2. 2Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
The River Thames has played a crucial role in Britain’s
history right back to when the Romans built London
on top of it. The 215 mile long waterway has been a
crucial trade route for Britain and many of its wharves
continue to play a key role in serving the capital’s many
major construction projects.
Waterside living has become popular
too over recent decades, with many
landmark developments changing
the face of London.
Introduction
Thames
215
miles
3. 3Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
Yet such housing has been beyond the means of the
vast majority of Londoners. As house price rises have
continuously outstripped inflation with development
lagging behind the
nationally, first time buyers have suffered. After
three decades of continuous growth, homeownership
is in decline.
An entire generation of first-time buyers
risks being locked out of the market,
facing an uncertain future living in the
private rented sector (PRS).
Nowhere better encapsulates the scale and depth of
the crisis than London. While some regional housing
markets have struggled to reach their pre-recession
heights, house prices in the capital have soared,
because of tight planning restrictions and a lack of
new development.
With a third of Londoners living in the PRS, families
looking to buy a home have to look further and further
out, or quit the city altogether.
A third of
Londoners
live in the
PRS
240,000 homes per yearwe need
4. 4Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
The capital in some ways is a victim of its own success.
A vibrant and dynamic economy has attracted workers
from not just all over Britain, but the world as well. A
young population has meant London’s organic growth
rate is already above the national average.
But this apparent success should not detract from the
failure of policy-makers to deliver the homes London
needs. With private sector output relatively stable over
recent decades, a refusal of successive governments
to reignite publicly funded house building has caused a
shortfall in supply.
London needs to build
around 50,000 homes a
year. Last year, it achieved
around half that.
The city’s housing shortage risks harming its long-term
prosperity. High housing costs are forcing key workers
to relocate elsewhere, and longer commutes are
making the ones who stay less productive.
2015
2014
2016
2017
2018
2019
= 10,000 homes
5. 5Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
Fortunately, politicians are starting to realise the need
for proper solutions. Housing was a more prominent
issue in this year’s general election than it has been for
decades, and looks set to be a defining theme of the
forthcoming mayoral contest.
Boris Johnson’s successor will have to think creatively
about where to build new homes. The greenbelt –
which against common sense is protected at all costs
– prevents outward development. This means we will
have to look at opportunities for delivering housing
within the capital.
One such opportunity is unlocking
London’s 40 safeguarded wharves.
Our analysis reveals collectively they
could deliver up to 30,000 new homes,
over half of London’s annual housing
need, and generate a £15bn windfall for
their landowners.
6. 6Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
London’s wharves were protected on the basis demand
for river freight would grow. It did not. Between 2001
and 2010 wharf trade fell by nearly a third.
There has been a recent uptick in activity largely
resulting from new infrastructure projects taking place
along the river, such as the Thames Tideway Tunnel.
But with the government looking to rebalance
investment away from London to the North, such
demand is not guaranteed in the long term.
Removing these safeguarding directions
to realise those opportunities presented
by a change of use and redevelopment is
not unprecedented: in 2013, 10 wharves
lost their safeguarded status following a
review by the Mayor of London.
With the city’s housing market at near breaking point,
and air and rail offering viable alternatives, it is time to
seriously consider the wharves’ safeguarded status.
We do not want to see the removal of all safeguarding
directions and subsequent loss of all operational
wharves. Many play a crucial role in supporting the
capital and should continue to do so. But where sites
are underused or unused and lay dormant, we should
release them for development.
7. 7Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
As a full-service consultancy, Daniel
Watney’s partner-led approach has
served an array of public and private
sector clients for more than 150 years.
Our specialist development, investment,
planning, professional service and
residential teams provide integrated
support and independent advice to a
range of high profile clients.
8. 8Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
River trade in London
London’s safeguarded wharves are the legacy of
London’s position as a global trading hub.
1700
1964
1967
The historical importance of the Thames to UK trade
dates back to at least 1700, when it is estimated
London’s wharves handled 70 per cent of the
country’s imports and 69 per cent of its exports.
However, it was in the mid-20th century when river
trade peaked, with trade exceeding 61m tonnes for
the first time ever in 1964.
