the Ebbsfleet International Eurostar Station, Harlow North and the White City masterplan. He has also overseen procurement processes to select development partners within the Royal Docks projects. This included Silvertown Quays, the Royal Albert Dock and Albert Basin, as well as delivering private land sale agreements to organisations such as Siemens, London City Airport and the University of East London.

At Blackwall Yard Hadley's design team worked closely with Tower Hamlets Council, local residents and community groups to create the new mixed-use development in east London. A short walk from East India DLR Station, Blackwall Yard will become a new riverside neighbourhood, regenerating what was previously an underused, concreted private car park.

It says the consented proposals will deliver 898 new homes (35% of which will be affordable housing), a two-form primary school, a community hub, spaces for a cafe, pub and grocery store, all built around a new public square and green spaces for residents and visitors to enjoy:

'This section of the Thames Path, which has been closed for a number of years, will be reopened. The historic graving dock, filled in as the area's shipbuilding declined, will become an amphitheatre-style garden and an outdoor swimming pool, and new pedestrian and cycle routes will loop among the buildings and out to the riverfront.

'The development's stretching environmental, economic and social value outcomes will actively contribute to Tower Hamlet's goal to be a green, safe and cohesive borough.'

Tower Hamlet's Strategic Development Committee granted unanimous consent for the proposals in June 2021.