Royal Docks Waterways announces plans for London’s largest floating destination

While East London has undergone significant regeneration over the past twenty years, much of this transformation has been land-led. This Vision marks a new chapter, focusing new attention on the water itself. Royal Victoria Dock West is reimagined as a distinctive new water-based destination, at the heart of the Royal Docks, where people can relax, enjoy water-based leisure and wellness activities, and connect with nature throughout the year. 

Three core principles shape the vision:

• An enhanced destination offer, growing a range of uses that draw people in and encourage longer visits

• A neighbourhood asset that creates new local amenities and is inclusive, welcoming and comfortable for local communities

• A place defined by its relationship with water, with success measured by more people experiencing the water every day

Following an assessment of potential uses across economic, social, environmental and policy criteria, Royal Docks Waterways has identified three Priority Projects that will guide the first stages of delivery, subject to more detailed feasibility studies and agreements:

Floating Wellness

A year-round wellbeing destination in East London, combining a floating lido, sauna and spa experiences, along with expanded support for open-water swimming and an aspiration for increased seasonal free access to the water. This reflects growing public interest in health, outdoor activity and cold-water wellness.

A Floating Park

A new floating park for Newham, comprising landscaped floating green space, art installations and cultural programming, with capacity for future expansion. The park will help address the borough’s shortage of accessible public green space, creating a distinctive waterside place for people to meet, relax and engage with culture, while also contributing to wider climate-resilience objectives.

Floating Residential

Creating a new waterside community through residential moorings and floating homes. This will bring additional communal infrastructure for both the existing land-based and new water-based residents to ensure Royal Docks West remains a prosperous place to live as well as visit. This will help bring year-round life and activity to the area, while responding to the growing interest in blue-space urbanism, and recognising the role that water plays in health, identity, ecology, and overall quality of life.

The Vision forms part of a coordinated approach to regeneration across the Royal Docks, aligning with the work of the Royal Docks Team and multiple long-term policy frameworks, including the London Plan, the Newham Local Plan, the Royal Docks Delivery Plan and Water Strategy and the Royal Docks & Beckton Riverside OAPF.

It also aligns with emerging regional policy, including the Mayor of London’s forthcoming Clean & Healthy Waterways strategy, a 10-year plan to improve water quality, expand public access and restore London’s waterways as essential environmental assets. With the Mayor having recently signed the Swimmable Cities Charter, Royal Victoria Dock West is well-placed to become one of the first waterscapes in London where these ambitions begin to take shape. Biodiversity improvements, climate resilience and enhanced water quality form a central part of the Vision.

Pubic engagement

Royal Docks Waterways will now begin a period of public engagement on the overall Vision at the same time as it begins procurement processes to bring in third parties to progress the Floating Wellness and Floating Residential projects.

During February and March, they will work with local stakeholders and residents to develop briefs for the Wellness and Residential projects so they can incorporate local needs from an early stage.

Royal Docks Waterways is also looking to have private meetings with local stakeholders and businesses. Interested organisations should email rvdw@royaldockswaterways.com to set up meetings.

For more information on the Vision (which is available for download) and the next steps, please go to: https://rvdwactivated.com

For more information on public engagement sessions click here

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “The transformation of Royal Victoria Dock West is a major opportunity for Newham and for London as a whole, creating what will become one of the city’s most exciting new public spaces.

“I’m committed to transforming our waterways – cleaning them up, enabling wildlife to thrive and improving Londoners’ access to blue spaces across the city.

“Royal Docks Waterways’ work will help to ensure that Londoners can experience clean and safe waterways and enjoy the benefits of spending time near water, helping to build a greener and fairer London for everyone.”

Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, Mayor of Newham said: “Newham’s Royal Docks is being transformed, playing a pivotal role in London’s growth as a dynamic global city and ensuring our borough is a thriving place residents are proud to call home.

Newham Council has worked in partnership with the Royal Docks Team to drive forward a bold, long-term vision for the area, securing investment, unlocking development sites, delivering essential infrastructure, and championing inclusive growth that ensures local residents benefit from new homes, jobs, skills and cultural opportunities.

Together we have turned ambition into delivery, positioning the Royal Docks as one of London’s most exciting regeneration stories.

The development of Royal Victoria Dock West is reshaping the space as a leisure and wellness destination, making the most of the waterway and giving residents and visitors the opportunity to enjoy a new community right on the water.”

Scott Derben, Managing Director of Royal Docks Waterways, said: “This Vision represents the biggest step change in the management and development of the Royal Docks since they were closed to commercial shipping at the end of 1981. Now, 45 years later, our goal is that the Docks that used to feed London will be used to nurture its inhabitants.”

Who’s who

• Royal Docks Waterways
  The water within the docks and some small parcels of land at key points is part of a long lease to Royal Docks Waterways (the new trading name for the Royal Docks Management Authority, or RoDMA). Royal Docks Waterways is a not-for-profit organisation, and is responsible for the management of the water and its supporting infrastructure. Royal Docks Waterways works closely with local landowners, stakeholders, water-users and the Royal Docks Team to encourage and support the use of the Royal Docks. This Vision has been commissioned by Royal Docks Waterways.

• The Royal Docks Team
  The freehold of the Royal Docks is owned by the Greater London Authority (GLA) and this is overseen by the Royal Docks Team. The Royal Docks Team is a partnership between the Mayor of London and the Mayor of Newham. The team is responsible for steering the regeneration of the Royal Docks, driving significant levels of inward investment, and supporting the delivery of 36,000 new homes and 55,000 new jobs across the area.

• London Borough of Newham - The wider Royal Docks regeneration area and therefore the entirety of Royal Victoria Dock West is within the London Borough of Newham. This means that it is the Local Planning Authority, whose policies will govern future planning applications. Its strategies around public health, economic development and a just climate transition are also highly relevant for Royal Victoria Dock West.