But by 1967, the impact of containerisation was
becoming clear, with use of the upper docks declining.
The construction of Tilbury port, designed to handle
container shipping, represented another blow.
After Tilbury was finished, the enclosed docks
were gradually closed and eventually turned over
to developers.
9. 9Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
The Port of London Authority
The Port of London Authority (PLA) is a self-funding
public trust established by The Port of London Act 1908
to govern the Port of London.
1908
1992
TODAY
The PLA historically operated all enclosed dock
systems on the river, with the exception the
Regent’s Canal Dock. These docks are now closed
to commercial traffic, apart from the Port of Tilbury,
which was privatised in 1992.
With all its docks closed or sold off, the PLA now
focuses on creating a safe environment on the
tidal Thames. It is responsible for maintaining river
channels for navigation, moorings, lights and buoys.
The PLA also provides a wide range of services for
shipping, including pilotage.
Today, the PLA is responsible for an area spanning
95 miles, covering the Thames estuary all the way to
Teddington, making the Port of London the largest
port in the UK by size.
10. 10Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
Proposals to protect London’s river wharves from
changes of use first appeared in the 1995 Thames
Strategy, which put forward a number of measures to
enhance the riverside urban environment, and harness
the river for travel and leisure purposes.
Wharf safeguarding featured in formal planning
guidance for the first time in RPG3B, which was
published in 1997.
In 2000, responsibility for assessing planning
applications affecting safeguarded wharves was
transferred from the Secretary of State for Environment,
Transport, Local Government and the Regions to the
Mayor of London.
In 2005, the Mayor published the London Plan
Implementation Report Safeguarded Wharves in
the River Thames, which evaluated the suitability
of maintaining safeguarded status for 28 wharves
upstream of the Thames Barrier. It also considered
whether to extend safeguarding to additional wharves
downstream of the Thames Barrier.
A total of 50 wharf sites were then safeguarded through
a Direction made under Article 10(3) of the Town and
Country Planning (General Development Procedure)
Order 1995, which requires the Mayor to be consulted
before planning permission can be granted.
Planning policy
1995
1997
2000
2005
11. 11Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
2013 In 2013 10 wharves had their protected status removed
following the Safeguarded Wharves Review, leaving
40 safeguarded wharf sites.
This number may fall again. Earlier this year, the
Chancellor unveiled his Long Term Economic Plan for
London, which indicated that the government would
discuss the devolution of major new planning powers
to the Mayor of London, beginning with powers over
wharves and sightlines.
In the Treasury’s productivity plan, published this
summer, the Chancellor reiterated this intention.
Full details are expected to be revealed in the Autumn
Statement.
Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
13. Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015 13
As our analysis reveals, Barking and Dagenham has
the greatest housing potential if its safeguarded
wharves were released for development. This is largely
due to the sheer size of the Ford Dagenham Terminal,
which is some 70ha.
This alone could deliver
nearly 12,000 new homes.
However, the wharf is operational, with Ford currently
manufacturing advanced diesel engines at the
nearby plant.
Bexley, the City of London, Greenwich, Lewisham
and Newham would all exceed their annual housing
targets if they released their safeguarded wharves for
house building.
Analysis
Barking & Dagenham
15,836
1,236
Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
14. 14Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
Wandsworth would meet half their housing target, while
Hammersmith & Fulham, Havering, Kensington &
Chelsea and Tower Hamlets would still have some way
to go to meet their targets.
Releasing safeguarded wharves for
development would be a boon for
their owners, yielding an estimated
windfall of £15bn.
We reiterate that it would not be appropriate to
redevelop all of London’s safeguarded wharves,
particularly when they support economic growth and
are viable operations in their own right. Demand for
wharf trade fell by 29 per cent between 2001 and 2010,
but recent years have seen an increase, largely due to
major infrastructure projects like Crossrail, the Northern
Line extension and the Thames Tideway Tunnel.
However, with the government looking to redirect
infrastructure spending away from London and to the
North, future such increases are uncertain.
Given the severity of London’s housing crisis, it is
only right the wharves’ protected status is properly
scrutinised, and we hope our research goes some way
to starting a rational debate on their future.
