Regeneration news
Celebrating a vibrant community 10 years in the making
Over the past decade, a thriving community has taken shape on what was once vacant dockside land. More than 1,800 households have built a life here – making friends, raising families and enjoying shared spaces at this distinctive waterfront neighbourhood.
This sense of community was celebrated at Belonging at Royal Albert Wharf, a free event hosted as part of the London Festival of Architecture.
The Deputy Mayor of Housing, Tom Copley, enjoyed a walk around the now complete project, which has delivered 1,856 new homes, 9,100sqm of commercial space, as well as affordable studio space for artists and creatives, managed by Bow Arts Trust.
Thanks to more than £39m of funding from the Greater London Authority, 45% of all homes are genuinely affordable, including the entire final riverfront phase of 238 homes.
Deputy Mayor Tom Copley meeting a resident at Royal Albert Wharf's newly completed homes.
Developments like Royal Albert Wharf demonstrate Sadiq’s commitment to delivering genuinely affordable homes, supporting London’s creative economy and building inclusive neighbourhoods on public land.
Tom Copley, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development
After the tour, new and established residents were invited to share their lived experience at Royal Albert Wharf and how the area has become a vibrant neighbourhood for home and work.
This was followed by a discussion, led by the Mayor’s Design Advocate Daisy Froud, exploring how places can help people feel a sense of belonging, encourage stronger connections between residents and transform new developments into communities.
At the heart of the celebration was a photo study capturing the experiences of both new and longer-term residents. Photographer Tom Bright spent time in conversation with residents to better understand their relationship with the neighbourhood and their sense of belonging, and the result is a profound and heartfelt portrait of what creates a community.
The amazing resources created as part of this celebration will be collected into a living history of Royal Albert Wharf and the community that has formed there – with more details being shared in the coming months.
In the meantime you can read more about Tom's work at Royal Albert Wharf in his Meet the Dockers interview here.
I know mostly everyone, and mostly everyone knows me...it’s a small place, so it’s like having a very big family
Royal Albert Wharf resident
Royal Albert Wharf is a key development site in the Royal Docks. Delivered in partnership with Notting Hill Genesis, this award-winning scheme is widely recognised as a leading example of housing-led regeneration, delivering affordable, contemporary homes with excellent transport links, waterside living and a growing creative community - setting a benchmark for what public land development in London can achieve.
Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, Tom Copley, said: “Tackling London’s urgent housing crisis is the Mayor’s top priority and developments like Royal Albert Wharf demonstrate Sadiq’s commitment to delivering genuinely affordable homes, supporting London’s creative economy and building inclusive neighbourhoods on public land. By putting design quality, affordability and community at the centre of regeneration, we can ensure new housing helps Londoners thrive and creates places where people feel they truly belong, as we build a better, fairer London for everyone.”
Matthew Cornwall-Jones, Chief Homes Officer at Notting Hill Genesis, added: “When we started work at Royal Albert Wharf more than a decade ago, we had high hopes for what we could create and a deep commitment to go beyond delivering homes, and to turn this underused part of London into a thriving community. As we reach the end of that process, what has been created has been beyond our wildest dreams.
“It is always a pleasure to spend time here and see people making the most of this neighbourhood, but to see and hear first-hand what the area means to our residents is very moving. We look forward to seeing the community continuing to thrive for decades to come.”
Photographer and researcher Tom Bright said: “What struck me most, spending time with residents old and new, is that a sense of belonging builds in layers. It starts with what belongs to them - the objects, history and memory they bring into a space - then can develop into the routines and behaviours that the design itself encourages. That may be a balcony looking out over the water, or a morning coffee at the Well Bean Cafe, and can then extend into a sense of belonging to the wider community and area.
“I could see that range in one place - from residents who have just moved in, to others who have been here for a decade. Learning how that unfolds is what made this project special.”