15. 15Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
Case Study
Fulham Riverside West
London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham
Daniel Watney advised landowners of
three separate riverside sites totalling
3.30 hectares to prepare a Masterplan
and ultimately deliver a commercial
and residential scheme of 474
residential units.
Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
16. 16Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
The schemes comprise new housing, commercial B1 floorspace and some
small-scale retail.
In order to achieve this we carried out
Complex feasibility studies alongside stakeholders to
establish the optimum use of each of the sites;
Thorough Community and stakeholder consultation
through the pre-application process;
Following public consultation feedback, the site
proposed a further 50% of public open space and a
dedicated facility for the Princes School of Traditional
Arts, one of the Prince Of Wales’s charities;
The town planning case required a robust argument for
the consolidation and loss of a safeguarded wharf from
the site to another part of the Borough.
17. 17Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
Wharf
Hurlingham Wharf
Swedish Wharf
Comley’s Wharf
Smugglers Way
Pier Wharf
Cringle Dock
Kirtling Wharf
Middle Wharf
Cremorne Wharf
Walbrook Wharf
Convoys Wharf
Brewery Wharf
Tunnel Wharf
Victoria Deep Water Terminal
Angerstein Wharf
Murphy’s Wharf
Riverside Wharf
Middleton Jetty
Pioneer Wharf
Albion Wharf
Erith Wharf
Standard Wharf
Northumberland Wharf
Orchard Wharf
Thames Wharf
Peruvian Wharf
Manhattan Wharf
Thames Refinery
Borough
Hammersmith & Fulham
Hammersmith & Fulham
Hammersmith & Fulham
Wandsworth
Wandsworth
Wandsworth
Wandsworth
Wandsworth
Kensington & Chelsea
City of London
Lewisham
Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich
Bexley
Bexley
Bexley
Bexley
Bexley
Tower Hamlets
Tower Hamlets
Newham
Newham
Newham
Newham
Operational
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
Size (ha)**
0.49
0.55
0.44
2.42
0.23
1.12
0.68
0.10
0.39
0.65
9.13
0.23
4.21
6.09
7.24
6.67
1.01
8.68
2.40
10.39
1.60
4.40
0.85
1.40
7.92
3.55
0.51
11.40
No. of Units
83
94
75
629
39
190
116
17
66
169
1552
39
716
579
1231
1134
96
825
228
987
152
418
145
133
1346
604
48
083
London’s Safeguarded Wharves
18. 18Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
Wharf
Pinns Wharf
Steel Wharf
Rippleway Wharf
Docklands Wharf
Victoria Stone Wharf
Dagenham Wharf
Pinnacle Terminal
No 1 Western Extension
East Jetty
No 4 Jetty
Ford Dagenham Terminal
Halfway Wharf
Borough
Barking & Dagenham
Barking & Dagenham
Barking & Dagenham
Barking & Dagenham
Barking & Dagenham
Barking & Dagenham
Barking & Dagenham
Barking & Dagenham
Barking & Dagenham
Barking & Dagenham
Barking & Dagenham
Havering
Total Operational
Total Non-Operational
Total
** GLA / PLA Safeguarded Wharves Review - Final Recommendation, March 2013
Operational
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Size (ha)**
1.73
1.94
5.75
2.00
1.99
5.19
7.63
1.82
0.31
11.46
70.00
4.37
182.22
26.72
208.94
No. of Units
294
184
546
190
189
493
725
173
53
1089
11900
415
25125
3920
29045
London’s Safeguarded Wharves
19. 19Daniel Watney: Unlocking London’s Safeguarded Wharves: October 2015
The Daniel Watney team
John Harding
Senior partner and head of
transactional business
jharding@danielwatney.co.uk
David Graham
Senior associate partner
dgraham@danielwatney.co.uk
Julian Goddard
Partner and head of
residential
jgoddard@danielwatney.co.uk
Charlotte Goodrum
Associate partner
cgoodrum@danielwatney.co.uk
Charles Mills
Partner and head of planning
cmills@danielwatney.co.uk
